The Low-Caffeine Tea Stealing Café Spotlight
Remember when matcha was the green tea everyone was obsessed with? Now, a new player is quietly taking over café menus: hojicha. This roasted Japanese tea, with its nutty aroma and low caffeine content, is becoming the go-to afternoon drink for those seeking a calming pick-me-up without the jitters. Unlike matcha’s intense umami, hojicha offers a subtler, smoky warmth that’s perfect for sipping as the sun sets. But what makes this ancient tea so irresistible today? Hojicha’s rise isn’t accidental. Originating in Kyoto in the 1920s, it was once a way to repurpose leftover tea leaves from mechanical harvests. Roasted…










