★★★☆☆
I really wanted to like this one, but just couldn't get past the fact that it tasted like my grass that I just cut, I get green teas, some are ok, this was just way too earthy for me
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.
I really wanted to like this one, but just couldn't get past the fact that it tasted like my grass that I just cut, I get green teas, some are ok, this was just way too earthy for me
Delicious green tea with a mild nutty flavor. I added honey. If you like green tea you are sure to enjoy this one
Roasty and toasty. I was surprised that I liked this one. A little on the grassy side, but rich with depth. I don't think I would have liked this when I first got into tea.
This is a nutty, very toasty tea with no grassiness and minimal bitterness. Don't think I'd want to drink it everyday but it's an interesting tasting experience.
I normally do not enjoy green teas. This one however was the same color as my earlier Darjeeling spring tip. The aroma was toasty and nutty. I enjoyed this without sweetener! OK its not one I'd reach for everyday, but I'd certainly have it again and would enjoy this with a couple of sushi rolls! Delicious! I'm stunned and impressed.
I'm hit or miss with green teas--some of them are too weak for me. Hojicha has a wonderful, rich flavor that makes this black tea gal happy! It's got a slight toasted or roasted flavor that is very warm and soothing. Less grassy than a lot of green teas. Highly recommended!
I had to dump this one out. I just couldn’t get past the seaweed/fishy taste. Not my cup of tea.
It's an ok green tea. I've been craving the fruity notes over the summer. I'm not into this tea right now. Might change but it's a no for me right now.
I'm not a fan of unflavored green teas so I knew that I wouldn't be a fan of the CommuniTea today. the taste reminds me of rice cereal.
I don’t care for this too much by itself though I did like the slight nuttiness. I do like how it adds to the taste in the two blends I’ve tried with this in it.
I love the roasted flavor of Hojicha; like how I imagine burnt Rice Krispies would taste. This green tea has a distinctive aroma to rival Starbucks;
and blends well with other teas. No bitterness and definitely has the clean finish. I drink as is, but I think a touch of honey added to the cup would make it enjoyable, too.
Hojichas I find can either be really good or awful. I love Adagio's version of this tea. Tastes of twigs and earthiness. Slight sandalwood undertones. Not an everyday tea for me but a great example of the style.
Hojicha is a roasty toasty cup! Absolutely wondrous! Just only a hint of green-grassy. Mostly just nutty, warm and scrumptious. Hojicha is not something I would reguarly reach for but maybe I will moreso..as I soooo enjoyed it today, in CommuniTEA!
I did not enjoy today's tea. I think that nutty flavor turned me off a bit. Even honey did not make it any better for me.
Update: Maybe my tastes of changed but this time I enjoy the tea. It still isn't my favorite green tea but it isn't as bad as I found it the first time I tried it.
In the bag: Just under half my packet is finely chopped, dark brown leaves. The remainder is tan leaf stems, roughly chopped.
On the nose (pre-steep): Toasted grass, as if blades of grass were dried and lightly baked. Musty undertone. Clean nose feel.
On the nose (post-steep): Same toasty grass scent as before steeping.
On the tongue: A mix of slight grassy notes typical of green tea and mild nutty, almond-ish accents. No sweetness or astringency. Medium intensity.
Opinion: A unique take on green tea. I enjoyed it. I'm not typically a fan of the plain grass flavors of green, so the toastiness brings a welcome contrast.
Preparation: First steep 3 min, second steep 6 min. Both @ 175 ℉. No sweetener.
This is the best tea I’ve ever had. Seriously. Best tea on Adagio. The toasty, healthful flavor gives me the perfect cup.
This tea reminds me of puffed cereal, like Sugar Smacks or the rice rollers my toddlers ate which are basically rice cake in tube form dipped in sugar. Since that's where my brain was going anyway, I tried adding a bit of sweet vanilla non-dairy creamer, and it was really good! I wouldn't normally reach for a roasted tea like this, but it was a fun change, and I liked experimenting to tailor it to my palate. I think a bit of honey would play nicely with this, too.
Absolutely in love with the toasty taste of this. I'd had hojicha previously at bubble tea places, and this holds up. I'm going to order a big bag of this and keep it available year round! Looking forward to make it as an iced tea and maybe looking up some blends.
I absolutely can't stand lapsang souchong, it was like drinking out of an ash tray, so I was a little hesitant when I saw a couple of people describe this as smoky. But I fortunately can't taste anything like that at all here in my first cup; to me it's a little bit like slightly toasted whole wheat bread, maybe. It's not strongly nutty like the honeybush hazelnut, but I could definitely describe it as having sort of a vague undertone like some kind of nut or crispy rice too. I made it unsweetened and I think it did also develop a faint honey sort of smell and taste towards the end as it cooled - not in a very sweet way, though.
I think this is only my second unflavored tea, after a sample of ceylon sonata I ordered a while back. Where the ceylon was pleasant enough but didn't stand out to the point I'd buy more by itself, I'm a total fiend for bread and this is definitely going on my future shopping list. Maybe by itself *and* in a blend, I haven't decided.
One of my favorite afternoon sips. Truly a pleasure.
Really hard to believe this is a green tea. It seems more of an oolong. Nice rich flavor. Not bitter if brewed correctly.
