Chanoyu (茶の湯) is the original Japanese art of tea that Sen no Rikyū practiced: preparing matcha deliciously and enjoying it with the person in front of you. Sadō (茶道), “the way of tea,” is the formalized school system built after Rikyū’s death. The difference matters, because the global matcha boom — lattes, cafés, new recipes — is a continuation of chanoyu, not a betrayal of tradition.

Chanoyu, literally “hot water for tea,” is the term used in Sen no Rikyū’s own lifetime (1522–1591). At its heart, it is simple: prepare tea well, and share that one bowl, in that one moment, with your guest.

Rikyū himself was an innovator, not a guardian of rules. He replaced ornate Chinese tea wares with humble raku bowls and grand halls with a two-tatami tea room — radical moves in his day, all in pursuit of a better bowl of tea.

Sadō (“the way of tea”) is the institutionalized form of tea culture that developed after Rikyū’s death. From the Edo period onward, the iemoto (grand master) system codified tea preparation into fixed procedures, licenses, and ranks.

This system preserved tea culture for centuries — without it, Rikyū’s aesthetics might not have survived. But it also developed partly as a business model for teaching and certification, where “correct form” can matter more than “delicious tea.”

Is the matcha latte a betrayal of Japanese tea tradition?

No. A matcha latte made with care is chanoyu in a modern form.

When a barista studies growing regions to make a better latte, when a café owner tastes dozens of matchas to find the right one, when a customer shares that cup with a friend — that is the pure desire to drink tea deliciously and joyfully. The tea room became a café; the bamboo whisk became a milk frother. The spirit is the same.

Would Rikyū have dismissed the matcha latte? We doubt it. He would have asked, more seriously than anyone: how do we make it taste even better?

Why protecting only sadō can shrink the matcha industry

Here is our honest view as a matcha supplier: the stricter the emphasis on form, the more intimidating matcha becomes — and the fewer people drink it. Guarding sadō too preciously can, ironically, limit the growth of the very industry that supplies it.

The chanoyu standard — delicious and joyful — points the other way. Lattes, desserts, and new recipes all become real demand, and that demand flows directly back to tea farmers in Kagoshima and Uji. Every new matcha drinker in the world helps sustain a Japanese tea field.

We source matcha directly from farms in Kagoshima and Uji, Kyoto, and supply cafés and wholesale buyers worldwide. Our work is grounded in the spirit of chanoyu:

	•	Tea should, first and foremost, be delicious

	•	A bowl of tea is for sharing with the person in front of you

	•	Innovation that serves those two things is always welcome

Somewhere in the world right now, someone is drinking matcha and saying “this is delicious.” That is proof that chanoyu is alive, four hundred years on.

Chanoyu (茶の湯) literally means “hot water for tea.” It refers to the practice of preparing and sharing matcha, as embodied by Sen no Rikyū in the 16th century.

Is chanoyu the same as the Japanese tea ceremony?

Not exactly. What English speakers call the “tea ceremony” usually refers to sadō, the formalized school system. Chanoyu is the older, broader idea: enjoying well-prepared tea together.

Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591) was the most influential figure in Japanese tea history. Known for wabi aesthetics, he was a radical innovator who broke conventions to perfect the experience of a single bowl of tea.

Is drinking matcha lattes disrespectful to Japanese culture?

We believe the opposite: enjoying matcha in new ways continues the spirit of chanoyu and directly supports Japanese tea farmers.

Chanoyu vs Sadō: What’s the Difference, and Why It Matters for the Global Matcha Boom

And why the difference matters more than you think.

In matcha, "single origin" means one region, "single estate" means one farm and producer, and "single cultivar" means one plant variety. These three labels are independent of one another — and single estate is the strongest signal of quality and traceability, because it ties every leaf back to a named grower.

If you've spent any time exploring premium matcha, you've likely come across labels like "single origin" or "single cultivar." These terms — borrowed in part from the specialty coffee and wine worlds — signal quality and traceability. But in the matcha world, they don't all mean the same thing. And a fourth term is quietly emerging as perhaps the most meaningful of all: 

Here's a clear breakdown of what each term means, how they relate to one another, and why understanding the difference will change how you choose your matcha.

 means the matcha comes from one defined geographic region — Uji in Kyoto, Kirishima in Kagoshima, Nishio in Aichi, and so on.

