Japanese Green Tea

• What is Houjicha?
• Special Houjicha Teas
• History of Houjicha
• A Tip to Enjoy Houjicha
• Houjicha Items
• Customer Reviews of Houjicha Items

What is Houjicha?

We would like you to rediscover the value of our Houjicha items for monthly recommendation.

The first three processing steps of Houjicha tea leaves are the same as for Sencha: 1) Steaming, 2) Drying and Crumpling, and 3) Shaping. But to make Houjicha, the tea goes through one special additional step: 4) Roasting.
Like Sencha, tea leaves for Houjicha are grown with fully-flooded sunlight, so that Houjicha contains beneficial Catechin. And since Houjicha is pan-roasted, it is very low in caffeine. In Japan, Houjicha is commonly given to babies and people who are sick because it is both nourishing and low in caffeine. Besides, Houjicha is perfect for iced tea. It will cool you on a sizzling hot day.

Hibiki-an uses only the highest grade (first harvested, or pruned after harvesting Shincha) tea leaves to make all of our Houjicha items. The finished product is a fresh roasted chestnut-brown color. The leaves are only lightly roasted to maximize the essential flavor of the tea leaves. The flavor is very smooth and the aroma lingers nicely for a while.

Unfortunately many tea companies use low grade tea leaves (second harvested, third harvested, pruned in autumn, etc.) to make their Houjicha. Other Houjicha (not ours!) is roasted too strongly and becomes a dark brown color, so the flavor is smoky and not smooth at all.

Also Houjicha items are all good affordable everyday tea and are favorite beverage of tea farmers all over Japan. Like "fresh roasted" coffee, Houjicha is also most flavorful just after roasting. Needless to say, all of our Houjicha items at Hibiki-an are fresh roasted, packaged just after roasting.

Tea Color of Houjicha	Tea leaves of Houjicha	Tea leaves of Houjicha Karigane
Roasting facility	Tea leaves sending up smoke in the roasting facility	Tea leaves just completed roasting

Special Houjicha Teas

In Japan, Houjicha is considered a good everyday tea. It is one of the most popular everyday teas, along with Sencha. So, it has been enjoyed in various ways: brewed in Kyusu, Iced Tea, decocted (boiled), and so on. And it is usually relatively affordable and quite healthy drink which contains much Catechin and Vitamin C and only a small amount of Caffeine. Because of the low Caffeine and soothing properties, Houjicha is suitable to drink near bedtime and can be given to very young children, even babies.

We arranged two special Houjicha items, Houjicha Super Premium and Houjicha Karigane Super Premium. Each item is the limited edition of 200 packages only available this winter season.
For Houjicha Super Premium, we use only young tea sprouts and add a small quantity of stems from highest grade Matcha to create the unique and excellent smooth and mellow roasted nut aroma.
For Houjicha Karigane Super Premium, we use only stems from highest grade Sencha and add a small quantity of stems from highest grade Matcha to create the unique and excellent sweet and roasted flavor.

Both teas are brighter in color and the rich flavor goes far beyond regular Houjicha and Houjicha Karigane. You are sure to delight in the extraordinary rich roasted flavor that lingers nicely in the mouth for a while.

History of Houjicha

It is said that the origin of Houjicha is Kyo Bancha. Kyo Bancha was originally made by pruned tea leaves from the tea tree for the highest grade, hand picked Matcha and Gyokuro.
Machine trimmed tea trees are shaped into a uniform semicircle. In contrast, tea trees picked by hand grow upward naturally, as shown below. Hand picked tea trees grow to a height of 1 to 1.5m (3.28 to 4.92ft) around harvest season. Just after harvest, farmers prune around the base of the tea tree (about 40cm / 1.31ft). The pruned tea leaves and stems are steamed, dried in the sun, and then roasted. It is traditional Kyo Bancha and the origin of Houjicha. Now, Houjicha is made by roasting Sencha.
Houjicha is everyday tea for people living in Kyoto. Houjicha is enjoyed at every meal, with an afternoon snack, near bedtime, and so on. Hot brewed Houjicha warms not only the body but the heart and spirit during cold winters. And in the summer, Iced Houjicha is very cooling and refreshing.
The highest grade Houjicha, like our Houjicha Super Premium and Houjicha Karigane Super Premium, is used at Tea Ceremony schools. The highest grade Houjicha is enjoyed at special occasions to open the heart and spirit. Houjicha is an essential part of daily life for the people of Kyoto.

