What is Hojicha?
Originating in Kyoto in the 1920s by a Kyoto tea merchant as a way of making use of leftover leaves, stems, stalks and twigs. Merchants around Japan soon started to roast Hojicha near their shop entrances, attracting customers with its wonderful toasted aroma.
 
Hojicha is made by baking or roasting Japanese green tea (bancha, kukicha or sencha). The process reduces the amount of caffeine in the tea and created a deep umami character and a mellow taste. In the past, the tea was roasted in a porcelain pot set over charcoal. Nowadays it is put into a rotating hot drum.
 
This tea is grown at an altitude of approximately 200m in Shizuoka Prefecture, the largest tea-producing area in Japan, where more than 40% of the country’s tea is grown. The mild climate and diverse terrain make it ideal for tea cultivation. This Hojicha is made by roasting second flush Sencha green tea, a process which changes the colour to a deep reddish brown and produces a toasty, nutty flavour.
 
Sparkling Hojicha tasting note:
Pale amber colour with gentle bubbles. Nutty, savoury note with a slight hint of seaweed and smoky undertones. Subtly off-dry on the palate, mellow and rounded with a soft touch of tannins that gives structure. Finishes with a pleasant honeyed note.