This matters because terroir — the soil, climate, altitude, and rainfall of a place — leaves a fingerprint on the tea. Uji's morning river mists and mineral-rich soil produce matcha with deep, layered umami. Kagoshima's volcanic earth yields a smoother, naturally sweet profile. These regional characteristics are real and meaningful.

However, "single origin" is also the broadest of the three terms. A matcha labeled "Uji single origin" could be sourced from dozens of different farms, blended at a processing facility, and still carry that label honestly. 

Origin tells you the region. It doesn't tell you who grew it.

 enters — and why we believe it may be the most important designation of all.

Single estate means the matcha originates from one farm, tended by one producer. Every leaf in the package comes from the same land, the same hands, the same set of decisions made season after season.

In the wine world, "estate-bottled" or "château" designations have long carried this meaning: the grower and the maker are the same, and accountability runs all the way from soil to cup. In premium tea — particularly Darjeeling — single-estate labels have become the gold standard for the same reason.

Matcha, historically, has operated differently. The traditional Japanese model relies on the 

 — the tea master — who blends tencha leaves from multiple farms, regions, and even harvest years into a consistent house expression. This is a genuine craft, and we respect it deeply. But it also means that in most premium matcha, the identity of the individual farmer is invisible.

 It means you can trace your matcha back to a specific farm, a specific producer, and a specific set of agricultural decisions. It means accountability, consistency, and a direct relationship between the land and the cup.

) means the matcha is made from one specific tea plant variety — Samidori, Okumidori, Saemidori, Asahi, Gokou, and so on.

Just as grape variety defines a wine's character, the tea cultivar shapes the flavor, aroma, color, and texture of matcha in fundamental ways. Samidori is known for its elegant, creamy umami. Saemidori brings sweetness and vivid green color with low bitterness. Asahi, one of Uji's most prized native cultivars, delivers a sharp, refined complexity.

Single-cultivar matcha is increasingly popular among enthusiasts who want to explore these differences — to taste the cultivar itself, expressed as purely as possible.

That said, single cultivar is the most focused lens of the three — it zooms all the way in to the plant itself. The same cultivar grown on different estates, in different regions, under different hands, can taste remarkably different. 

Cultivar tells you the variety. The estate tells you who brought it to life.

How They Combine — and What That Looks Like in Practice

These three terms are independent of one another. A matcha can be any combination:

 One farm, one variety — maximum traceability One farm, multiple varieties — estate integrity with blended complexity 

 One variety, multiple farms — cultivar purity, varied sourcing Standard commercial matcha — wide sourcing, blended

At RIKYU, the majority of our products sit in the 

 category. Here's why this combination is intentional — not a compromise.

The farms we work with in Kyoto and Kagoshima are not small operations. The largest cultivate more than ten different tea varieties on the same land, deliberately staggering their harvest windows so that each cultivar can be picked at its precise peak. This is expert farming — not mass production.

When these farmers blend their own cultivars into a finished matcha, something specific happens: the blend reflects one producer's vision, one terroir, one set of growing conditions. It is entirely traceable. It is entirely accountable. And it achieves a complexity of flavor — balancing fragrance, taste, and color — that a single cultivar alone rarely delivers.

This is particularly true of our Uji-origin products. Uji has over 800 years of matcha cultivation history, and its blending tradition is inseparable from its identity. The great Uji tea houses have always blended — not to hide inferior leaves, but because the 

's art of composition is itself an expression of mastery. Our SR145, for example, is a Uji-origin matcha that honors this tradition: single estate in its sourcing, and blended in its craft.

Our Kagoshima-origin products, by contrast, often lean toward single-cultivar expression. Kagoshima is a younger matcha region, and its producers have invested heavily in developing cultivars — Saemidori, Okumidori, and others — with distinct, well-defined flavor identities that stand confidently on their own.

