Development of Firewood Roasted Hojicha Using Naturally Grown Tea from Yunnan | HOJO Online Speciality Tea Shop

We are currently staying in Yunnan Province for tea production. As the season nears its end, tea trees with particularly slow growth are now reaching their harvest period, yielding leaves with exceptionally long-lasting finish. This is the most important time, and we remain fully focused. While our main focus during this period is Pu-erh and black tea, we are also working on a unique experimental tea: a pan-fried green tea (hojicha) made from naturally grown Yunnan leaves, roasted over firewood.

Why make hojicha from Yunnan tea?

We have visited many tea-producing regions around the world, but we are convinced that Yunnan offers the highest quality raw tea leaves. High altitudes over 2000 meters, old trees that are centuries old, and a natural, abandoned-style cultivation without fertilizers or pesticides—all these factors contribute to a tea with exceptional clarity and a long-lasting finish, regardless of the tea type.

The quality of the raw material is so remarkable that it naturally leads us to explore other tea types beyond what is traditionally produced in Yunnan. This time, we wanted to see how hojicha would turn out when made from naturally grown Yunnan tea. That curiosity has led us to a series of ongoing trials.

Slow roasting, similar to oolong tea

We used a rotating firewood roaster to make this green tea. After rolling, the leaves were gently roasted while continuously rotating, resulting in a snail-like shape. Rather than flash-roasting at high temperatures, we used a method similar to oolong tea roasting: low heat over several hours. This brings out fruity and nutty notes while preserving the green color of the leaves.

Hojicha with an aroma reminiscent of Taiwanese oolong

To achieve a bold character, we selected tea leaves with one bud and three to four leaves, similar to what we use for raw Pu-erh. Another key feature is the withering process. During this time, enzymes such as glycosidase become active, breaking down aromatic precursors and generating fruity and floral notes. As a result, the tea is closer to lightly fermented oolong than green tea. After roasting, it takes on a fragrance reminiscent of Taiwanese oolong.

While electric roasters would make the process more efficient, we intentionally chose firewood roasting due to the significant impact it has on both aroma and flavor.

Once roasted, the tea is quickly cooled, packed in aluminum bags on the same day, and shipped within two days to minimize oxidation. We plan to mature this tea in an oxygen-free environment for some time before release.