This had a nice toasted flavor. To me, it tasted more like a black tea than a green tea option. I would try it again.
not my favorite and may not order any more but not a poor flavor
In my country, we brew hojicha with boiling Water and steep for a minute.
This is a great afternoon tea.
This had a lot more depth than most green teas I've tried. The grassy flavors were very muted, layered with toastiness and a sweet honey finish. As an oolong lover, this is my favorite green tea.
Update 4.5.23: steeped at a lower temp (about 170) this tea is actually quite pleasant. It prevents the swampy fishiness from getting into the flavor and it does have a nice toasty quality without all the ick from my first review. Changing from original 2 stars before to 4 stars now. it also makes an excellent vanilla latte brewed at the original temp.
Original review: No thank you. The smell it gives off is a bit like almost burned bread. Which isn't bad. First sip was very off putting though. A little fishy and that over toasted bread was front and center. It definitely mellows out after a few sips and gives off more regular toasted bread (without almost being burnt) and the fishiness turns more into like a gentle swampiness, like wet grasses/algae. It has an undercurrent of sweetness, but continues to be overpowered by that swampiness. A little sweetener helped a tiny bit, and oatmilk, made it taste worse. It starts to balance out a little as it cools, so the swampiness is reduced and the toasted bread flavor becomes a bit nicer. Has a dry tannin finish. Best while it's lukewarm or mostly cool, I think. Overall, not a winner for me.
All I can say is wow! I’ve been wanting to try this tea for a while and finally found it here for the right price! It has a very homey and almost smoky flavor that goes very well with the green tea taste! I’d highly recommend for those wanting a new green tea experience!
I'm quiet bias to this and the genmaicha. What's really interesting about this tea is once it cools down just a bit it almost taste like cotton candy? Its definitely nutty on the front end!
It’s pretty nice. It’s got a smooth mouthfeel with little to no bite to the tongue. Roast heavy flavor first, followed by an earthy, little grassiness with a semi sweet aftertaste. I used the Gong fu method and I find that I need to use a little more tea next time though.
Nice and smoky with a pleasant scent! Also rebrews well. A great evening tea!
My absolute favorite and go-to tea after a hard day. Nutty, roasty and mellow. It is a comforting tea especially on cold and rainy days.
Not my very favorite of the green teas, but for the price, it sure can deliver the flavor I’m looking for when mixing with my signature blends!
This is my third day in a row of drinking my hojicha sample; send help, I’m almost out! Lol I’ll definitely have to order more of this sooner rather than later. The toasted, roasted flavor is gentle, full, and pleasing to my tastebuds. It’s got me so hooked I wish I’d tried it sooner!
I found this tea to be overly smoky and acrid. It doesn't taste like much other than 'burnt' to me. It's also weirdly oily.
This tea smells woodsy, but pleasant. I brewed it for my aunts, uncles and mom. Likes it and it tastes toasty.
Hojicha is a unique tea that is quite different from black and green teas many Westerners are familiar with. Toasty and nutty are two good words to describe the aroma and flavor, and to me it evokes the smells and sensations of fall and a walk through the forest. While especially perfect for an autumn afternoon, this tea would be good anytime, and the low caffeine content makes it perfect for a cozy evening cup. So glad I branched out and tried this one.
This is a nice, earthy green tea. Good for Fall. I like it, but don't love it. It is worth trying.
I tried this because I'm working on expanding my palate and I want to experience more green teas. This very much smelled and tasted of hay to me, and it really wasn't for me. There were sweeter undertones, but I couldn't get past that flavor profile.
excellent, umami, smoky, delicious. reasonably priced. thank you. matched my expectations exactly. Thank you.
Toasted grass aroma with light mint. The toastiness isn't as overpowering in the flavor as I would've though from smelling it. Light, effervescent finish.
Very good tea and I will definitely be buying this tea again
I like the toastiness of Hojicha but prefer it blended with other teas most of the time. Of the unflavored green teas I've tried via Adagio, matcha and this one are the most likely to make my tummy queasy. (I know not to drink green tea on an empty stomach, but even so...)
This tea was very 'earthy'. Tasted like dirt was involved in the mixture. Worse yet, it left a
dry, bitter taste in my mouth.
Very different taste but I like it. Don't know if I would buy again. Althou. worth trying.
I wasn’t a big fan of this one. Something about the toasted vegetal-ness wasn’t a good combo for me.
I'm a 'newbie' to loose tea. And not fond of green tea, I struggle with the bitter/grassy flavors. But I like the health benefit. I found this in the sampler I bought. It is so different, not grassy. More 'oolongesque'. Really flavorful. It's become my afternoon tea.
Such an under rated tea..it’s so yummy. Tasted like toasted sesame to me. If you like green tea but not the seaweed veggie taste this is for you. Had this as an ice cream first time I had it and picked up the tea as soon as I could after.
This reminds me of barley tea. I really like the toasty flavor.
I'm surprise I haven't written a review for this yet. I absolutely adore hojicha. I love the roasted flavor of the tea its strong, but at the same time it's quite mellow. I'm not too sure how to properly explain it, but some blends on adagio are more unique in terms of flavor profile. But you cannot go wrong with a classic flavor like hojicha to go with meals as a palate cleanser.
I adore the toasty, roasted flavor of this tea. A staple for any pantry.