Machine trimmed tea trees	Hand picked tea trees	Today's Houjicha

A Tip to Enjoy Houjicha

To enjoy Houjicha or Houjicha Karigane, there are three points to remember.
Houjicha / Houjicha Karigane is only half the weight of Sencha tea leaves; it is 50% lighter. So, please put about two times (2x) the cubical content of Houjicha or Houjicha Karigane tea leaves in the tea pot (Kyusu).
To extract the excellent nutty and smooth aroma from Houjicha, please brew the tea leaves in boiling water for a short time, 15 to 30 seconds.
Like "fresh roasted" coffee, Houjicha / Houjicha Karigane is also most flavorful just after roasting. Please purchase Houjicha packaged just after roasting. Needless to say, all of our Houjicha items at Hibiki-an are fresh roasted, specially packaged just after roasting.
All of our teas at Hibiki-an may be brewed three times with full flavor and excellent results, including our Houjicha.

(Brewing way for 2cups)
Tea leaves: 3 tablespoons (7-8g)
Water temperature: boiling water
Amount of water: 200ml (7.04fl oz)
Waiting time: 15 - 30sec.

Houjicha Items

	[Limited] Houjicha Super Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$18.00 To make this Houjicha Super Premium, we use only young sprouts. And a small amount of stems from the highest grade Matcha are added in order to create the unique noble aroma...
	[Limited] Houjicha Karigane Super Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$18.00 The stems contained in this tea are usually used for Sencha Karigane, not Houjicha Karigane. Stems from the highest grade Matcha are added in order to create the unique noble aroma...
	Houjicha (200g/7.06oz): US$20.00 Houjicha, also called Bancha, is made by roasting Sencha tea leaves over high heat. It is a brown tea with a toasted nutty flavor, and is low in caffeine...
	Houjicha Karigane (200g/7.06oz): US$21.00 Houjicha Karigane is made from the stems of high grade tea leaves and roasted in the same way as standard Houjicha. The flavor is deeply sweet and roasted, which is quite unique among Japanese tea...
	Organic Houjicha (200g/7.06oz): US$22.00 This Organic Houjicha is certified by Japanese administration. This, also called Bancha, is made by roasting Organic Sencha tea leaves over high heat. It is a brown tea with a toasted nutty flavor, and is low in caffeine...
	Teabag Houjicha (5g*28 / 0.17oz*28): US$20.00 Each specially-designed nylon bag is filled with whole-leaf Houjicha, so you can enjoy the rich flavor of Houjicha in no time at all! Houjicha, also called Bancha, is made by roasting fresh green tea leaves over high heat. It is a brown tea with a toasted nutty flavor...
	Genmai-Houji Tasting Set (each 100g/3.53oz x 4): US$41.50 We chose and combined four of our most unique and delightful teas to make this special set: Genmaicha, Genmaicha Matcha-iri, Houjicha, and Houjicha Karigane.

Customer Reviews of Houjicha Items

[Limited] Houjicha Super Premium
My family drink houjicha tea all the time in the winter, so we ordered this special version right away. We were not disappointed. Houjicha is always a hearty tea, but this Super Premium has many nuances and subtle flavors we had not experienced with the other brands of houjicha. I highly recommend this tea for grownups and children!
--- Female, United States

There are four new Houjicha teas now offered from the tea farm and green tea provider Hibiki-an. The Houjicha Super Premium is a limited production.This was the first of the four Houjicha teas I tasted and I was thrilled with my experience. This was a tea I did not want to stop drinking. My comfort level with this tea was obtained through the complexity of flavors created and captured by the exquisite roasting. I knew from the time I opened the package to reveal the aroma that this was a very special roasting. I loved the mild smoked layers mixed with earthy and fruity-nutty cereal essence. I snacked on dry fruit during this tea session and began to in my mind make food pairings using Houjicha Super Premium. I was never willing in the past to try what I called stick teas. I was more a green tea and whole leaf snob. But when I asked my sushi master what his favorite tea was and he said Houjicha I dismissed his comment but always wondered why would he liked Houjicha. Now I know why. Roasting brings out wonderful flavors. The flavor is retained in your mouth for quite awhile whilst leaving you very satisfied and wanting more. I must say that this tea is so satisfying that it would be a great aid to fortify oneself for a long day when you might have to miss lunch and have a late dinner! To all Hibiki-an tea lovers and prospective tea drinkers this is not one to miss. My only hope is that Hibiki-an can duplicate this roasting next year! I used just barely 1/4 cup about 7.5 grams to 200ml or 7 ounces of hot water (boiling) for about 20 seconds. I used a teapot that decanted very quickly and I filtered the pour through a fine stainless filter which made the tea color more beautiful in my Hibiki-an SHIGARAKI HAGI Yunomi (handcrafted Teacup: pair). An excellent cup to enjoy this satisfying tea. I am very impressed with this tea offering and I hope you will take the opportunity not to miss this limited and very special offering.
--- Female, United States

In contrast to the more robust regular Houjicha, this Super Premium version has a smooth, mellow and sweet flavour. Very pleasant roasted aroma. Well worth a try.
--- Male, United Kingdom