All three matter. But if we had to choose the one that speaks most directly to quality, integrity, and trust — it's Single Estate.

Because at the end of the day, great matcha is made by great farmers. Knowing who grew your tea is not a luxury. It's the foundation.

At RIKYU Matcha Company, all of our products are Single Estate — sourced directly from individual farming families in Uji, Kyoto and Chiran, Kagoshima. We work closely with our producers to understand not just what they grow, but how and why.

Want to taste the difference for yourself?  

Request a sample or get in touch with our team

Single Estate vs Single Origin vs Single Cultivar Matcha

Hojicha comes in light, medium, and dark roasts, and each one tastes noticeably different. For lattes, dark roast is the best choice: its intense toasted aroma cuts through milk, it delivers coffee-level body without the caffeine, and its deep reddish-brown color looks great in the cup.

Alongside the global matcha boom, another Japanese tea is rapidly winning shelf space in cafés around the world: hojicha. With its toasty aroma, low caffeine content, and remarkable ability to play well with milk, hojicha has moved from a quiet after-dinner staple in Japan to a star ingredient on specialty café menus across North America, Europe, and Australia.

But here's something many tea drinkers — and even café owners — don't realize: not all hojicha tastes the same. The roast level fundamentally changes the flavor, aroma, and color of the final cup. In this article, we'll walk through how hojicha is made, the differences between dark, medium, and light roasts, and which roast we recommend for the best hojicha latte.

Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that has been roasted at high temperatures — typically around 200°C (390°F). The starting material can be bancha (mature leaves), sencha (standard green tea), or kukicha (stems), all of which begin as ordinary green tea before being transformed by the roasting process.

The chemistry behind that transformation is the same one that gives coffee, bread, and caramel their irresistible aromas: the Maillard reaction and caramelization. As the sugars and amino acids in the tea leaves react under heat, the leaves shift from green to brown, and entirely new aromatic compounds emerge — toasty, nutty, and sometimes almost chocolaty.

At the same time, much of the catechin (bitterness) and tannin (astringency) in the original green tea breaks down, leaving behind a smoother, mellower cup. Roasting also significantly reduces the caffeine content, which is why hojicha is traditionally enjoyed in the evening, by children, and by anyone looking for a gentler caffeine experience.

The Three Faces of Hojicha: Light, Medium, and Dark Roast

The beauty of hojicha lies in how dramatically its character changes with roast level. Here's a breakdown of the three main roast profiles you'll encounter.

Light Roast — Delicate, with Green Tea Character Intact

A light roast is produced at lower temperatures or for shorter durations. The liquor pours a pale amber-gold, and the leaves retain much of their original green tea identity — gentle umami, subtle sweetness, and a hint of grassiness. The toasty aroma is present but restrained.

Light roast hojicha is ideal for sipping on its own and pairs beautifully with delicate foods: white-fleshed fish, wagashi (Japanese sweets), or a quiet moment of tea before a meal. For drinkers transitioning from green tea, it's the perfect entry point.

Medium Roast — The Balanced All-Rounder

Medium roast is the most familiar style of hojicha — the version most people picture when they hear the name. The liquor is a bright amber, and the cup balances toasty aroma, gentle sweetness, and just a whisper of astringency.

It's versatile across hot and iced preparations, and suitable for everything from casual home brewing to restaurant service. If you're looking for an everyday hojicha that works in almost any context, medium roast is your answer.

Dark roast hojicha is roasted longer and at higher temperatures, producing a deep reddish-brown — sometimes nearly black — liquor. The aroma is powerful and reminiscent of coffee, with notes of toasted nuts, caramel, and even a faint hint of cocoa.

Despite its boldness, dark roast hojicha is remarkably smooth. The extended roast burns off virtually all astringency, leaving a velvety, almost buttery mouthfeel. The depth and lingering finish are what hook many tea drinkers for life.

Why Dark Roast Is the Best Choice for Hojicha Lattes

As hojicha lattes climb café menus around the world, one question keeps coming up from baristas and café owners: which roast should we use? Our recommendation is clear — go with dark roast. Here's why.

