Kuki hojicha
Hojicha roasted from stems rather than leaf, producing a lighter, sweeter and less bitter result than leaf hojicha. It is the most common form of hojicha in Japan and is what most cafés serve, although leaf hojicha is what usually gets exported.
Character
Lighter and sweeter than leaf hojicha, with a caramel note and essentially no bitterness at any brewing strength.
- Flavour
- Roasted, Sweet, Woody
- Aroma
- Toasted, Caramelised
- Mouthfeel
- Light, Smooth
- Complexity
- Straightforward
- Notes
- toasted caramel, warm wood, roasted grain
- Aftertaste
- Sweet, toasty and very clean.
Delicate intensity: light in the mouth with little grip. forgiving of a long steep.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Japan
- Oxidation
- Unoxidised
- Roast
- Medium
- Harvest
- Year round
- Processing
- Steaming (Japanese fixation) → De-stemming and de-veining → Roasting → Drying
History
Stem hojicha became the dominant form in Japan because it uses the kukicha fraction that sencha production already produces, making it the cheapest possible use of an existing by-product.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 90–100 °C · 1 authored infusion
Kyusu brewing (Japanese style)
3–5 g/100 ml · 80–90 °C · 3 authored infusions
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
3–4 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 4 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Hojicha
Stem hojicha is the sweeter and more common form in Japan. Leaf hojicha is what gets exported and it is noticeably more bitter.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Huoshan Huang Da Cha
Shares 6 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, sweet, woody, smooth, toasted and caramelised.
- Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted)
Shares 6 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, sweet, woody, smooth, caramelised and toasted.
- Da Hong Pao
Shares 5 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, woody, smooth, caramelised and toasted.
- Dong Ding
Shares 5 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, sweet, smooth, toasted and caramelised.
- Hong Shui oolong
Shares 5 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, sweet, woody, smooth and caramelised.
- Tan Bei oolong
Shares 5 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, sweet, smooth, toasted and caramelised.
- Wuyi rock tea (yancha)
Shares 5 descriptors with Kuki hojicha: roasted, woody, smooth, caramelised and toasted.
Journeys featuring this tea
- I like coffee — A coffee drinker who finds most tea thin and wants something with body and roast.