hojicha

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Land is a scarce resource in Japan, making all agriculture a pricey endeavor. So it became essential for the Japanese farmer to extract as much value from each tea bush as possible. Necessity being the mother of invention, the Japanese have been ingenious at devising tea varieties that are unheard of in countries more land-endowed. Hojicha is a result of this ingenuity. Hojicha is made from late-summer Bancha leaves, which are roasted to give them a smooth, warm nutty flavor. It was the invention of a Kyoto tea merchant in 1920 who had a batch of aging tea he didn't want to waste.