If you like Japanese green tea but don't want to feel the caffeine in the evening, hojicha is your answer: a roasted green tea from Japan with a warm, nutty, toasty aroma and very little caffeine. This buying guide shows you what makes hojicha special, what to look for when buying it and how to prepare it as a tea or latte.
Key points at a glance
- What it is: Hojicha (ほうじ茶, "roasted tea") is Japanese green tea – usually bancha or kukicha – roasted in drum roasters at around 150–200 °C.
- Taste: warm, nutty, with notes of hazelnut, caramel and cocoa instead of the grassy astringency of classic green teas.
- Caffeine: at about 7–20 mg per cup, one of the lowest-caffeine true teas – for comparison, matcha contains around 60–70 mg, coffee 95–200 mg.
- Two roast levels: Light Roast (mild, slightly sweet) and Classic/Dark Roast (bold, chocolatey) – at KĀRU, each as an organic powder in a 100 g bag.
- Preparation: whisked like matcha; ideal on its own, as a latte or for baking.
What is hojicha?
Hojicha (Japanese ほうじ茶, literally "roasted tea") is a roasted green tea from Japan that differs from other green teas through its special processing. Instead of just being dried after steaming, as is usual, the tea leaves – often bancha (late-harvested leaves) or kukicha (stem and twig tea) – are roasted at a high temperature in drum roasters in a later step.
This changes not only the color, from green to a warm reddish brown, but also the aroma: the astringent, grassy notes give way to a mild, nutty, toasty character with a hint of smoke. Hojicha is available both as loose-leaf tea for brewing and in ground powder form – the latter can be whisked like matcha, which makes it especially versatile.
Where does hojicha come from?
Hojicha was created in the 1920s in Kyoto, when a tea merchant tried to add value to leftover leaves and stems by roasting them. The idea was a hit: hojicha quickly became popular – especially with children, older people and anyone who found classic green tea too bitter.
Today, hojicha is an everyday classic in Japan, often drunk after meals and in the evening, and it's gaining popularity worldwide. That's also how our founders Jan and Simon first came across hojicha – in a small ice cream parlor in Shizuoka that offered hojicha ice cream as a gently roasted alternative to chocolate ice cream.
What does hojicha taste like?
Hojicha delights with an aroma you wouldn't expect from green tea: warm, soft, nutty. Roasting – a so-called Maillard reaction, the same one that gives coffee and toasted bread their aroma – turns the typical grassy notes into a round, earthy profile with hints of hazelnut, caramel, cocoa and a touch of smoke.
The bitter compounds pleasantly fade into the background. What remains is a gentle, almost calming flavor that's a little reminiscent of coffee, yet completely unassuming.
How much caffeine does hojicha have?
A real advantage of hojicha is its particularly low caffeine content. On average, a cup contains only about 7–20 mg of caffeine – for comparison: matcha comes in at around 60–70 mg per serving, a cup of coffee at 95–200 mg.
There are two reasons for this. First, the leaves: bancha and kukicha are harvested late and naturally contain less caffeine than the young leaves used for matcha or gyokuro. Second, the roasting: at around 150–200 °C, the temperature is above the sublimation point of caffeine (approx. 178 °C), so some of it escapes during roasting.
At the same time, hojicha contains the amino acid L-theanine, which studies associate with a balancing, relaxing effect. That makes hojicha a pleasant companion for quiet moments – at any time of day.
Which roast level should you choose?
Hojicha comes in different roast levels – the most important difference when buying. Both below can be used as a fine powder for tea, lattes or recipes:
|
Roast |
Taste |
Ideal for |
|
Light Roast |
Gentle, balanced, slightly sweet notes of nuts and chocolate |
Beginners, a mild tea experience, enjoying it on its own |
|
Classic / Dark Roast |
Bold, deep, pronounced roasted character of dark cocoa and roasted wood |
Hojicha latte, low-caffeine coffee substitute |
Not sure where to start? To drink it on its own, the light roast is the gentler choice; if you mostly drink hojicha as a latte, go for the bold roast, which holds its own against the milk.
How do you prepare hojicha?
Preparation is simple and versatile – whether classically as a tea or creatively in the kitchen:
Classic tea
Pour approx. 150 ml of hot water (80–90 °C) over 1 tsp of hojicha powder and whisk with a chasen (bamboo whisk) until the powder has dissolved.
Hojicha latte
Mix 1 tsp of powder with approx. 50 ml of hot water, then top up with frothed (plant-based) milk. Sweeten with maple syrup if you like.
In the kitchen
As a powder in cookies, cakes, ice cream, smoothies or porridge – the toasty, caramel-like note adds depth. Popular: hojicha tiramisu or scones.
Organic Hojicha Powder 100g | Roasted "Matcha"
Bio-Hojicha aus Japan – als Light Roast (mild) oder Classic Roast (kräftig), 100 g...
29,00 € , 290,00 €/kg
Recipe: hojicha latte with cinnamon-maple cold foam
Our favorite recipe for the evening – toasty, creamy and topped with a cloud of cinnamon-maple foam:
Froth approx. 180 ml of milk (or a milk alternative) with ½ tsp cinnamon and a dash of maple syrup and pour it into a glass. Prepare the hojicha like matcha – whisk approx. 2 g with 60 ml of water – and pour it on top. For the optional topping, whip a little cream with a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of syrup; it will then float like a cloud on top of the latte. Finally, dust with cinnamon.
Conclusion: who is hojicha for?
Hojicha is the right choice if you love the taste of Japanese green tea but want little caffeine – mild, toasty and versatile. For enjoying it on its own, choose the light roast; for lattes, the bold one. In short: a new classic that fits effortlessly into your everyday life.