Looking for Café- or OEM-Grade Dark Roast Hojicha? Talk to RIKYU.

At RIKYU Matcha Company, we offer more than matcha. Our dark roast hojicha powder is specifically developed for latte applications — built to deliver the rich, toasted aroma and deep body that cafés and product developers need.

We support our partners from sample shipments and roast-profile consultation through to stable, ongoing supply. Reach out to 

Ready to add a hojicha latte to your menu?

Hojicha Roast Levels: Best Roast for Hojicha Lattes

The two most influential schools of Japanese tea ceremony are Omotesenke and Urasenke, both descended from the 16th-century tea master Sen no Rikyu. They differ mainly in whisking style, the amount of froth, and ritual detail — Urasenke favors a frothier, creamier usucha, while Omotesenke keeps a thinner layer of foam.

For nearly five centuries, matcha has been shaped not by a single tradition, but by many. Understanding the schools — particularly Omotesenke and Urasenke — is one of the best ways to appreciate the depth of the bowl in front of you.

When matcha is served in Japan, the way it is whisked, presented, and received depends on which school of tea — 流派 (

) — the host belongs to. These schools are not brands or styles. They are living lineages of practice, each tracing its own line back through centuries of teachers and students. To understand matcha as a cultural product, it helps to know that the bowl in front of you almost always carries a school's signature, even when it is poured at a casual café.

The story of nearly every modern school begins with Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591), the tea master who refined the 

 aesthetic and established the spiritual core of 

After Rikyū's death, his teachings passed through his descendants. By the time of his great-grandsons in the 17th century, the family had divided into three houses, collectively known as the 

The names "front" and "back" are literal. When Rikyū's grandson Sōtan retired, he passed the front of his Kyoto residence to his successor Kōshin Sōsa — establishing Omotesenke. He then built a new tea hut, Konnichi-an, at the back of the property for another son, Senso Sōshitsu — establishing Urasenke. The three houses share a common ancestor and a common reverence for Rikyū, but each has evolved its own distinct sensibility.

Outside the San-senke lineage, several other schools have shaped Japanese tea culture:

For most students of tea around the world, however, exposure begins with one of the three Sen houses — and most often, with Omotesenke or Urasenke.

Omotesenke and Urasenke: Two Sensibilities

The two largest schools share the same heritage but have developed distinct approaches over four centuries. The differences are subtle, but they are not arbitrary — each reflects a coherent philosophy about how matcha should be prepared and experienced.

1. The Foam (the most visible difference)

 vigorously, producing a thick, fine, evenly distributed foam that covers the entire surface of the bowl. The result is creamy, soft, almost mousse-like.

 whisks more gently, leaving a deliberate crescent of clear tea visible at the surface — a signature look that emphasizes the color and clarity of the matcha itself rather than its texture.

). Omotesenke uses one made from smoked bamboo (煤竹, 

) — darker in color, with a more austere appearance.

 is folded and the side from which it is worn differ between the two schools. Small details that immediately identify a practitioner to a trained eye.

Urasenke tends to embrace a wider range of bowl shapes and contemporary materials. Omotesenke typically favors more traditional forms and a more restrained selection.

Perhaps the most important difference is not technical but cultural.

 has been the most internationally active school. Through its postwar leadership, it established branches across the world, opened practice to non-Japanese students at scale, and actively promoted 

 as a living global art. Today, the school has affiliated organizations on nearly every continent.

 has remained more domestically focused, more conservative in its outward expression, and is often described as the most traditional of the three houses. For practitioners who value continuity with the older forms, this is precisely its appeal.

Neither approach is "correct." They are two answers to the same question — 

how do we keep Rikyū's spirit alive in our own time?

At RIKYU Matcha Company, we work daily with cafés, roasters, pâtissiers, and tea programs in North America, Europe, Australia, and beyond. The matcha being prepared in their kitchens does not always follow the manners of Omotesenke or Urasenke — and that is not a problem. It is the next chapter.

