Hojicha Bancha Green Tea Bags

Tea isn’t only a drink for adults in the land of the rising sun. Lower in tannin and caffeine and more gentle on the stomach than many other Japanese blends of tea, Hojicha Bancha green tea is often served to children in Japan after a big dinner. However, this oriental tea leaf is equally delightful for adults, thanks to its deliciously nutty aroma and reassuringly full-bodied rich taste.

Hojicha Bancha green tea is renowned for its slightly nutty flavor combined with a gentle hint of spice and smoke. Part of the reason for this varied taste is due to the fact that the leaves are picked later in the season than most Japanese tea leaves, and from larger bancha leaves.

Their comparatively large size helps produce a fuller flavour during the roasting process that takes place almost as soon as the leaves are harvested. The result is a subtly spicy yet nutty tasting cup of tea which will open your eyes and taste buds to the delights on offer in the Japanese tea plantations.

As with all our teas, Hojicha green tea is supplied with carefully manufactured nylon tea bags. These are specially designed to be resistant to slight changes in room temperature and to keep the flavour locked in on its way to your tea cup.

HOJICHA BANCHA TEA BREWING INSTRUCTION:

THE WATER TEMPERATURE

• The golden rule about water temperature is never to use boiling water on the tea, whatever kind of tea you are making.
• Green Teas require water at 70°C and black teas require water at 85-90°C.
• These days you can get kettles which enable you to choose your water temperature.

THE AMOUNT OF TEA

• Custom dictates that 4 grams are sufficient for one cup. But the amount is partly a matter of preference.
• In the case of Assam tea, which is naturally very robust, you might want to reduce the strength and brew 3 grams instead of 4.

THE BREWING TIME

• This is a very important step in the art of tea-making. In fact, the brewing time varies depending on the type of tea. An over-brewed black tea will develop a bitter taste whilst an under-brewed white tea will be flat and insipid.
• Black teas are normally brewed for 2-3 minutes, green teas for 3 – 4 minutes. It is a good idea to check the brewing time before making the tea because some teas need to be infused for very specific times: for example, Jade Pearl is left to infuse for 7 – 20 minutes, whilst Oolong tea will need 5 – 7 minutes for its bouquet to develop fully.
• Brewing is normally done with a lid on so that the tea retains all its aromas.