Matcha vs Hojicha: What's the Difference?
By Sophie Pigott, Nutritional Medicine Practitioner | Raw Matcha
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If you've been exploring the world of Japanese tea, you've probably come across both matcha and hojicha. They're both made from the same plant — Camellia sinensis — and both have deep roots in Japanese tea culture. But beyond that shared origin, they are remarkably different drinks. Different in colour, flavour, aroma, caffeine content, and the mood they create.
At Raw Matcha, we love both. In fact, Soph's Sunrise and Sunset Duo exists precisely because we think they complement each other perfectly — matcha to start your day, hojicha to end it. But to understand why, it helps to understand what makes each one unique.
Here's the full picture.
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Where They Come From
Both matcha and hojicha begin their journey as green tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant, grown in Japan. After that, their paths diverge completely.
Matcha is made from shade-grown leaves — the plants are covered for three to four weeks before harvest to increase chlorophyll and L-theanine content. The youngest, most tender leaves are harvested in the first flush of spring (first harvest, or ichibancha), steamed to stop oxidation, dried, and then stone-ground into an ultra-fine powder. The result is a vivid green powder packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and a complex umami flavour.
Hojicha takes a completely different route. It starts as green tea leaves or stems — often bancha (a later-harvest leaf) or kukicha (stems and stalks) — which are then roasted over high heat. That roasting process is what makes hojicha so distinctive. The heat transforms the green leaves into a deep reddish-brown colour, dramatically changes the flavour profile, and — crucially — burns off most of the caffeine.
Same plant. Completely different processes. Completely different drinks.
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The Taste Difference
This is where the two teas couldn't be more different.
Matcha has a complex, layered flavour profile. Good ceremonial grade matcha is sweet, grassy, and deeply umami — with a smooth, creamy finish and almost no bitterness when prepared correctly. It's a flavour that takes a little getting used to if you're new to it, but once you've developed a taste for it, nothing else quite compares.
Hojicha is warm, toasty, and gently sweet — with notes of roasted grain, caramel, and a subtle earthiness. Where matcha is bright and vegetal, hojicha is mellow and comforting. It's the kind of drink that feels like a warm hug. Most people enjoy hojicha immediately, even on first sip, because the roasted flavour is familiar and approachable in a way that matcha's grassy intensity isn't always.
If matcha is the morning person — alert, focused, vibrant — hojicha is the evening companion: calm, warm, and grounding.
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Caffeine Content
This is one of the most significant practical differences between the two, and the main reason they work so well as a morning and evening pairing.
Matcha is relatively high in caffeine for a tea — around 60–70mg per serve for ceremonial grade. This is less than a standard coffee, but combined with L-theanine (the amino acid that creates matcha's characteristic calm focus), it produces a sustained, alert energy that makes it ideal as a morning drink or pre-work ritual.
Hojicha, because of the roasting process, has had most of its caffeine burned away. A serve of hojicha typically contains only 7–10mg of caffeine — roughly one tenth of a cup of coffee. This makes it one of the lowest-caffeine teas available, and genuinely suitable for drinking in the evening without affecting sleep.
For parents, pregnant women, people who are caffeine sensitive, or anyone who wants a warm, nourishing drink after dinner without lying awake at 1am, hojicha is an excellent choice.
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Nutritional Profile
Matcha and hojicha have meaningfully different nutritional profiles, largely because of their processing methods.
Matcha is nutritionally exceptional. Because you consume the whole leaf in powdered form, you get the full concentration of L-theanine, EGCG (one of the most well-studied antioxidants in nutritional science), chlorophyll, vitamins, and minerals. The shade-growing process further concentrates these compounds. Matcha is genuinely one of the most nutrient-dense beverages you can drink.
