What is the difference between standard hojicha and kuki hojicha?

"Kuki" refers to the stems of tea leaves. While standard Hojicha from Ippodo Tea is a tea made by roasting Japanese green tea leaves^[1], Kuki Hojicha is made by gathering and roasting the stem parts of the tea plant. As the parts used to make the tea are different, the texture of the flavors also differs from each other.

The personalities of taste and aroma are clearly divided. Standard hojicha has a low caffeine content, making it comfortable to drink even at night before going to sleep^[2]. On the other hand, kuki hojicha, made by roasting stems, stands out for a roasted aroma reminiscent of dark roast coffee, delivering a rich, sweet, and refreshing flavor^[3].

Differences also show in how to drink them. For kuki hojicha, it is recommended to pour 240ml of hot water at 100°C over 10g of tea leaves and pour it out to drink right away after 30 seconds^[4].

hmmm, when you need light and comfortable warmth, standard hojicha becomes a natural choice, and when you want to enjoy a heavy, savory aroma like coffee, kuki hojicha becomes a natural choice.