Japan Navigator

In the bottled tea wars, competing manufacturers are doing their best to differentiate their product. “Golden stick tea” is an interesting example from The Coca Cola Company, which sells various Japanese teas under the name Hajime.

This is not normal green tea, but roasted green tea or Hojicha (Hoji Tea). The custom of roasting tea leaves started in Kyoto in the 1920s, according to this article in the Wikipedia, a process whereby the leaves turn a reddish-brown.

Some teashops in Kyoto and Uji do the roasting on the premises, so that a delicious aroma wafts through the air.

Hojicha is either made from Bancha (“ordinary” green tea, from the last harvest in the season and considered inferior to Sencha – although it is quite popular among Kyotoites) or Kukicha (tea made from the twigs of the tea plant rather than the leaves). During the roasting process, catechin is lost, making the taste less astringent and adding a toasty flavor. It is also lower in caffeine than ordinary tea and therefore often drunk later in the evening, before going to bed.

Our Hajime-brand bottled tea is named Kinshoku Bocha, or “Golden Stick Tea;” it also says “Josen Kuki Hojicha” on the label, which means “Specially Selected Kuki Hoji Tea” - the “sticks” being the twigs of the tea plant, while the golden color refers to the light-brown color of the infusion.

The bottled tea preserves a nicely, roasted aroma, without the addition of any artificial flavors. Unfortunately it is also “suryo gentei,” meaning only a restricted amount of this tea is being sold.