Hojicha

Hojicha is formed by roasting processed tea until it turns brown at a high temperature of 200°C. The Nibancha’s deep roast gives it a rich flavor, but the presence of much more premium Ichibancha provides a fuller and stronger scent. The end product is a creamy green tea with notes of caramel and sweet soya taste.

Extraction or distillation, which is a method that separates particular compounds from a natural mixture, is used to remove the naturally present flavouring components in hojicha. Hot water is used to separate the flavouring compounds and filtrate away the hojicha particles during the extraction process. The filtration separates the soluble hojicha compounds from the powder.

The next phase is steam distillation, which involves adding pure alcohol to raw materials that are already managed with water, then distilling the alcohol as well as some water under atmospheric pressure or low vacuum, where it co-distils the more volatile compounds to produce a product with a high aroma. A flavourful condensate is used to rehydrate the extracted essence.