Iced Houjicha, otherwise known as Hojicha or Bancha is probably Japan's no. 1 iced tea. It's cooling and refreshing as well as being naturally low in caffeine and full of catechin's (to keep you healthy.
Originally it was a popular drink with farmers to cool off in the field. They would brew the tea, and place the kettle in a nearby stream to chill, always on hand to refresh an revitalise. It's also a great everyday tea, as Houjicha is fairly inexpensive when compared to other Japanese green teas.
Flavour wise it's rich and nutty, with a hint of caramel sweetness about it. It makes a great alternative to iced coffee's and frappe's as it's calorie free, and low in caffeine, so you wont get the jitters after two or three glasses. Whist still delivering a rich textured drink with that mouthy feel one associates more with iced coffee
How to make iced Houjicha
There are two ways to make iced Houjicha (Hojicha or Bancha)
Method one - the quick way
- Take two tablespoons of Houjicha
- Fill a tumbler with ice
- Pop it in the teapot and add 200ml of boiling water
- Brew it for one minute (this is longer than you would brew Houjicha if you were drinking normal tea, but you need a strong infusion as the ice will melt and further dilute the tea)
- Pour the tea over the ice (you can add a touch of sugar syrup or agave to taste)
- Enjoy
Method two - the traditional way
- Bring two litres of water to the boil in a pan
- Add half a cup of Houjicha (Hojicha or Bancha)
- Boil for two minutes
- Strain and allow to cool
- Refrigerate
- Serve over ice (add sugar syrup or Agave syrup to taste if you like your drinks sweeter)
You can buy Houjicha for our website here