New Japanese Green Tea: Kuki Hojicha

Our newly sourced Kuki Hojicha from Shiga, Japan, celebrates every part of the plant. Crafted using a traditional hand-roasting method over charcoal, it utilizes tea leaf stems (“kuki”) rather than casting them aside.

The result is a beautifully medium-roasted green tea that is deeply nutty, subtly smoky, and remarkably clean. Because it is produced from stems and high-fired, it carries much less caffeine and astringency than usual, making it a soothing, gentle brew for quiet afternoons or late evenings.

Shop Kuki Hojicha here

Brewing 101

How to create the perfectly balanced Hojicha? Follow the step-by-step brewing instructions with our Tea Master Yannie.

Start by getting your hot water ready. We’re using 92°C to draw out the fresh and nutty sweetness.
We weighed out 5g of tea leaves for our 120ml teapot.
Pour your water in a circular motion. Slow and steady. Hit the tea leaves to get them dancing around.
Let it steep for 45 seconds. For every infusion after that, just add 20-30 seconds.
This tea is a mixture of full and broken leaves and stems for that perfect balance in texture, so the liquid may appear murky at times. If you want a perfectly clean cup, place a strainer over your cup or pitcher before you pour.
Pour out your tea, and take your first sip! Look out for a fresh, lingering sweetness.

Or you can try our new cold-brew Kuki Hojicha! It is a refreshing, low-caffeine elixir to revive your body and soothe your mind.

The tea-to-water ratio for cold-brew hojicha is around 1:100. We weighed out 8g of tea leaves for our 750ml vessel.
Throw in the tea and pour room temperature water. You will see the tea swirling inside the vessel.
You can refrigerate the tea for 15-24 hours.
Taste the tea and, if you like the taste, it's time to strain out the cold brew. The strained tea can keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Pour out a glass and savour the cold, refreshing infusion on a summer day.