The quality of hojicha is not decided by the strength of its toastiness alone.
It is about how roasted aroma is layered over the aroma and flavour the leaf already has. At THE CRAFT FARM, we use four types of roasters and six roasting levels to make a complex, multi-dimensional hojicha.
The aroma rising from the cup. The flavour unfolding on the palate. And the finish that continues after you swallow.
The more slowly you savour each sip, the more we hope you will enjoy those layers.
Method and craft
Knowing the leaf, choosing how to apply heat.
Roasting starts from the character of the raw leaf and the cup we aim for.
Leaf or stem? What size are the leaves, how dry are they? What aroma and flavour do they have to begin with? Facing the raw material, we choose how to roast while considering what to keep and what to draw out.
For us, roasting is not simply darkening the leaves. It is handwork that makes use of the material’s aroma, balances its flavour and brings out a new expression.
Four roasters, to choose how heat is delivered.
How should heat be delivered? How long should it take, and when should it be applied?
We use each roaster according to its characteristics, matching the raw leaf and the flavour we aim for. By considering not only temperature but time and the way heat is applied, we build everything from the rise of the aroma to the finish.
Six roasting levels, to explore expressions of flavour.
A light style that keeps the leaf’s own aroma. A style aiming for harmony between the leaf’s character and roasted aroma. And a deep style where toastiness takes the lead.
Using six roasting levels, we search for the flavour we want to deliver.
Sometimes we aim for harmony with a toastiness reminiscent of nuts or cacao; sometimes we cherish the delicate aroma of the raw leaf. Not “how hard to roast”, but “what kind of flavour to draw out”. From that point of view, we widen the expressions of hojicha.
Ways to enjoy it
The character of the roast, in a cup only your venue serves.
Brew it as it is and enjoy the aroma and finish. Add milk or sweetness to create a new flavour.
In what moment, and how, do you want to enjoy it? Choosing hojicha by how it will be drunk widens what one cup can be.
In a kyusu teapot, slowly enjoying layered aromas.
A cup to enjoy from the moment the aroma rises as you pour. First, try it as it is, noting the flavour on the palate and the finish after you drink. In a café, serve it beside baked sweets or seasonal confections. You might also suggest a small tasting comparing hojicha of different roasts.
In tea bags or cold brew, for everyday moments.
With tea bags, one cup is enough even on busy days. It can also be made into cold brew or iced tea for a chilled cup. From serving in store to take-away and tea for guests to enjoy at home, it carries the flavour met in your venue into everyday life.
With milk, as a hojicha latte.
Strongly brewed hojicha or hojicha powder, combined with milk. A cup that balances the toastiness of tea with the mellowness of milk.
Will it be light to drink, or a style where the tea’s presence comes through clearly? Choosing the roast, the type of milk and how to sweeten it, why not create a latte that is yours? Brown sugar or spices make seasonal variations, too.
Beyond the cup, in hojicha desserts.
Pour strongly brewed warm hojicha over vanilla ice cream for an affogato. Fold the powder into cream or batter for sweets that celebrate its toastiness.
Not only as a drink, but as an ingredient that shapes a dessert’s aroma and flavour. Choosing hojicha to suit the other ingredients and sweetness opens the pleasure of exploring your signature menu.
Thinking about hojicha from the cup you want to make.
You want to enjoy the aroma straight. You want the tea’s presence to stay even with milk. You want to add toastiness and depth to sweets.
Tell us the flavour you want to deliver and how your venue serves. From choosing the leaf and the roast to using it as leaves, tea bags or powder — let’s explore the possibilities of hojicha together.
Please check availability, specifications and prices on our official site or by enquiry.