Houjicha - Tsuyuhikari

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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 contains a much higher proportion of stems (sometimes known as kukicha or kuki houjicha). Kuki houjicha tends to be lighter in flavour but the high proportion of stems also contribute some sweetness to the flavour profile.

Notes For This Particular Tea:
This houjicha is a single cultivar (which, unless the cultivar is Yabukita, is quite rare for houjicha) called Tsuyuhikari. It is a double light roast houjicha with a roasted, toasted, almost spiced flavour. It is from the producer based in Hoshinomura, Yame, Fukuoka prefecture. Due to the light roast nature of this tea we recommend a slightly longer first infusion of 20 seconds rather than the usual 10 for most houjicha. You can also try brewing the first infusion at a lower temperature of 75°C to see if you notice less astringency.

Please experiment when brewing this tea to find your personal preference. A good starting point is listed below.

Hot brewing guide with water:
Houjicha 5 grams
Water 120-140ml
First infusion 75°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 chilled 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. Best consumed within 3-4 months from when it is first opened, but houjicha is not as sensitive as sencha or matcha so this is not a strict time limit.