Hojicha
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| Type: | Green [citation needed] |
| Other names: | 焙じ茶 hōji-cha, pan-fried / oven roasted tea |
| Origin: | Japan |
| Quick description: | Popular in Japan. Roasted Bancha or Kukicha tea, often used as an after-dinner tea. |
| Temperature: | 82°C |
| Time: | 1 - 3 minutes |
| Number of infusions: | 2 |
| Quantity: | 4 teaspoons per litre |
Hōjicha (Houjicha) (ほうじ茶) is a Japanese green tea that is distinguished from others because it is roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal; most Japanese teas are usually steamed. The tea is fired at a high temperature, altering the leaf color tints from green to reddish-brown. The process was first performed in Kyoto, Japan in the 1920s and its popularity persists today.
Hōjicha is often made from bancha (番茶, "common tea"),[1] tea from the last harvest of the season; however, other varieties of Hōjicha also exist, including a variety made from sencha, and Kukicha, tea made from the twigs of the tea plant rather than the leaves.
Hōjicha infusions have a light- to reddish-brown appearance and are less astringent due to losing catechins[2] during the high-temperature roasting process. The roasted flavors are extracted and dominate this blend: the roasting replaces the vegetative tones of standard green tea with a toasty, slightly caramel-like flavor. The roasting process used to make Hōjicha also lowers the amount of caffeine in the tea. Because of its mildness, Hōjicha is a popular tea to serve during the evening meal or after, before going to sleep, and even preferred for children and the elderly.
See also
- Japanese tea
References
- ↑ Clayton, Liz. "Tea Time: All About Hojicha". serious eats. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
- ↑ Kuroda, Yukiaki (2004). Health effects of tea and its catechins. 30: Kluwer Academic. ISBN 0-306-48207-X.
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[citation needed]