Japan Houjicha Organic

Houjicha is a Japanese green tea that is roasted over high heat after harvest. The roasting turns the green leaf warm shades of brown and removes the grassy notes of ordinary green tea. What remains is a soft, rounded cup with notes of hazelnut, caramel and toasted grain, with hardly any bitterness. This houjicha is organically grown. Thanks to the roasting it is low in caffeine, which makes it a good choice in the evening too.

Brewing advice: 3 g per 250 ml (two heaped teaspoons, as the leaf is light), water at 95 to 100 °C, steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Unlike other green teas, boiling water is perfectly fine here.

Try it as a houjicha latte as well: steep 5 g in 100 ml of hot water for 3 minutes, then top up with warm milk. A warming, nutty cup made for autumn and winter.