Houjicha
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Overview
Houjicha, while technically a green tea, is often mistaken for a black tea due to its dark color. In fact, the dark color is achieved through roasting, not oxidation. Still, houjicha is often very palatable to black tea drinkers, as it has a warm nutty flavor that goes well with food.
Houjicha is produced by roasting Bancha and/or Kukicha.
Caffeine level
Houjicha is commonly known to be very low in caffeine, as a result of the roasting process. For this reason, many enjoy it at night, when other teas would keep them awake.
Pan Fired at Home
It is not uncommon or difficult to roast old or stale Sencha on a stove top in a pan to make houjicha. This is a fairly simple procedure and a way to recycle old tea. A pan is first heated to high,then leaves are added and immediately tossed.The leaves are tossed for about a minute or until browned.If the leaves are ignored they will quickly burn. If done correctly the leaves will release a pleasant aroma and you will have houjicha.
A special clay pan (houjicha iriki) can be purchased to simplify this process but is not necessary.
