Hojicha is just starting to trend

You might have had it if you’re a fan of sushi, or a Japanese tea aficionado. Otherwise, probably not, but that could change soon.

Hojicha is sort of the opposite of matcha on the green tea spectrum. Instead of delicately harvesting the tender young buds at the top of a tea plant, hojicha is made out of mature leaves, and even twigs and stems, which are then roasted to create a drink that’s toasty, nutty, and sometimes a little smoky. I’ve had it frequently at the end of Japanese meals, particularly at dinner because it’s pretty low in caffeine. It’s also delicious in my opinion, and it could be coming soon to a coffeehouse near you.

Technomic, our sister research company, reports a 17.6% increase of hojicha on restaurant menus in the second quarter of 2026, albeit from a very low baseline, and it’s even appearing in chains.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a Los Angeles-based chain owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation with around 200 locations in the United States, introduced hojicha in August. It’s available as a latte with white chocolate powder and milk, either poured over ice or blended with ice, plus the option of adding pumpkin syrup.

It’s supposed to be available until Nov. 3, in case you’d like to try it.

And then in September, Black Sheep Coffee, a chain out of the United Kingdom with just a few locations in the U.S., in Texas, and Florida, introduced a vanilla hojicha latte to the menu.

Van Leeuwen Ice cream, a multi-unit shop based in New York City, has added it to its vegan frozen desserts, and Tous Les Jours, a South Korean concept with around 200 domestic locations, has offered it as a latte.

Traditionally, hojicha is simply drunk plain, without dairy or sweeteners, but that’s true of matcha, too, and no one seems to be bothered by the fact that it’s sweetened, mixed with fruit syrups, baked into pastries, made into liqueurs, and so on.

Hojicha, to my palate, is more approachable than matcha. It’s comparatively subtle and pleasant, but more robust than conventional green tea. Like all tea, it’s good for you, with essentially no calories until you add dairy and sweetener to it, and plenty of antioxidants. Its comparatively low caffeine levels make it suitable as an after-dinner digestive, and I bet it would go well in any variety of cocktails — its smokiness would dovetail well with mezcal or scotch and its aromatics would probably play well with gin.

In fact, last night at Bar Goto on New York City's Lower East Side, where I went for the launch party of The Goto Bartender's Guide by Kenta Goto and Noah Rothbaum, I sampled a Hojicha Old Fashioned. It was made with Hennessy V.S. Cognac, rum, hojicha (described as Kyoto roasted green tea, which is accurate since hojicha was invented in Kyoto around 100 years ago), and mole bitters. It started out boozy, and then finished with a very pronounced tea flavor. I enjoyed it.

And if you want to mix hojicha with milk, sugar, and peach syrup, no one’s going to stop you.

Although it’s early days as far as trends go, this might be a tea worth keeping your eyes on.

Sept. 29, 2026: This column has been updated with information about the Hojicha Old Fashioned.