Yamamotoyama Hoji Cha, Loose-Leaf Japanese Roasted Green Tea

In Albums: tea

Aug 20th, 2013, by Alex Zorach

This photo shows loose-leaf hojicha from Yamamotoyama. Compare to the Houjicha from Wegmans; this tea is a darker roast than the Wegmans example, and thus shows less of a greenish hue, and a slightly flakier leaf (reflecting the fact that the leaf has dried out further).

Hojicha is a type of green tea from Japan that is roasted, making it very atypical and unlike most other green teas in flavor and aroma. I find it is more coffee-like in aroma, yet its flavor is extremely mellow and smooth. It is one of my favorite types of tea, more like barley tea than other green teas.

This is one of my favorite sources of hojicha because it is inexpensive and offers good quality. You can read my full review of this tea on RateTea. Yamamotoyama also sells this same type of tea in tea bags, and it is enjoyable, but I definitely prefer the loose-leaf stuff.