Houjicha

Tea: Houjicha
Vendor: O-cha
Price: $8.95 / 100g
Source: Shizuoka, Japan
Vendor Description: Hojicha, or Houjicha - Green tea that has been "baked", imparting a red color and a very unique taste. Since the baking process removes the caffeine, this tea is often served in Japan to patients in hospitals, and to children.
Excellent iced, you will often find this tea served in Japanese restraunts. 100gm.

Leaf: This is a very unusual misx for a hojicha. It looks like a rather lightly roasted tea. There is less twig matter than some other hojichas that I have seen. There is a little bit of dust in there as well, but not too much.

1st Infusion: There is a deep heavy roasted aroma from this tea. The infusion is a light carmel brown color. Based upton the color of the leaf, the infusion was actually a bit darker than I expected it to be. The flavor is very smooth for a hojicha. There is a very strong middle flavor that tapers in a smooth aftertaste. There is a light tinge of bitterness from the roasted flavor.

2nd Infusion: The second infusion has a rounder flavor. It is a much smoother flavor thatn the first infusion. There is no astringency, but a very good flavor.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This tea has a rather good houjicha flavor, but lacks any truly distinctive aspects. I'm somewhat amused as how different the leaf looks in comparison from the image from the website. I'm somewhat indifferent about this tea, but it doesn't seem to have any negative qualities to it.