Light and Dark Roast Chiran Houjicha from Nagayama san

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Houjicha Background Information:
Houjicha means roasted tea. Although its colour is brown due to the roasting process, houjicha is still a Japanese green tea as it is not oxidised or fermented. It is low in caffeine due to the roasting process, meaning it is ideal to drink at any time of the day and by people of any age, and houjicha is said to be especially good for our bodies during the cold winter season too. There are two main types of houjicha - one contains mainly leaves with little to no stems, whereas the other contains a much higher proportion of stems (sometimes known as kukicha or kuki houjicha). Kuki houjicha tends to be lighter in flavour but the high proportion of stems also contribute some sweetness to the flavour profile.

Notes For These Particular Teas:
These houjicha are made from the stems of the five cultivars that Nagayama san specialises in growing; Saemidori, Yutakamidori, Yabukita, Meiryoku, and Okumidori. He roasts the tea once to create the light roast (asairi), and twice for the dark roast (fukairi). All five cultivars are first harvest teas, and roasting houjicha from first harvest materials is quite rare. Especially with the light roast houjicha, there will be noticeable green-ness to the tea which can be emphasised by brewing it with lower water temperatures if desired, but is also delicious with high water temperatures. Expect tasting notes of toasted rice running through with some umami and sweetness, and we recommend to appreciate the complexity of this tea on its own. The dark roast houjicha on the other hand goes extremely well with either sweet or savoury pairing items due to its rich aroma and more robust roasted profiule. The body of the flavour becomes more mellow as it cools down, so we think it will make an excellent kyuurei tea in the summer (brewing with hot water and then pouring over ice to immediately chill the tea).

This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the exact same tea processed in different ways! It is roasted with only first harvest materials, which is extremely rare as the majority of houjicha are second or later harvest tea!

Please experiment with brewing to find your personal preference. A good starting point is listed below.

Hot brewing guide:
Houjicha 5 grams
Water 140ml
First infusion 75°C for 20sec
Second infusion 85°C for 30sec
Third infusion 85°C for 60sec

To pour over ice (kyuurei):
Houjicha 6 grams
Water 125ml
One infusion only 85°C for 90sec

Pour over lots of ice and serve immediately. Alternatively, our personal favourite is to pour over just a few ice cubes (~100g) and enjoy when chilled but not ice cold (or wait for it to warm up closer to room temperature).

Storage:
Store in a cold environment (6-10°C) and avoid exposure to light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells - these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 1-2 months from when it is first opened.