How to brew hojicha properly at home

Hojicha is the most forgiving of the Japanese green teas. Because it is roasted, the chlorophyll and most of the compounds that make green tea bitter at high temperatures have already been transformed. You can brew it at 90°C without the astringency that would ruin a sencha at the same temperature. But forgiving is not the same as foolproof, and there are a few things worth getting right.

Water temperature and steeping time ¶

The standard recommendation for hojicha is 90°C for 30 seconds in a small teapot (a kyusu if you have one, any small ceramic or glass pot if you do not). This produces a cup that is warm and slightly smoky without being bitter. At 100°C the roasted notes become harsh. Below 80°C the cup is thin and the roasted character does not fully develop.

If you do not have a thermometer, 90°C is the temperature water reaches about two minutes after it has stopped boiling in a standard kettle. Pour it into the teapot, wait 30 seconds, and pour it out into the cups in a slow, even stream.

The second infusion ¶

Hojicha gives a good second infusion. Use the same temperature but reduce the steeping time to 15 to 20 seconds. The second cup will be lighter in color and slightly less smoky, which some people prefer. A third infusion is possible but thin.

The leaves can be composted after the second infusion. They are also edible and can be added to rice or used as a seasoning, which is a practice common in Kyoto households where nothing from the tea session is wasted.

Autumn and hojicha ¶

Hojicha is particularly well-suited to autumn and winter because its warmth and low caffeine content make it a good evening drink. The autumn harvest batch in the shop is from Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, roasted over charcoal rather than in a drum roaster, which gives it a slightly more complex character than most commercially available hojicha. It brews well at the standard parameters above.

If you have questions about brewing or want to know more about the specific batch in the shop, the contact page is the best place to ask. We are happy to talk through the details.