What Is Hojicha?

While coffee has cornered the market on wake-up drinks, there are many varieties of tea that you could be enjoying in lieu of your morning java. One such tea is hojicha. What is hojicha? It’s exactly the thing we’ll be talking about today! So, grab your mug and toss that leftover bean juice, because from here on out, we’re a hojicha family.

What is hojicha?

While most other Japanese tea leaves are steamed, hojicha is a Japanese green tea made from tea leaves that are roasted over charcoal in a porcelain pot. This process gives it a unique, nutty, toasty flavor.   

Does hojicha have caffeine?

Yes, thankfully to those who are using it to wake up, hojicha does contain caffeine. However, it’s fairly low in caffeine compared to other teas and coffee. A cup of hojicha contains a little less than 8mg of caffeine, while a cup of coffee contains about 95mg. Hey, that just means you get to enjoy more of it in the morning! Maybe try a bowl of it instead of a mug to cut down on the number of trips to the kitchen? I’m just spitballing, here.

What does hojicha taste like?

Hojicha has been described as nutty, smoky, and slightly sweet. 

How to pronounce hojicha? 

Ah yes, knowing how to pronounce the thing we’ve been discussing all this time would probably be helpful. Hojicha is pronounced “ho-jee-chuh.” Repeat that back, won’t you? (Please tell me you just said it out loud on the subway or someplace like that.) 

Now that you know how to say it, you can ask for it at your local coffee shop, and then be disappointed when they don’t offer it. Even that one smug barista who’s always wearing his own band’s merch will be bewildered.

So, if coffee is becoming more and more of a sludgy slog that’s barely getting you out of bed in the morning, take it from us and make the switch to hojicha. Not only will you save yourself from dreaded potential coffee migraines, but you’ll sound a lot more niche and underground to anyone who may overhear you order one.