Hojicha is a unique Japanese tea with a strong, roasted flavor. This tea is a result of baking Sencha tea. Technically a green tea, the roasting process turns the leaves to a brown color similar to the color of the dried leaves of fall. Hojicha has less caffeine and tannins and a less astringent flavor. Hojicha is one of many great Japanese tea varieties . Ingredients: Organic Japanese Green Tea Hojicha Organic Tea Significance: Strikingly different from other Japanese teas, hojicha has a distinctive brown color looking almost like dried leaves. It produces a baked, nutty flavor and is typically steeped with boiling water. Hojicha is technically a green tea that is made by roasting the tea leaves over charcoal in a porcelain pot as opposed to steaming like most Japanese teas. It is typically made from bancha though it can be produced from several other varieties as well to suit customer taste and the manufacturer style. Our Hojicha Organic Green Tea comes from a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) as recognized by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The distinction is due, in large part, to the practice of Chagusaba or "tea grass fields" used in the production of this tea. The Chagusaba method uses native grasses of the Shizuoka Prefecture, cut and spread around tea bushes to reduce weeds and fertilize the plants. The method provides a sustainable method which also enhances the flavor of our Hojicha Organic.