Hojicha is more modest nutritionally. The roasting process that creates its distinctive flavour also degrades some of the heat-sensitive compounds — including catechins and chlorophyll. It still contains antioxidants, and some research suggests the roasting process creates unique antioxidant compounds of its own (including pyrazines, which may have mild relaxation properties). But it doesn't match matcha for raw nutritional density.
That said, hojicha has something matcha doesn't: it's deeply soothing. The low caffeine, warm flavour, and gentle pyrazine content make it a genuinely relaxing evening drink — not just a matcha substitute.
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Colour and Appearance
Visually, the two couldn't look more different.
Matcha is a vivid, luminous green — one of the most striking colours in the food world. That colour comes from the high chlorophyll content in young, shade-grown leaves. A well-made ceremonial matcha in a bowl, with a fine layer of foam on top, is a genuinely beautiful thing.
Hojicha ranges from reddish-brown to a warm amber when brewed, depending on the strength of the roast. As a powder (which is how we offer ours), it's a fine reddish-brown that creates a warm, caramel-coloured drink when whisked or brewed.
If you're using either for recipes, the colour difference matters. Matcha creates that iconic green colour in lattes, cakes, and desserts. Hojicha creates a warm, earthy brown tone that works beautifully in baked goods, chocolate, and anything where a caramel note is welcome.
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How to Prepare Them
Both matcha and hojicha can be prepared in similar ways — whisked in warm water as a straight drink, or combined with milk as a latte. The preparation principles are the same: avoid boiling water, use a bamboo whisk for the smoothest result, and sift the powder first to prevent clumping.
For matcha, water temperature should be around 70–80°C. Boiling water makes matcha bitter and degrades its beneficial compounds.
For hojicha, you have a little more flexibility — the roasting process means it's less sensitive to temperature than matcha, and you can use water up to 90°C without dramatically affecting the flavour.
Both work beautifully as lattes with oat milk. The hojicha latte in particular — warm, toasty, and gently sweet with frothed oat milk — has become one of the most comforting drinks in our household on a winter evening.
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When to Drink Each One
This is the simplest way to think about it:
Matcha is your morning drink. The caffeine and L-theanine combination gives you clean, focused energy to start the day. The ritual of preparing it — sifting, whisking, that first sip — sets a calm, intentional tone for whatever comes next. Best consumed before midday.
Hojicha is your evening drink. Low in caffeine, warm, comforting, and genuinely relaxing. The ideal thing to reach for after dinner instead of reaching for your phone or the television remote. The Japanese have been drinking hojicha in the evenings for centuries for exactly this reason.
Together, they create a full-day ritual — a bookend to your day that's nourishing, intentional, and deeply satisfying.
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Which One Is Right for You?
Honestly? Both.
They serve different purposes at different times of day, and they complement each other in a way that makes the combination more valuable than either one alone. That's the thinking behind Soph's Sunrise and Sunset Duo — ceremonial matcha for the morning, ceremonial hojicha for the evening, together in one package.
But if you're choosing just one to start with:
Choose matcha if you want clean energy, calm focus, and maximum nutritional benefit. It has a steeper learning curve in terms of taste, but once you're converted, it's hard to go back.
Choose hojicha if you're caffeine-sensitive, drink mostly in the evenings, or want something immediately approachable and comforting. It's also a great entry point for people who aren't sure about matcha's grassy flavour — the roasted sweetness of hojicha is easier to love straight away.
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Our Range
Both our ceremonial matcha and ceremonial hojicha are sourced from Uji, Japan — the birthplace of Japanese matcha culture and still considered the gold standard for quality. Stone-ground to order, no additives, no fillers.
Start your morning with our 100g Ceremonial Matcha, and wind down your evening with our 50g Ceremonial Hojicha. Or grab both together in Soph's Sunrise and Sunset Duo and experience the full ritual.
Soph's Sunrise & Sunset Duo - Matcha & Hojicha
Your daily rhythm, sorted.
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Sophie Pigott is a nutritional medicine practitioner and co-founder of Raw Matcha. This post is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
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