Houjicha

Mmmmmmm… this tea. A green tea, but a beautiful amber infusion, and a lovely roasty flavour. And when I say roasty – I mean it in the best possible way! The PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO SO MANY MEALS.

If you’re entertaining, and you’re unsure of which tea to serve with the meal, Genmaicha and Houjicha are always a safe, yet impressive route to take!

And as I will often claim, Rishi provides the best I’ve found in both categories. The look, the smell, the big leaves, the infusion colour… it’s like I can taste Japan…

… and Japan tastes good. REAL GOOD. :)

Steep Information:
Amount:3 tsp
Water: 500ml at 185°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:vegetal, burnt/toasted
Steeped Tea Smell: toasted vegetables
Flavor: toasted..vegetables
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: vegetal, gritty
Liquor: translucent dark brown

meh.

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.teatra.de/2013/01/09/rishi-tea-loose-leaf-green-tea-houjicha/

The taste is… unlike other green teas. It tastes nutty and buttery. It also has a sweet, honey-like flavor to it. There isn’t much of a grassy or vegetal taste to this green tea. The boldness of this tea matches that of oolong tea – roasted notes that linger for quite some time.

This should not be an intro tea to those trying greens for the first time as it is rather bold and astringent. The tea isn’t bitter, but the intensity of the roasted flavor can be a surprise. Although, if you want to drink green tea and you don’t particularly like the grassy taste, this would be a good one to try as it has darker qualities similar to oolong and black tea.

With that said, this is a great tea for those who are tired of the same old stuff. This Houjicha is a rather complex tea and it surprises me every time I take another sip. I have to remind myself that this is a green tea even though the taste is unlike anything else.

Like a lighter version of genmaicha. I’m a big genmaicha fan, but I might even like this a bit more. It has the same toasty, nutty flavor without being overpowering like some genmaichas can be. Yum!

This is always on my list of teas that I offer to my friends who “don’t like any kind of tea period”. I think this was the first roasted green I ever tried, so it definitely gets points for nostalgia as well. Rishi delivers as usual with an excellent tea!

Makes me crave some spicy Thai Food to have this tea wash down nicely with!

Sweet, barely a hint of bitterness, very smooth green tea.

I wanted something warm and toasted so I reached out for this one. So good!