Latte art on a matcha base. Espresso bars where matcha is pulled like a shot. Pastry programs that treat matcha as a primary ingredient rather than a garnish. Cocktail menus building entire categories around it. None of this existed in Rikyū's time, and yet — to our eyes — none of it betrays his spirit. The Way of Tea has always been a way of attention, of care for the guest, of honesty toward the material. Those principles travel.

Matcha is now a global drink. The question is no longer whether the world will adopt it, but what kind of culture will grow up around it.

Building a matcha program and want to get the details right? 

Schools of Matcha: Omotesenke vs Urasenke Explained

Matcha and regular green tea (sencha) both come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, but they differ in two key ways: matcha leaves are shade-grown for about three weeks before harvest, which boosts umami and chlorophyll, and matcha is stone-ground into a fine powder that you drink whole, while green tea leaves are steeped and then discarded.

"I love both, but what is the actual difference?" This is one of the most frequent questions we receive at RIKYU.

Believe it or not, they both originate from the exact same plant: 

. The same soil, the same fields, and the same leaves. However, they diverge at two critical stages—

—resulting in two entirely different sensory experiences.

1. The Secret in the Growing: Sunlight vs. Shade

The distinction begins long before the harvest, right in the tea garden.

2. The Architecture of Enjoyment: Steeping vs. Consuming

The way the tea reaches your cup is structurally different.

At RIKYU, we source our Matcha from diverse regions—Uji, Shizuoka, Kagoshima—to bring out unique aromatic identities that suit different needs.

We don't just supply tea; we help you find the specific profile that collaborates with your menu, whether it’s for a delicate ceremonial tea service or a robust, velvety matcha latte.

Curious to taste the structural difference for yourself?

 We’d be happy to send you samples of our different grades to help you find your perfect match.

Matcha vs Green Tea: What's the Real Difference?

Matcha is graded partly by harvest: first harvest (ichibancha) is prized for its rich umami and sweetness, while second and third harvests are more astringent and higher in catechins. But the length and quality of shading before picking influences matcha quality even more than which harvest the leaf comes from.

"Is first harvest always the best?" This is one of the most common questions we receive at RIKYU — and the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes.

The Japanese tea calendar is divided into multiple harvesting windows: 

 (三番茶, third harvest). While harvest sequence does influence the chemistry of the leaf, the single most decisive factor for matcha quality is not 

how long they were kept under shade before picking.

1. Why Shade Is the Key to Matcha's Flavor

Matcha is produced through a technique called 

 (被覆栽培) — shaded cultivation. In the weeks before harvest, the tea fields are covered with screens that block direct sunlight. This act triggers a critical biochemical change inside the leaf.

The primary umami compound in green tea is an amino acid called 

. Under sunlight, theanine is progressively converted into catechins — the polyphenols responsible for bitterness and astringency. Shading blocks that conversion. The longer the plant is kept from direct light, the more theanine is preserved, and the deeper and sweeter the umami becomes.

Shading also causes the plant to overproduce chlorophyll to capture what little light reaches it. This is why well-shaded matcha has that vivid, deep emerald green — not merely cosmetic, but a direct signal of careful shading management.

2. First Harvest — Ichibancha (一番茶)

The first harvest arrives in late April to early May, as the tea plant wakes from its winter dormancy. All through the cold months, nutrients — primarily theanine — accumulate in the roots. When the new shoots finally emerge, they are naturally rich with that stored energy.

For matcha production, first-harvest plants are typically shaded for 

 before picking. This extended shading period, combined with the naturally high theanine content of the spring flush, produces a leaf with:

. When matcha is served as the center of the experience — a pure bowl, an 

 (thin tea), a tasting flight — the softness, roundness, and lingering sweetness come directly from this theanine richness that only a full shading period can produce.

3. Second & Third Harvest — Nibancha & Sanbancha (二番茶・三番茶)

After the first harvest, the plant regrows. New shoots emerge in June–July for the second harvest, and in late July–August for the third. These later flushes face a fundamental constraint: 

the interval between harvests is not long enough to allow for the same extended shading period.

