Houjicha Japan

HOJICHA OR HOUJICHA TEA

Hojicha Tea: Japanese green tea from Shizuoka Province

Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Province.
Harvest 2025
 

Houjicha Tea derived from the roasting of Japanese Bancha with zero caffeine

The Japanese Hojicha tea available online at Terzaluna.com comes from the Shizuoka Province, from a 2024 harvest. It is a product made from roasted Bancha tea leaves, a process that makes the infusion sweeter and more enveloping for the palate. 

The Houjicha, also known as Hojicha, is derived from the roasting of Bancha or sometimes Sencha green tea leaves. Thanks to this additional process in leaf processing, unlike Bancha tea, Hojicha contains no caffeine, as the roasting completely eliminates it: this makes it a tea suitable for everyone, even children, and particularly for those who appreciate a good green tea but experience intestinal or energy issues when drinking it. This characteristic is also found in Kukicha teas.

Despite being derived from it, the only characteristic that roasted Hojicha shares with Bancha tea is its properties. The taste of Hojicha, unlike the grassy, astringent, and refreshing taste of Bancha, is more warm and enveloping, with a woody aftertaste and very pleasant organoleptic notes reminiscent of tree bark, caramel, and coffee, making it a green tea for all hours, to be savored slowly, especially on rainy days.

Difference between Houjicha and Kukicha

Hojicha or Kukicha? Many wonder about the differences between these two types of tea, both roasted but derived from two different parts of the plant. While Houjicha is produced from the roasting of leaves, Kukicha is derived from the roasting of twigs, stems, and pruning products of Bancha tea more commonly, but also from other varieties. For example, try the exquisite Kukicha Tea from Gyokuro and Sencha on Terzaluna. 

Both Kukicha and Houjicha are warming teas, suitable for drinking in winter, alone during the day or paired with stronger and more intense flavors like cheeses or fried foods, which break their sweetness.

Visit the loose tea section of our site to discover hundreds of different tea varieties.

Properties of Hojicha Tea

The Houjicha tea possesses the properties of Bancha tea, with the advantage of not containing caffeine, which gives tea its classic bitter taste.

In macrobiotics, Bancha is generally considered a refreshing, cooling tea, suitable for dry heat, while Houjicha is a warming green tea, recommended on humid and cold days, suitable for people with a delicate intestine or during flu or seasonal illnesses, to tone the spirit.

Houjicha tea, both in its green and roasted versions, is also used and known in macrobiotics for its properties

• diuretic,
• hypoglycemic, 
• alkalizing (due to its zero caffeine content).

Among other benefits of Houjicha, we remember its mineral content, antioxidants, and L-Theanine, a very important molecule, antidepressant, and relaxing.

Contraindications

Hujicha tea has no contraindications, unless there is an intolerance to the plant itself.

Preparation

Houjicha tea is prepared with a classic hot infusion. Our recommendation is to use:

• 1 gram of tea,
• 100 ml of water,
• temperature of 90°.

The infusion time for Hojicha is 2/4 minutes, however, in macrobiotics, it is often suggested to boil it for a long time, like Kukicha, to increase its warming effect. In case of prolonged boiling, our suggestion is to cover it to prevent the loss of many minerals from the tea due to evaporation. Alternatively, you can try the oriental infusion method, with multiple but shorter infusions of the same leaves.

Besides being enjoyed as an infusion, Hojicha tea is suitable for preparing various desserts, adding a slightly roasted flavor to the dishes. Ground, Hojicha can be used in cake and cookie doughs, while infused it can flavor creams or be used to prepare a Hojicha panna cotta.
Made more popular by the well-known American coffee chain that introduced its Starbucks Hojicha Latte, powdered hojicha can be used, with the method employed for preparing matcha tea, as a coffee substitute for an excellent Hojicha latte.

Where to buy the best quality Hojicha Tea? Terza Luna is the answer!

We have always carefully selected all our products, sourcing them from small producers and artisanal farms. Our Hojicha tea available online in our shop is indeed from organic farming. Teas like the organic and roasted Houjicha tea make us at Terza Luna proud to be a store specialized in online tea sales.

Prices and formats

• 50 gr – 7.00 €
• 100 gr – 13.00 €
• 250 gr – 29.00 € (Save 6€ compared to the 50 gr package)

Discover the world of green tea and Japanese teas at Terza Luna

If you are a tea enthusiast, Terza Luna is the right online shop for you. We have selected over 700 different products from around the world, and the green tea section of our site is one of the most well-stocked. Also, take a look at the many other Japanese teas available in our shop.

HOJICHA LATTE

Hojicha latte is a delicious recipe for preparing a cappuccino or hot milk with Hojicha tea.
To learn more, we recommend our blog article!