Green tea from Japan that is rendered brown by roasting Bancha (a summer crop tea, harvested after Sencha) tea leaves. An Adagio customer favorite, with a toasty nutty flavor and slightly mesquite note. Earthy and warm quality, soothing finish.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Hojicha, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
It's drinkable - I've only purchased maybe three or four teas from Adagio that I considered undrinkable - but it's really not for me. Its toastiness reminds me a lot of Adagio's Genmai Cha, which I like a lot, but it's at a level that's a bit too much for me. Plus, the smell reminds me a bit of an ashtray.
Great as a milk tea, and has its own unique smell.
I am not a huge green tea fan. I tried this in a local shop and had to have it! So glad to get it from you and it will always be in my tea pantry.
Not too smokey and never bitter. A little honey is all you need.
One of the best cups of hojicha I ve had! It has an earthy tone that s nicely toasted and smoky. This tea also works very well with others in blends.
Have never has hojicha before! Very unique flavor that I enjoy. It has a smokey deep flavor.
Wonderful smoky flavor that really lends itself well to the green tea profile.
Definitely not my cup of tea. I wasn't expecting it to taste like it did I guess. If you're imagining gunpowder or similar type smokey this is not your tea. To me it was like drinking an ash tray or drinking what I imagine a tobacco tea tasting like...or something of the sort. Just one cup into my sample, and I have yet to touch it since. I'll probably figure out some way to finish it off, but boy it won't be easy to mask that flavor. If you like it, to each their own, but I can't get behind that taste.
I have no idea how to describe this one. I love green tea, so I really wanted to like it. However, the seaweedy taste is borderline fishy. Smells a little too much like low tide for me to want to drink it. Not for everyone.
Classic Hojicha, nothing fancy about it. Mostly stems with few leaves, looks more like Kukicha than Bancha but tastes and smells good. If you like Hojicha and don t want to spend a lot then this is just right. Re-steeps well. I like 2tsp. in 8oz. at 180F for 2min.
I was thrilled to see this available because I'd only had it in Japan years ago. Definitely lived up to my expectations.
An excellent light tea; perfect for the evening and times where caffeine is not required.
Nice taste, similar to chewing a piece of hay off the bail
This tea had a barnyard smell and a fishy taste.
Also confirmed by aJpanase's friend. Quite good option to drink.
A rich flavor, with smooth, lightly toasted caramel type notes replacing the grassy notes common to typical green teas.
great evening tea for slipping into inner peace, also blends well with herbal teas
This earthy tea always reminds me of autumn, and the rounded, mellow scent never fails to put me in a good mood.
Lovely smokey, toasty taste. Doesn't have that tart, grassy taste of some green teas. It's more of an earthy, nutty flavor. I updated my review because this has now become my favorite green tea. It holds up well to repeat brewings and if I forget and let it brew too long, it's still excellent.
Despite being a green tea, it has a distinctive flavor. It is good on its own and great with a touch of honey. Adding the honey strangely modifies the flavor into something distinct to itself.
Nice flavor, like toasted wheaties. Very much like the tea they serve in sushi restaurants.
Slightly smoky flavor with a sweet and long finish
Wonderful green tea. When brewed properly it is smooth and almost sweet.
Interesting taste, good for one extraction, will keep in mind for future...
Strong woody, almost roasted flavor. Very good, however not what I expect out of a green tea.
This literally tasted like boiled weeds. Do not recommend.
This reminds me of a very weak oolong. It's not terrible, but it tastes mostly like lightly toasted water when properly brewed. It's definitely not one to overbrew - my first cup was 6 minutes and oh, it was bitter. So it's a tad finicky, and for me personally the payoff's not great.
Have you ever had an unusual snack where you're not sure if you like it or not, and end up eating the whole bag? That's kind of what this tea is like for me.
Nutty, toasted, slightly vegetal green flavor. Almost smoky, but not in a bad way.
This is another that I was surprised to like so much. Definitely not like the other green teas that I've had in the past (I'm not a huge green tea fan). This one was nuttier, less leafy, and had this quality to it that I've only been able to describe as 'breathy.' I'll definitely be going back for more when my sample runs out.
It has a rich smoked flavor if left to seep for a longer time than 3 hours, at least that's what tastes the best to me.
Hojicha is one of my favorite types of teas. It has a nutty, roasted flavor and is a staple in my stash.
A good green tea for people who don't like the stringent sea weed flavor prevalent in so many green teas. Since it's roasted it has a nice mellow flavor and a hint of sweetness.
I definitely prefer hojicha in a blend, as I don't find it great on it's own.
This is a fantastic roasted tea but it is not the best tea to steep multiple times.
This is the first tea I've encountered that I really didn't like. Tasted like green tea enhanced with of grassy/seaweed notes. Not for me. Maybe it would be better with a different brew method.
I can't say I like this. I've been trying to gain some appreciation for it since I've gotten it, and it may be because I'm still pretty new to green tea, but it's just too earthy for me. Works decently when paired with another green, might need more experimentation to -get- what other people are getting from this.
As Adagio's description and many reviewers have agreed, Hojicha is toasty, nutty, earthy, soothing, and clean. The tin note is faintly toasty and nutty. Once steeped, it's a classic caramel-brown tea color in clear glass.
However, this is also a subtle tea. I hesitate to call it 'weak' because that's too negative a term, but I would definitely say the flavor is light. I prefer very strong teas, and even when using double the recommended amount of leaves per steeping, Hojicha is too light for me (though still delicious).
For those with palates more delicate and sensitive than mine, this could easily be a five-star tea.
This is one of my favorites. It is smooth and toasty and works well with a little honey.
I dunno, I just couldn't deal with the musty hay flavor going on.
I love the taste. Nutty and roasted, as promised by other reviews.
However, I am giving this an only OK rating since the image and description of this tea doesn't exactly match what I received.
The tea I received had a LOT of twigs in it. It was mostly twigs. From what I understand, this tea type that includes mostly twigs is called 'kukicha' and is known as one of the cheapest varieties of tea.
I would be OK with this if the photo and description of this tea included this detail, but the description calls it Bancha, and the photo shows many more leaves than my order received.
This is important because leaves have more caffeine in them than twigs. Leaves are also pricier than twigs.
Earthy and savory. A perfect balance of buttery green with a rich flavor.
This is now my favorite green tea! Sort of a nuttier version of gunpowder. A great cold weather tea.
a flavorful treat as a change-up from the ordinary
I was very surprised by the taste of this one as I do not like anything with a smokey flavor. The smokey flavor is barely detectable and it is very warm mouth feel. Of all the teas with a smokey flavor this one is the best and I will be ordering it again.
This is a lovely hojicha. Although there are other teas I prefer, overall this is an excellent green tea.
Seems like just an average green tea. Got a sample but will not order more.
This is a really interesting and hearty green tea, it reminds me of genmaicha.
A little too earthy for my taste but overall a decent cup of tea.
I love this tea; it's unlike most any other tea I've tried, and it is hard to find in the US. Yum!
Too grassy for me. I like roasted green teas that move away from the typical green tea flavor.
I really wanted to love this one, but I can't. I thought it would be absolutely amazing, but sadly I can't seem to get much flavour out of it. I tried it once, was bland, so I tried taking apart and really scrubbing out my tea maker, figuring that it was just in need of a wash, and I still can't get much out of it :(