What is hojicha — and how does it compare to matcha?
Quick answer: Hojicha and matcha both come from the same plant — Camellia sinensis, grown in Japan. They diverge completely during processing. Matcha is shade-grown, then stone-ground into a bright green powder, high in caffeine and L-theanine. Hojicha is roasted over charcoal at 200°C, turning deep brown, with almost no caffeine left. Same origin. Completely different cups.
There is a tea appearing on café menus across London this summer that most people can't yet pronounce. Hojicha. The h is soft, the ji like “gee” — and it tastes nothing like what you'd expect from a Japanese green tea. Warm, toasted, a hint of caramel. Not grassy. Not stimulating. Closer to the smell of a bakery than to anything you'd associate with matcha.
Which raises the obvious question. If hojicha and matcha are both Japanese green teas — and they are — how do they end up tasting so entirely different? The answer is in the process. And the process tells you everything.
Where they begin — the same place
Both hojicha and matcha start from Camellia sinensis: the tea plant, grown in Japan's green tea regions — Uji in Kyoto, Nishio in Aichi, Shizuoka along the Pacific coast. The same plant. The same leaves. What happens after harvest is where their paths split entirely.
Matcha — how it's made
Three to four weeks before harvest, the plants are shaded from direct sunlight. Shade forces the plant to produce more chlorophyll — which gives matcha its electric green — and raises the concentration of L-theanine, the amino acid responsible for calm, sustained energy. The leaves are hand-picked, briefly steamed to stop oxidation, dried, and then stone-ground into a very fine powder. You don't steep matcha. You drink the whole leaf, dissolved.
Hojicha — how it's made
The leaves and stems are harvested, dried — and then roasted over charcoal at around 200°C. High heat triggers the Maillard reaction, the same process that browns bread or coffee beans, turning the leaves from green to deep russet brown. The roasting also causes caffeine to sublimate — converting to vapour and disappearing — leaving approximately 7 to 15mg per cup. The grassiness of green tea goes with it. What remains is warm, toasted, and distinctly smooth.
What each one does for you
The processing differences aren't just about flavour. They change what each tea does.
Matcha's shading process concentrates L-theanine alongside caffeine — around 60 to 70mg per cup. This combination is specific: the L-theanine moderates the stimulating effect of the caffeine, producing what many drinkers describe as calm alertness rather than jittery energy. Matcha is also exceptionally high in catechins, particularly EGCG — one of the most studied antioxidants in tea — because shade-growing significantly increases polyphenol concentration compared to standard green tea. You're drinking the whole leaf. The impact per cup is higher.
Hojicha's roasting changes the picture. With caffeine largely burned away, it becomes one of the few teas genuinely suited to the evening — around 7 to 15mg per cup, against 60 to 70mg in matcha. The antioxidants aren't entirely lost to the heat; hojicha retains polyphenols and is a meaningful source of catechins. But its primary quality is relaxation rather than focus. For anyone reducing caffeine without wanting to sacrifice flavour or depth, it fills a gap that most teas don't.
Why hojicha is having its moment
For decades, hojicha stayed quiet — the tea given to children and elderly relatives in Japan, the after-dinner drink nobody overthought. Then matcha went everywhere. Lattes, croissants, face cream. And the people who led that wave started looking for what came next.
Google searches for hojicha have increased 54.6% since early 2025. Searches for “hojicha latte” specifically: up 173%. UK cafés are responding — Gail's Bakery, Farmer J, JENKI, TSUJIRI. The appeal is the reverse of matcha's: warm where matcha is bright, grounded where matcha is energising, low-caffeine where matcha is a substitute for coffee. A cup that feels like an arrival rather than a departure.
If you're drawn to the warmth
We don't stock hojicha. What we do stock is something that understands the same instinct — the reach for a cup with real depth and warmth, something more layered than your average tea.
Chai-Izu Matcha takes premium Japanese Izu matcha — the same shade-grown, stone-ground leaf that makes matcha what it is — and layers it with chai spice. The result sits between the two worlds this piece has been describing: the antioxidant depth and calm-focus quality of matcha, softened and warmed by spice in the way hojicha is softened and warmed by roasting. If you're drawn to hojicha because you want something with more presence and warmth than your usual cup, this is a natural place to start.
Chai-Izu Matcha
Premium Japanese Izu matcha layered with chai spice. The depth of whole-leaf matcha, with warmth that lingers. From £7.
Shop Chai-Izu MatchaQuestions about hojicha and matcha
What is hojicha?
Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea from Kyoto, made by roasting tea leaves and stems over charcoal at around 200°C. The roasting turns them deep brown, removes most of the caffeine, and creates a warm, toasty, caramel-like flavour — smooth and easy to drink, with none of the grassiness of regular green tea.
What's the difference between hojicha and matcha?
Both come from the same Japanese green tea plant. Matcha is shade-grown and stone-ground into a fine green powder — bright, grassy, high in caffeine. Hojicha is roasted at high heat until deep brown — warm, toasty, with almost no caffeine. Same origin. Different process. They taste nothing alike.
How is matcha made?
Tea plants are shaded for three to four weeks before harvest, increasing chlorophyll and L-theanine. The leaves are hand-picked, steamed, dried, then stone-ground into a fine powder. Unlike other teas, you drink the whole leaf — dissolved into water. This is why matcha is so concentrated in antioxidants and L-theanine.
How is hojicha made?
Dried green tea leaves and stems are roasted over charcoal at around 200°C. The heat triggers the Maillard reaction — the same browning process as roasted coffee or bread — creating toasted, caramel-like flavour. The high temperature causes caffeine to sublimate, leaving one of the lowest-caffeine teas available: around 7 to 15mg per cup.
What are the health benefits of hojicha and matcha?
Matcha is high in L-theanine and caffeine, which together create sustained, calm energy. It's exceptionally rich in catechins — particularly EGCG, one of tea's most studied antioxidants. Hojicha has very little caffeine (7–15mg per cup) and still retains antioxidants and polyphenols, making it well-suited for evenings or for reducing caffeine without sacrificing flavour.
Why is hojicha trending in the UK in 2026?
As matcha reaches mainstream saturation, tea drinkers are reaching for what comes next. Hojicha offers depth, Japanese tea heritage, and warmth — without the caffeine or bright-green intensity. Google searches are up 54.6% since 2025. UK cafés including Gail's, Farmer J, and JENKI are already serving it. It's early enough to still feel like a discovery.
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