Premium Deep Roast Houjicha

Origin: Shizuoka and Kagoshima Prefectures, Japan 
Cultivar: Yabukita 
Harvest: 1st Flush and 2nd Flush 2022 
Elevation: 150-350m 

Houjicha is a category of Japanese green tea defined by its level of roasting. It is the coffee analog of tea. Green tea leaves and stems from sencha, kukicha and bancha are hot roasted and transformed by way of the Maillard reaction, like caramelizing sweet potatoes or striking the right roast in coffee or cocoa. This style of houjicha is a dark or deep-roasted “bou houji” that is made from roasting only the tender stems (bou) that are sorted from sencha and kukicha lots. The “bou-stems” and stalks from tea have amino acids, polysaccharides and fibers that when roasted with skill provide a deep sweetness, rich mouthfeel and a heady aroma. 

Tea masters know that the aroma and sweetness in high-end houjicha is coming from the good selection of bou raw materials. This lot is a great example of high-end raw material with masterful roasting that is deep and heavy but not burned or smokey. This batch is warming and toasty with a deep tea taste and notes of caramel, kuromitsu, dark chocolate, espresso bean and rich sweetness.


Add 4g−5g to a small (200ml−290ml) Kyusu teapot. 
Use 190°F water. 
Infuse for 1−2 minutes and decant. 
Repeat for another 1−2 infusions for 1 minute.