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.
This is not my cup of tea. It's hard for me to rate something as 'bad,' because taste is completely subjective. I rated it as such because I can't detect 'nutty' or 'mesquite' (as described) at all--all I'm getting is 'seaweed.' This tastes almost exactly like dried sesame-seaweed snacks. On the other hand, if you like that stuff, then this is perfect tea for you. As for me, I'm always happy to have tried new things, but I don't think I'll be drinking hojicha again!
smells like nori straight out of the bag. tastes like it when its brewed. this tea is not the one for me.
For me this has a very fishy presence. Perhaps it can be enjoyed with a heavy meal but not by itself.
A wonderful, smoky, earthy tea. I think this is my new go-to green tea.
My first time trying this tea, I was shocked at how different it was to other green teas I've had in the past. However Im new to drinking Japanese green teas and prior to this tasting I never had a bancha before so understandly its tastes much different. the taste and smell is noticeably nutty/ earthy and the color is on the brown side of green. If you've never had it before, it's certainly worth a try.
This tea has a lovely toasty scent in the bag and flavor when brewed. I like a strong cup, so brewing longer than most green teas is what I recommend for hojicha.
Definitely took a while to grow on me. The first cup wasn't bad, but made me go, 'huh.' Anyway, it has a earthy, nutty flavor that sets it apart from most other green teas, for better or for worse.
The first thing to note is that it's very different from your 'typical' green tea. It lacks the grassy aroma and flavor, and has a nice, toasty flavor instead. I love this tea because of its atypical flavor.
If you don't enjoy the grassiness of most green teas, then hojicha might be for you. Roasting definitely brings out a depth of flavor not normally found in green tea.
Much less leafy than many green teas, a darker bolder cup with a touch of smoke.
Roasted leaves leave this tea giving a great flavor with earthy tones and a good after taste. The aroma is one of my favorites and can be very comforting during the cold weather.
My favourite green tea, a very soothing and hearty full nutty flavor with just a bit of vegetal quality. Reminded me of popcorn.
Smoke and nut notes and oh my goodness, I had no idea green tea could be like this. If I had known that, I would've tried it a lot sooner. Reminds me quite a bit of a green version of assam. An outstanding tea. I want to try this for breakfast sometime.
Love the smokiness. The aroma has a hint of dried seaweed (like those crispy thin salty snacks that I love so much) but don't think that this means the tea is fishy because it is not at all. A good rich cup for first thing in the morning.
I am not a huge fan of green teas, because their grassy, vegetal quality rubs my palate the wrong way. The toasting process eliminated that problem for me, and this tea has a rich, nutty flavor, and an awesome amber color as a result. There is also a very faint hint of seaweed in the after taste, which is interesting, and leads me to believe it may have a fishy quality if over steeped. I believe this will be my go-to green tea for a while.
I live on a farm, and I have to say this tea's smell reminded me of moldy hay, or maybe a dried weed within the hay. Anyway, once I got over the smell, the tea didn't taste bad at all, and was pretty standard green tea, but still...the smell...
VERY unique. I'm not much of a Japanese green person, but this guy is really good. I blended it in the Chicago store with some hibiscus to cut into the strong roasted body, and it was fantastic.
I just couldn't get into this tea. It smelled
This tea was a little too grassy for me. I didn't love it, but I have found that sometimes a second try makes the difference and suddenly I like it better, so I will try it again - not sure I will be reordering though.
Has the distinct sweet and nutty flavor I've come to expect from hoji cha, but seems a bit weaker than other brands I've sampled.
I'm glad Adagio finally got more of this in stock, because it's really a wonderful tea for those times when you can't decide on a black or a green or an oolong. To me, it tastes almost like it's somewhere in the middle of all of those. I guess that must come from the fact that it's roasted, but it's really a soulful and intriguing sort of tea that defies easy description.
When I want a roasted taste that isn't as strong as the genmai cha, I reach for a cup of this. A satisfying taste after a long day-- best served hot.
This was a really delicious tea, though it reminded me more of an oolong than a green. The earthy/nutty notes were very pleasant.
A novel green tea. The smell reminds me of a rustic wooden cabin. Smooth taste, doesn't remind me of any other tea.
