Saicho hojicha

Hojicha, a roasted green tea from Japan, has a uniquely savoury flavour making it the ideal pairing for steak and or oxtail soup. The deep umami characteristics of the tea also make for a great pairing with mushroom risotto, while the seaweed/nori notes go well with sushi. The smokiness of the Hojicha also pairs perfectly with charcuterie. This tea is grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, the largest tea producing area in Japan, where more than 40% of the county’s tea is grown. The mild climate and diverse terrain make it ideal for tea cultivation. This Hojicha is made by roasting late-summer Bancha green tea, a process which changes the colour to a deep reddish brown and produces a toasty, nutty flavour. The tea was originally developed in the 1920s by a Kyoto tea merchant as a way of making use of leftover leaves, stems, stalks and twigs. Merchants around Japan soon started to roast Hojicha near their shop entrances, attracting customers with its wonderful toasted aroma. Hojicha is now one of the most popular teas in Japan.