I had my first cup of Hojicha at Hakone in Japan. It was served for dinner and at first I wasn’t sure what it is was as it definitely did not taste like tea…sweat,mellow…slight malty, caramel-like aftertaste. A hint of vanilla at the end.
Since then I am a great lover of this tea and have it regularly in the evenings. Going to bed right after is not a problem at all.
The Japanese use very hot water for this brew and they let it steep similar to a black tea.
But play with it and adjust to your own preference.
Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C
2 min, 45 sec
