Hojicha: The Coffee Addicts’ First Step To Rehabilitation

If you need your caffeine but have to quit coffee, try Hojicha (ho-gee-cha).

I have met one too many coffee addicts who have suffered gastrointestinal problems due to overconsumption and abuse of coffee.

You know you are addicted to coffee once you find you cannot function throughout the day without getting your dose.  One can even spot that you may need a higher and higher dosage than you did the previous and this is where it starts getting bad.

Knowing some people around me who suffer from this (gastric problems due to coffee) lead me to discovering which tea would coffee addicts most like and/or would consider to be quite similar to coffee. 

I’m glad to say my quest was successful.

The dark and smooth taste of coffee mislead me to thinking a black tea would do the job but to my surprise it would be a green tea.

Hojicha is a green tea Bancha or sometimes a Kukicha that is pan-roasted for 10 minutes to reddish brown.  And even after the roasting process that totally changes the colour of the leaves and brew, it is still considered a green tea due to the initial process of harvesting the Bancha or Kukicha.

Bancha Hojicha

(L) Bancha BEFORE roasting; (R) Hojicha AFTER roasting the Bancha

Sight

The sight of the golden yellow brew made from infusing Hojicha leaves is a beauty.  It may lead you to thinking you will be drinking gold and wouldn’t that just intrigue and delight?

Smell

The aroma it gives is a rich roasted earthy one that might remind you of coffee.  It may not matter to a tea drinker but for a recovering coffee addict this is very good.

Taste

Hojicha’s taste is the deal-maker.  The whirlwind you feel after tasting it for the first time will make you think “Where has this drink been my whole life?. ”  (this comment is based on a true event with a friend I brewed Hojicha for)

Effect

Coffee is drank, if not for the smell and taste, then for its awakening effect.  Hojicha will not fail either. Green teas such as Hojicha have high caffeine content that may make you alert but not jittery.

So, if you are looking for a substitute for your coffee, try this wonderful tea.

Hojicha.

Brewed from roasted fresh Bancha

Brewed from roasted fresh Bancha


Facts above are based on experience and widely known facts on tea.

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