Zen no Ocha Hojicha tea - Japanese loose leaf Organic Green tea Made in Kyoto Uji Japan (3.53oz (100g))

The street to the temple in Uji is lined with traditional tea shops. Some have been there hundreds of years, serving emperors. Uji is the main source of the best tea in Japan. I never buy Japanese green tea that isn’t from Uji.This Hojicha has the rich flavor of a properly roasted tea. But there are some elaborate instructions on the package on how to prepare it, which I suggest you ignore. Unlike highly refined Japanese teas, hojicha is a rugged tea that doesn’t need babying. You don’t have to worry about water temperature. Just add boiling water to the leaves and twigs in the pot. Don’t juggle the pot around; this could cause bitterness. And don’t leave any tea in the post after filling your cup or cups. Then your pot can give you two or three more full-bodied infusions.I love the simplicity of brewing hojicha. And I can drink it in the evening (in moderation) and still sleep soundly. This is definitely a superior Hojicha. Don’t be upset by the amount of twigs among the leaves. They are supposed to be there. They are as full of tea flavor as the leaves.

I became curious about this tea when a Japanese vlogger mentioned it was her favorite. I’d never heard of it before. I don’t usually buy loose teas, but I love tea and wanted to try this. I’m happy I did. The tea is excellent! It has a rich, complex, satisfying aroma and flavor. And, as other reviewers have said, you can re-brew the tea, so that extends how many cups you can get out of one package. Very happy with this purchase. Also, it is very nicely packaged.

This is low quality tea. Flowing the instructions and also exceeding the recommended amounts and/or brew times produces weak tea that tastes more like cardboard than tea.

I bought this after having some Hojicha on a recent trip to Japan, and after hunting around a bit on Amazon I settled on this brand. Admittedly I did not have very high expectations mostly because I did not know how to choose.This Hojicha is pleasant - has nice caramel tones and is light, sweet and refreshing. I made it with water that was not boiling hot (the instructions say to leave it to rest till about 140F - at the office I just mix some of the hot water with cold water until it was hot enough but still drinkable) and it was not astringent at all. Very smooth mouthfeel. This is a great everyday tea.

A heaping tablespoon (about 3 oz) of this tea in 16 ounces of 175 (F) degree water steeped for 10 minutes yields a full flavored tea with good body and a dark brown color. Surprisingly this came from a tea that is mostly stems and broken pieces and very little whole leaf. If you look carefully this is what is shown in the Amazon image. I have not tried the package's instructions that suggest steeping 6 oz of tea in 24 oz of 140 (F) degree water for 1 to 2 minutes, but it seems given the predominance of stems that this would be a very weak tea.If you are looking for green tea LEAF go elsewhere. If you are looking for good taste this may be the tea for you.

I've been a green tea fan for years. This Hojicha has plenty of twigs but who cares what the product looks like? Steeped at the low temperature it suggests make the most incredible, complex, rich toasted tasting tea I've ever had, isn't loaded with caffeine and doesn't need sweeteners. I love this stuff!!!

I love this tea but when I saw amazon delivered it, I opened the bag and found these

This tea is wonderful. It has a very clean, mellow flavor. I definitely recommend this tea!