Hoji-cha

I saw ashmanra’s post of a hoji-cha and remembered I have this version. For the life of me I couldn’t recall what it tasted like. One sniff of the dry leaf and it all came back. To me its like genmaicha without the puffed rice. Toasted bancha leaf. Well really fannings as this is a very inexpensive bagged version. Still it was quite enjoyable this morning. Yamamotoyama does cheap well.

I looked back at my previous tasting note – it was the middle of the summer and I was all concerned because the mill was talking strike. Oh the simple days, when I had a job, and money. I do have tea and a wife that loves me. Who needs steak.

Tastes pleasantly like dried apple or maple wood. Twiggy.

Made for a wonderful afternoon ahhhh break at work. I needed one. Felt like a ham hock being dangled in an aquarium full of piranhas.
(Our seasonal crazy time.)

I usually brew a 6-cup pot at a time with boiled water allowed to cool for a few minutes (to around 190F – I’ve tried using water as cool as 155F or so and found the flavor gets a bit weaker even with a longer infusion), and infused for 1 – 2 minutes. A bag can make a second pot if needed, though it will take a few more minutes of infusion.

Persian orange liquor. Woodsy, baked, nutty, toasty aroma. Clean and mellow palate entry with hints of buckwheat. Hits a sweet spot between genmaicha and mugicha – rather generic but not bland.

I have my wife to thank for getting me into this tea. As she’s sensitive to caffeine, houjicha and herbals are the only teas we can drink together. Despite not being big fan of houjicha, this bagged Asian grocery store tea has slowly won me over.

It’s not ashy or earthy like houjicha can sometimes be. It’s roasty without being aggressively so. Very smooth with a rich body and mellow comforting flavor. Can sit forever in a mug of hot water without becoming bitter.

I’ve had higher grade houjicha and while they were good, the subtleties are sadly lost on a houjicha-heathen like me. Sometimes, the bagged stuff is the best.

I started a new job in a very small office. There’s no kitchen. The bathrooms are shared for the entire floor of the office complex. There is a water cooler with instant hot water. I plan to bring in a thermometer to measure the temperature.

Since this is one of my favorite bagged teas, I brought it in for the convenience factor. I may have to get some Steven Smith teas too. Does anyone have any other bagged recommendations? I’m not keen to bring a gravity infuser that I’d have to carry out along with a key to the restroom just to clean it out. There’s no refrigerator here either.

The main flavor note for me is “visiting in Japan in 2007, being driven around Kyuushuu.” It also tastes roasted and woody and twiggy. There’s a light caramel note too, just a little sweet.

Summer Vacation! Onto Japan, and I didn’t have much time to brew a hot cuppa on my way out the door to work, so I decided to finally use up the one teabag of this my friend had given me. He said it “wasn’t bad, for bagged houjicha.” I’m willing to take his word on it. Especially since I didn’t really have time to measure leaf, clean an infuser, etc. with around five minutes to spare to prepare a thermos and head out the door.

Knowing me, tomorrow I’ll probably decide to spare even those five minutes for more sleep, and just take my bag of loose Kyoto Obubu Tea Farm houjicha to work, and “wing” a brew at work without my scale and some of my other schmancier tea things. It’s not like I don’t have a second kettle and gravity well infuser at the library, because I have problems…

In any event, he wasn’t wrong. This isn’t bad, for a bagged houjicha. The flavor still has that roasted, woody taste; in fact, I’d say it comes off a bit more woody than I’m used to with loose houjicha, as I’m not getting any sweeter notes like I’ve found later in the sip with those houjicha (typically a honey or caramel sort of flavor). So this comes off a little more robust. Maybe that is a result of being in CTC form?

Certainly not the best houjicha I’ve had, but exceeded all my expectations considering the price point and convenience.

This was a bit too charcoal-flavored for me. I couldn’t taste much else.

I’ve had this tea several times before and always enjoy it. It’s smooth roasted flavor goes well with most foods. And maybe because it is roasted but it doesn’t get noticeable bitter (to me) when brewed incorrectly.

A strong flavor and brown color in the cup. Toasty, woody, warm. Makes me think of autumn. A slight hint of astringency, but not too much for my taste.

This delicious tea brews unusually dark for a green tea, due to the fact that it is roasted. The flavor is terrific, and the scent of the leaves, particularly after steeping, is unparalleled.