[Limited] Houjicha Karigane Super Premium
Houjicha Karigane Super Premium is the perfect hot tea for winter and early spring. It's very hearty and warming. After I've been outside shoveling snow, all I want is a steaming hot cup of this tea. The blend of roasted stems and twigs from high quality Sencha and Matcha create an extremely rich and complex flavor like roasted grains, coffee, and black tea. You'll find deep earthy undertones of oak wood and autumn leaves and top notes of sweet brown sugar and green grass. Overall, it's a very complex tea, perfect for those who like to experiment with new flavors and styles of tea. If this is your first time to try Japanese green tea, I suggest Hibiki-an's Sencha. If you have never tried Houjicha, I suggest Hibiki-an's Houjicha (Bancha). But if you have been drinking tea for a while and want something really special and unique, I definitely suggest this tea, along with their Houjicha Super Premium.
--- Female, United States

Houjicha
I decided to try Hibiki-an's Houjicha as an affordable tea to drink at night due to the low caffeine content. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise and is now one of my personal favourites. Delightful roasted aroma with a smooth after-taste.
--- Male, United Kingdom

An easy substitute for morning coffee. Low in caffine and pairs nicely with most breakfast choices. Very plesent taste and a plesent, lasting "finish".
--- Male, United States

Recently I tried for the first time Houjicha (Bancha) which gave great satisfaction and, despite the low caffeine, is a wonderful energy-giving tea like nothing else I ever tasted. Yet another fine product from the wonderful Hibiki-an people. And of course as a bonus, the gift of the matcha karigane pinnacle to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the firm prompts one to contemplate the many future opportunities to savor the delightful products of this magnificent company.
--- Male, United States

Houjicha Karigane
Houjicha Karigane is at the top of the offerings in the Houjicha lineup. This is the sweet, complex tea with descriptions most closely resembling those associated with fine wine tastings. This is a wow tea. It has the roastyness of my other favorite Houjicha Super Premium but more sweet and also complex. This tea awakens creative ideas in food pairings also. It is also a tea that can be enjoyed in its most simple form. With all my Houjicha teas I used loosely and barely filled 1/4 measuring cup of tea which is the same as 7.5g of tea to 7ounces or 200ml of hot off the boil water. Then I used my favorite super quick decanting tea pot with the 1/2 inch or 1cm sized spout hole. I wanted to only expose the tea to water for 25 seconds then strain all the fines through a stainless steel super fine made in Japan strainer. That way I prepared a beautiful golden broth of amazing tea. This tea like many other Hibiki-an teas are more then just GOOD! So maybe they will add another category in their rating choices, but then maybe you would not get as many people writing informative reviews to help stress how much better the tea is.
--- Female, United States

This is an excellent houjicha, the best I've had outside of kaiseki restaurants. The initial aroma is a lovely and produces an excellently balanced tea... pleasantly sweet and lightly roasted. This is probably my favorite tea in general, it just gives you such a nice warm and nostalgic feeling.
In comparison to normal houjicha, this tea is mellower, and sweeter. I would find it hard to go back to the normal houjicha after this.
--- Male, United States

Organic Houjicha
I am totally addictive to this tea!
--- Female, United States

I was a little unsure about this tea at first. After drinking a few cups I developed a taste for it. It makes a very nice evening tea. I also like it as an iced tea. In fact I am drinking a glass of Houjicha iced tea as I am writing this review. Even the ice cubes are made with Houjicha. Another excellent product provided by Hibiki-an.
--- Male, United States

Recently tried this tea. I am a long time puer drinker, to understand my perspective. Have a fondness for tea with an "edge".
This tea was a pleasant surprise. The liquor is clear amber and the aroma honey sweet. There is no heaviness of smoke, though it is "roasted". The taste has no astringency at any point. There is a light but full bodied mouth feel and surprising sweet finish that lingers nicely. I appreciate the low caffeine content and enjoy this tea late in the day. It is actually soothing/calming,,,no jitters.
Overall quite a nice surprise and will be added to my cupboard for regular brewing.
This was brewed more puer style. One large tea scoop per cup with boiling water for 15 seconds(in porcelain no yixing). I did not use multiple brews however.
--- Male, United States

Teabag Houjicha
This Houjicha is just fantastic, it's my first purchase from Hibiki-an, and I have to say it was a good choice. I tried the Houjicha because I have never tried this style of tea before, and I must say I was pleasently pleased by the arouma and the taste of this brand of tea. I will soon be purchasing some Macha tea as well as I am making Japanese tea bowls in my begining ceramics class and can't wait to drink these fantastic teas from my own hand-made tea bowls... Hibiki-an is number one in my book...
--- Male, United States

First of all, I find the design of the teabags is really cute and functional. When I first drank this tea, I was amazed by the full, round flavour of it. I had not expected such quality at that price.
Full marks, very recommendable!
--- Male, Switzerland