Houjicha Ichiban

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Yummy roasty-toasty scent – always a good sign of a Houjicha, right? To me, Houjicha is a comfort tea, and this one is definitely comforting and cozy.

I didn’t get a lot of grassy/vegetative notes from this one, although I know that some of the other tasters reported some grassy notes. I taste more of a nutty flavor, which is typical of just about every Houjicha I’ve ever tasted. I can’t recall a Houjicha where this has not been the case.

I did get a lovely buttery tone and even notes of chocolate to this which was a nice complement to the toasted nut and caramel notes. Also a savory “salty” like quality that highlighted the nutty flavors.

A really good Houjicha. Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/02/28/houjicha-ichiban-green-tea-steepster/

I thought this tea smelled like and tasted like dirt. I steeped it less than 2 minutes because the smell overwhelmed the kitchen. Definitely not for me!

Scent of leaves/stems: very strong notes of roasted edamame, straw, and grain/nuts

Infusion: golden amber with a scent of popcorn kernals

Potent brew. The tea is good, but the flavor is a bit powerful. Makes the room smell heavily of edamame and popcorn kernals. Tastes about the same. Smooth with no bitterness or astringency, but very powerful. I’d drink it if it was offered, but I wouldn’t brew this myself…way too aromatic

OK, I do like houjicha. That being said, it seems the houjichas that are made with a lot of stem* are not for me . I brought something similar to this back from Japan and didn’t like that either. The woodyness, hay? flavor of this type of houjicha is just not for me. I don’t like the taste it leaves in my mouth. There are some other notes in this tea that are pretty pleasant. There is a caramel taste somewhere in there, that LIES to me and says “oh, this tea is actually pretty good”, right before the taste of wood punches me in the face.

*Is there actually a difference in houjichas being made from stems vs leaves? I feel like I’ve had hojichas before that I have LOVED, but they weren’t like this. What is the difference here? Am I confusing the “leafy” hojicha with something else?

This was my first time with Houjicha. I can appreciate the idea behind this tea, but it’s not for me.

I brewed for only a minute and a half and the first steeping was very strong. It actually tasted more like coffee than tea to me. This being the first time I have brewed Houjicha, I’ll take the blame for that first steeping. I probably used too much leaf. On the second and third steepings the liquid was less orange and more gold and had a much more mellow taste, so I feel it tasted how it was supposed to in these steepings. The overall flavors and scents are of popcorn and roasted nuts, and yes there is a very strong hay or straw aroma as other reviewers have mentioned. There was a very subtle sweetness in the later steepings. Seeing that this tea is made from the twigs and stems of the leaves, it has a very different flavor than other teas. Though it is a green tea, the picking and roasting of this tea makes it taste nothing like other green teas. It’s much more like an herbal tea in flavor.

I enjoyed this tea enough to drink three steepings of it, but the scent lingered in my room for hours after I finished, and I did not enjoy that. It smelled like someone had burnt a bag of microwave popcorn in my room. I wouldn’t suggest this tea unless roasted flavors are your thing. I’ve had light roast coffees with more delicate flavor than this tea.

This tea smelt wonderfully toasty, and looked like hay in my cup while brewing. Only a light toasting remains in the very smooth cup of tea with walnut and salty undertones. One of my favorites from Select so far!

The first thing I noticed about this tea is the appearance: it reminds me of Oatstraw, all chopped up & fluffy. The aroma is awesome, at least to me. It’s roasty, toasty, inviting.

When I got my first steepster select box, I scoffed at the brew bags they include. I’ve used some of them for brewing the occasional rooibos, & I have to admit I haven’t had any pieces of rooibos stuck to my tonsils lately, so I guess those bags have a place in this world.
So I’m actually using one of the bags this time. I have no idea why, I just decided to.

And I am really enjoying this tea. I used to drink a lot of Houjicha, years ago. I’d say it was a big part of my transition from green to oolong & black teas. I love the roastiness. I’m a big fan of roasted walnuts, & it tastes a lot like them. There is a light charcoal bitterness, but it is off-set by a sweet caramel. This would make a great genmaicha.

I usually like the straightforward briskness of houjicha, but this one goes too far toward fresh hay, even into some kind of parmesan-dusted mushroom, for my taste. While the flavors don’t directly taste much at all like pu-er, those forest-floor notes do bring it to mind.

It is rare for me to encounter a tea that is entirely new to me. Thanks to Steepster Select, I have a new tea that I will be drinking a lot.

I opened my package of Houjicha Ichiban and was struck by the golden straw color of the stems and leaves. I carefully poured it into my tea pot, preserving every drop, and gave it a good shake. Instantly I was transported back to my childhood summers, the flavor and smell of a dry stick of grass hay hanging out of my mouth. Chewing it, relishing in the sweet grassy notes. This is the sensation, the comfort that I always want Genmaicha to be, but am always disappointed.

I inhaled, inhaled again, and relaxed. Recalling hot summer days, sweat dripping down, lifting hay onto the bed of the truck. And suddenly I remembered how itchy and non-romantic all of that was. Oops.

I added the water, let it steep, and started to drool eagerly anticipating the flavor of this tea as my office filled with the nutty smell of summer grass. I poured, waiting and took a sip. The taste was the end of summer, the smell was the start of autumn. I opened the pot, the leaves and stems had greened in the water. Rich, warm, nutty, dry flavors washed around my mouth. Slightly sweet, toasted, with light bitter notes.

This is the tea for a country child now in the city when the man is feeling nostalgic. I will be drinking this a lot more often.

ok, it might be on account of i JUST finished an extremely salty/umami second steeping of a fancy sencha, but this is SO YUMMY! i love a good toasty houjicha, and this one hits the spot. perfect late afternoon tea!