By KHYATI DAND
Hojicha Is The Matcha Latte-Alternative You Need To Start Sipping
Hojicha is an increasingly popular Japanese green tea that offers a delightful alternative to the ubiquitous matcha, and it contains even more compelling nutritional benefits.
The distinctive flavor of hojicha is achieved by roasting the tea plant’s leaves, stems, stalks, and twigs over charcoal. This unique process also gives it its reddish-brown hue.
In addition to the usual benefits of green tea, hojicha contains pyrazine, which some believe aids digestion and improves blood circulation, and it has a lower caffeine content.
Hojicha was invented in the 1920s to repurpose excess tea production. Since then, it's become known for its smoky aroma and rich umami flavor, which varies according to season.
You can make hojicha by steeping the loose-leaf form, or using latte-style preparations similar to matcha. Hojicha is inherently sweet, so you won’t need to add sweeteners.
To avoid bitterness, the initial steeping time should be below a minute. You can reuse the same batch for multiple, long infusions, with each revealing different flavor elements.
Whether you're a tea connoisseur or just curious, it's worth sampling the unique flavor of hojicha, as drinking it could become a habit with some major health benefits attached.