In practice, shading for second- and third-harvest matcha can be as short as 

 The consequences are direct and measurable:

It is worth noting that even second and third harvest matcha retains more theanine than standard unshaded green tea (sencha) — any shading provides some benefit. But the gap between a three-week shade and a three-day shade is not marginal. It fundamentally changes the character of the cup.

 The misconception we encounter most often from international buyers is that "first harvest" is simply a marketing label. In reality, it reflects a specific agricultural reality. 

First-harvest matcha is not better because it arrives earlier — it is better because the shading can be longer.

 The winter-accumulated theanine and the extended kabuse period work together in a way that later harvests, constrained by the growing calendar, cannot replicate. When we source matcha for RIKYU, shading duration is one of the first questions we ask our producers.

4. Side by Side: The Three Harvests at a Glance

Characteristic1st Harvest2nd Harvest3rd HarvestSeason

Late Apr – MayJun – JulLate Jul – Aug

Sweet, round, deep umamiBalanced; slight bitternessBitter-forward, astringent

Ceremony, pure bowlsLattes, everyday drinkingCooking, high-volume blends

At RIKYU, we don't just supply matcha — we help you find the right harvest for the right application.

"ceremonial grade" is not a legally defined term

, and its use across the industry is inconsistent. A better question to ask your supplier is: 

what was the shading duration for this lot?

 That single piece of information tells you more about what's in the bag than any grade label.

The next time you encounter a matcha described as "first harvest," it is worth pausing to consider what that actually required: a producer who managed careful shading discipline over three weeks in early spring, working with plants that had spent an entire winter accumulating the theanine now concentrated in those new shoots. It is not a label. It is a description of choices made long before the cup reaches the customer.

Curious to taste the difference for yourself?

We'd be happy to send samples of our first-harvest and second-harvest grades side by side — so you can experience the shading difference directly in the cup.

First, Second & Third Harvest Matcha: Shade vs Season

Matcha and Japanese ceramics share a common root: both are shaped by terroir — the soil, climate, and craft of a specific place. In the tea ceremony, the bowl is considered as important as the tea itself, because the texture and form of the vessel directly affect how the matcha tastes, feels, and looks in the hand.

Matcha is shaped by terroir: the minerals in the soil, the mountain mist, the rhythm of the seasons. Japanese ceramics are no different. The iron in the clay, the ash from the kiln fire, the temperature of the earth — all leave their mark on the vessel. Tea and bowl are both, at their core, expressions of the land they come from.

When Sen no Rikyū elevated the tea ceremony in the 16th century, he insisted that the bowl was as important as the tea itself. The way it sat in the hands, the texture against the lips, the colour the green foam took against the clay — all of it was considered. A rough-surfaced, hand-formed bowl creates more friction for the whisk, producing a finer foam. Dense, unglazed stoneware holds heat slowly, keeping the matcha warm and its aroma alive. The vessel is not background. It is part of the cup.

"First Raku, second Hagi, third Karatsu" — the classic ranking of tea bowls reflects how deeply ceramics and matcha are intertwined in Japanese aesthetic tradition.

 to our lineup. Grown in mineral-rich soils along Japan's Pacific coast, Aichi matcha offers a clean, balanced profile — smooth umami, gentle sweetness, and a versatility that suits both ceremonial preparation and high-quality café use. It is a tea that speaks quietly, with confidence.

Tokoname-yaki — Ancient Clay, New Partnership

 (常滑焼) — one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns, with a history spanning over a thousand years. Famous for its iron-rich red clay and the celebrated 

 teapot, Tokoname pottery is prized for its density, durability, and subtle interaction with tea. The unglazed clay is said to mellow the astringency of the brew over time, the vessel gradually becoming a collaborator in the cup.

We are honoured to have formed a partnership with a Tokoname kiln rooted in this living tradition. Through this collaboration, we now offer a curated selection of Tokoname-yaki ceramics — matcha bowls, teapots, and tableware — chosen specifically for their relationship to the preparation and enjoyment of tea.

Aichi Prefecture matcha and handcrafted Tokoname-yaki ceramics — sourced from the same soil, brought together for the first time. Please reach out to our team for wholesale and pairing inquiries.

