Hōjicha would be my tea of choice if I was allowed only one for the rest of my life. Some teas – flavoured teas in particular – require a certain presence of mind to appreciate, but not houjicha; it smells delicious when vendors roast it on the streets and its low caffeine content and mild toasty flavour makes it a pleasure to drink any time of the day. This here is Uji no Tsuyu Kōbashi Hōjicha.
The looseleaf is bancha roasted to a deep brown-black colour.
Steeping 3.5 g of looseleaf in 200 mL of water at 90°C, the tea was a clear reddish brown colour with a pleasantly mild roasted aroma. Served hot, mellow toasted notes came through ahead of a hint caramel-like sweetness in the body that gave way to a clean finish with no astringency or aftertaste. The mildness, clean finish and low caffeine content of the tea make this our favourite tea after a meal or before going to sleep.
This Uji no Tsuyu Kōbashi Hōjicha contained 200 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Ōsaka, Japan in 2018.