Houjicha - ‘The Bone’ by Okutomi Masahiro

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Houjicha Background Information:
Houjicha means roasted tea. Although its colour is brown due to the roasting process, houjicha is still a Japanese green tea as it is not oxidised or fermented. It is low in caffeine due to the roasting process, meaning it is ideal to drink at any time of the day and by people of any age, and houjicha is said to be especially good for our bodies during the cold winter season too. There are two main types of houjicha - one contains mainly leaves with little to no stems, whereas the other type, indeed like this ‘The Bone’, contains a much higher proportion of stems (sometimes known as kukicha or kuki houjicha).

Notes For This Particular Tea:
Our main producer from Sayama prefecture (Saitama City), Okutomi-san uses culturally taboo skeleton imagery to provoke thought and conversation around Japanese tea domestically in an effort to generate more interest and intrigue from the local population (domestic tea consumption is decreasing year on year). The full name of this tea is ‘Oni no Shirahone’ (literally meaning The demon’s white bone(s)), where bone is an old industry term for the stems of tea leaves after roasting, once puffed up resembling bones. The stems are lightly roasted to the point where they have a rich roasted/savoury aroma. Roasted any longer and the savoury profile would be lost, but at this light roast stage you will be able to taste the savoury umami in tandem with the roasted notes. This creates a unique harmony, an incredibly satisftying balance which we have found very hard to come by. While delicious brewed hot, kyuurei brewing is recommended to try at least once!

Hot brewing guide:
Houjicha 5 grams
Water 120ml
First infusion 85°C for 20sec
Second infusion 85°C for 30sec
Third infusion 85°C for 60sec

To pour over ice (kyuurei):
Houjicha 6 grams
Water 125ml
One infusion only 85°C for 90sec

Pour over lots of ice and serve immediately. Alternatively, our personal favourite is to pour over just a few ice cubes (~100g) and enjoy when cold but not ice cold (or wait for it to warm up closer to room temperature).

Storage:
Store in the fridge or at room temperature in a cool dry place, and avoid exposure to sunlight and air - both of these will degrade your tea. Houjicha is usually best consumed within 6-9 months from when it is first opened, as it is not particularly sensitive to oxygen unlike sencha or matcha. A light roasted houjicha like this though, would ideally be consumed within 2-3 months after opening.