Matcha vs. Hojicha: Grassy or Roasted?
Vegetal matcha or roasted hojicha? Flavor, form and preparation shape the answer, especially in a latte.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
You like matcha but want a more roasted note in your next cup? Hojicha takes you in that direction with its brown color and roasted aromas. By contrast, matcha's vegetal taste often comes with umami, a round taste that lingers in the mouth; the powder stays green. Prepared with water, the difference comes through without milk getting in the way.
We'd start with a cup of each tea made with water. If you only drink them as lattes, choose the note you want to taste beneath the milk: vegetal with matcha, roasted with hojicha. Check the form too. Matcha is a powder; hojicha comes both as leaves for steeping and as a powder for mixing.
Matcha or hojicha: what really changes?
| Criterion | Matcha | Hojicha | Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing | Powder made from tencha, a tea leaf grown in shade. | Roasted green tea, sold as leaves or powder. | Choose for the taste you expect, rather than color alone. |
| Taste | Vegetal and umami notes. | Roasted notes that can suggest grain or hazelnut. | First compare them with water, then with milk. |
| Preparation | The powder is dispersed in water. | The leaves are steeped; the powder is dispersed in water. | Check the form on the product page before choosing your tools. |
| Latte | The tea retains a vegetal character. | The roasted character comes through milk differently. | Choose the note you still want to taste after adding milk. |
| Caffeine | The powder contains caffeine. | This tea contains caffeine too, depending on its form and dose. | Don't rank two cups without knowing how they're prepared. |
Where does hojicha's roasted taste come from?
Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that has been roasted. Heat browns the leaf and develops notes that may recall grain, hazelnut or cocoa. Matcha keeps its green color and vegetal profile. These descriptions point you in a direction; they don't promise the same taste in every tea.
When we're looking for umami, we choose matcha made with water. Its roundness comes through without milk. For a toasted note, hojicha is a better fit.
Leaves or powder: use different tools
Matcha is mixed with a little water, then whisked. Hojicha leaves are steeped and removed before drinking. Hojicha powder is dispersed in water and can then be diluted or combined with milk. Check the form of your tea before buying a tool.
For a latte, we prefer hojicha powder because it gives the drink more body. Leaves are better suited to a lighter infusion.
Which should you choose for a latte?
Milk softens both teas, but it doesn't erase the choice you made at the start. Matcha brings a vegetal note; hojicha brings a roasted one. We choose hojicha when we want that roasted note to remain noticeable through the milk. If you want matcha's fresh vegetal character, stay with matcha.
Use the same amount of milk to compare them. If you change the tea dose, milk and sugar all at once, you won't know which you prefer. If two toasted notes appeal to you, hojicha and genmaicha differ in their roasted tea leaves and roasted rice.
Can you compare the caffeine in two cups?
Both teas contain caffeine. To compare what you drink, you need to know how much powder or leaf went into each serving, the water volume and the preparation. Hojicha's brown color can't tell you its caffeine content. We start with the serving actually made, without declaring a universal winner.
When should you set matcha aside?
If what you mainly want is the rounded taste of roasted tea, matcha won't provide it. We'd choose hojicha, especially with milk. If you want to taste a vegetal green tea made with water and work its texture with a whisk, matcha comes back into its own. Neither cup is superior for such different tastes.