Subtle yet flavorful. Definitely recommend this tea!
The dry leaves had a roasted smell that kind of reminded me of coffee beans (not that I've smelled those often). The tea has a nice roasted, woody or nutty taste. It's nice for a change, but probably not something I'd want to drink a lot of.
I am new to the world of 'good' tea and this is the third Adagio tea I've tried. The liquor of this tea is a very pleasing light brown and smells like a lighter, sweeter version of the dry leaves.
This tea has a really nice earthy flavor that is also mildly sweet. There is a slight nuttiness to it. While I am inexperienced with tea, I'd say this tastes like what you might guess: an earthy, toasty, green tea. I'm planning on ordering more when my sampler runs out.
Not a fan of the mesquite bite this one has. However, it's otherwise a good, earthy green tea. I just realized I detest mesquite.
A decent hojicha. Nutty and smokey with a surprising sweetness. Mild compared to other hojichas I've tried, but still good!
I can concur with this one being nutty. It reminds me a lot of genmaicha but without the toasted rice. Has a bit more of a smokiness too it as well. I can see this maybe going well with a meal. The liquor surprised me, it was quite reddish.
I got to taste this at the Adagio store at Old Orchard, and I was so surprised! It tastes *just* like nori, the seaweed paper that sushi comes wrapped in. So when I have a sushi craving, it's the first thing I do. (And then usually go for sushi later, as well. :) A very nice and unusual treat!
This tea had a much stronger taste that I was looking for in a green.
This is my absolute favorite green tea. Because it's roasted, I'm told it has half the caffeine as other green teas, which is great when I want tea in the evening and before bed. The taste is kind of earthy to me, but I can see others thinking it tastes nutty.
Hojicha has a very strong earthy flavor, it is a good brew, but not really my cup of tea. It's more of an acquired taste, one I won't be trying to attain any time soon.
Just not my cup of tea. Ick. Tasted a bit like dank vegetation.
Good and roasty. It smells pretty fishy when you open the bag but when brewed it's quite mellow. A good green for those who don't like quite so much 'green' flavor.
I'm a big fan of kukicha, so I thought I would give this a once over as well. The flavor is quite earthy, without being vegetal. Very smooth, and holds up very well to multiple steeps. I only purchased the sample size, but I could easily see this becoming a daily tea for me once it is in stock again.
I really enjoyed this tea - it was flavorful without being bitter.
Definitely one of my favorites! Hojicha is the perfect afternoon tea
This has a deep malt taste to it that when a little sugar is added, I swear I'm drinking Sugar Smacks Puffed Wheat cereal. Not even joking. It's downright weird. Kind of smells like it too. I'm glad I just ordered a sample of this one. It's good in its own unique way and I'll enjoy my sample... but it's just too weird for me.
The roast-y flavor was lighter than what I expected, but it was still tasty. Earthy.
I really liked this tea and the roasted flavor. It reminded me a lot of genmaicha, so if you like a light, toasty tea, this is definitely a good one.
warm and earth in both aroma and flavor, i find hojicha to fit perfectly between regular green teas and black tea. a tiny bit of sweetener brings out a nice subtle maple syrup note in it.
I was looking for a full-flavor green tea. This is it! Lots of earthy notes packed into one cup. A bit more expensive, but totally worth it!
This tea has a bold, earthy flavor that makes a nice brew for winding down after a busy day. It's the kind of brew you'd expect from some oolong teas, finding it in the form of a green tea is a delight in itself.
This one I drink at least once a day. Green tea with smokey notes added to it. And you cant beat the price point.
The flavor is much better than the smell. Not sure if all Hojichas smell/taste like this (this was my first one), but the wet leaf smell is very off-putting for this batch. The taste, on the other hand, is delicious. Has a wonderful roasted green flavor with no grassiness and has a hint of the ricey-ness of a Genmaicha.
I love the toasty taste of this tea. Great with breakfast, but also very good any time of day.
Ehhh, this tea didn't even taste like a green tea. I don't like the smell very much at all, but the brew itself is alright. I think I don't like the strong earthy flavor, at least not in a green tea.
My husband really loves hojicha and this one is great. We highly recommend this tea to anyone who likes hojicha. You will not be disappointed.