What moves us most about this new chapter is simple: our matcha and our ceramic partners share the same earth. To prepare Aichi tea in a Tokoname bowl is to complete a circle the land itself began.

Interested in pairing our matcha with handcrafted Tokoname ceramics?

Matcha and Ceramics: The Bond Between Tea and Bowls

Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea, and Rikyu Hojicha is a stone-milled hojicha powder made from the same producer relationships as our matcha. Unlike matcha, hojicha is roasted rather than shade-grown, giving it a naturally low-caffeine, amber-colored cup with toasty, caramel notes — ideal for lattes and after-hours service.

We built Rikyu Matcha around one conviction: that the best powdered Japanese tea deserved the same sourcing discipline as the best single-origin coffee. That conviction hasn't changed. But our lineup just expanded.

Starting this season, Rikyu Matcha is offering 

 alongside our matcha range. Same sourcing philosophy. Same direct producer relationships. A completely different ingredient.

Hojicha begins as green tea — the same plant, the same fields. But where matcha is defined by everything we do to 

 the leaf from heat and light, hojicha is defined by 

. The leaves and stems are roasted over high heat, typically in a porcelain pot over charcoal, until the chlorophyll breaks down and a new category of flavor emerges entirely.

The result is amber-colored, low in caffeine, and rich with roasted, caramel-sweet complexity. It tastes nothing like matcha. That's the point.

"If matcha is the dawn — clean, alive, electric — then hojicha is dusk. Slow heat. Long finish. The kind of cup that asks you to sit down."

In Japan, hojicha has been part of everyday tea culture for generations. It's the cup that appears after dinner, at the end of a long day, in the hands of someone who wants warmth without wakefulness. Outside Japan, it remains one of the most underrepresented flavors in specialty beverage — and one of the most immediately compelling once people taste it.

How It Differs from Matcha — Structurally, Not Just in Flavor

[ image — matcha powder (green) beside hojicha powder (amber) ]

Left: ceremonial-grade matcha. Right: Rikyu hojicha powder. The color difference reflects a fundamental shift in chemistry, not just processing.

This isn't a matter of preference. Matcha and hojicha powder differ at the molecular level.

The high-heat roasting process drives off chlorophyll — which is why hojicha loses its green. It also breaks down a significant portion of the caffeine content, reducing it to roughly one-fifth of matcha's level. The tannins that give green tea its astringency are similarly reduced, replaced by pyrazines and furans — the same roasted aromatic compounds that make coffee and toasted grain smell the way they do.

What this means for your menu: hojicha powder behaves differently in drinks. It disperses readily in warm milk without the aggressive whisking matcha requires. Its flavor doesn't compete with sweetness — it collaborates with it. Brown sugar, oat milk, vanilla, dark chocolate. Hojicha leans into all of them.

Our Sourcing Approach — The Same Standard, Applied to a New Leaf

When we source matcha, we visit the farms. We sit with the producers. We ask about cultivar selection, shading schedules, and milling temperature. We don't buy through brokers.

We brought that same approach to hojicha.

[ image — hojicha roasting facility / producer ]

Our hojicha producer partner, working the roast. The temperature and duration of each batch are calibrated by hand.

Matcha Guide

Chanoyu vs Sadō: What’s the Difference, and Why It Matters for the Global Matcha Boom

Single Estate vs Single Origin vs Single Cultivar Matcha

Hojicha Roast Levels: Best Roast for Hojicha Lattes

Schools of Matcha: Omotesenke vs Urasenke Explained

Matcha vs Green Tea: What's the Real Difference?

First, Second & Third Harvest Matcha: Shade vs Season

Matcha and Ceramics: The Bond Between Tea and Bowls

Rikyu Hojicha: A New Powder for Your Café Program

First Harvest vs Second Harvest Matcha: Umami vs Value

Visiting Our Satsuma Tea Producer in Kagoshima, Japan

Thinking About Launching a Matcha Brand? Here's What You Should Know Before You Reach Out

Senkyu × Rikyu: Redefining Matcha Culture at a Landmark