Matcha or hojicha: What's the difference in their health benefits?
You're seeing it more and more on coffee shop menus and in Instagram feeds: hojicha, that reddish-brown Japanese tea with a toasty, comforting flavor reminiscent of coffee or cocoa. It's often pitched as a gentle alternative to matcha, low in caffeine and just as rich in benefits. The first point is true. The second deserves some nuance.
What exactly is hojicha?
Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea. Unlike matcha, which comes from tencha, a young spring leaf shaded before harvest and then ground into a fine powder, hojicha usually starts from bancha, a later-harvest tea with more mature leaves, sometimes blended with stems (kukicha). These leaves first go through standard green tea processing, then through an extra step unique to hojicha: a high-temperature roast that gives them their signature reddish-brown color and toasty, almost caramelized aromas.
Once ground, hojicha is simply prepared by spoon in hot water, with no need to whisk it like matcha. That's also part of what makes it feel like a more accessible everyday drink, even if the comparison stops there.
Caffeine and theanine: the real gap with matcha
This is the point most often highlighted about hojicha, and it's a fair one: its caffeine content is notably lower than matcha's, generally between 5 and 20mg per cup depending on the source, compared to 30 to 70mg for a classic usucha matcha. Two combined factors explain this gap. On one hand, the high-temperature roast mechanically reduces the caffeine, catechins and theanine present in the leaf. On the other, the bancha used for hojicha is by nature a more mature, later-harvest leaf than the tencha used for matcha, so it's already less concentrated in theanine before it's even roasted.
The result compounds both effects: hojicha isn't just lower in caffeine, it's also structurally lower in theanine than matcha, the amino acid that largely explains matcha's signature calm alertness.
Why it's not just a matter of dosage
It's not just a question of quantity, it's a different mechanism altogether. What makes matcha interesting from an energy standpoint is the combination of real caffeine with a high dose of theanine, which slows its absorption and gives that steady, stable energy feeling, without spikes or crashes. With far less of both, hojicha doesn't reproduce that precise mechanism. It's a gentle, soothing drink, better suited to a moment of relaxation than to a genuine need for focus or energy.
The flavor tells the same story in its own way. Matcha owes its signature umami to that same concentrated theanine in the young, shaded leaf. Hojicha, on the other hand, gets its flavor identity from the roasting process rather than from the leaf itself, with toasty, caramelized notes that have nothing to do with matcha's umami. Two drinks, two different production logics, two different experiences in the cup.
Does hojicha really have the same benefits as matcha?
You'll sometimes come across the idea that hojicha contains the same antioxidants as matcha, just in a slightly smaller amount. That's an oversimplification worth correcting. A study published in 2024 in Scientific Reports confirms that roasted green tea contains significantly fewer catechins, less theanine and fewer vitamins than unroasted green tea, with roasting degrading some of these compounds at the same time as it reduces caffeine. Combined with the fact that hojicha starts from a leaf that's already less concentrated in theanine to begin with, the gap with matcha on this front is real, not just anecdotal.
Hojicha remains a green tea, so it does retain catechins, just in a noticeably reduced proportion. For the same reason, a claim you'll sometimes see online about a notable effect on metabolism or weight loss should be taken with caution: serious studies specifically focused on hojicha remain limited, and there's nothing to support a comparable effect to matcha on that front.
What we can honestly give it credit for
Hojicha doesn't need to compete with matcha to earn its place. Its low caffeine content makes it a good option in the afternoon or evening, for anyone sensitive to caffeine who still wants to enjoy tea. Its roasting also reduces its tannins, which makes it gentle on the stomach and easy to drink every day. And its toasty, comforting flavor lends itself beautifully to a latte or a pastry, landing closer to coffee or cocoa territory than to matcha's umami.
As with any tea, drinking it with meals can slightly hinder iron absorption in people who are deficient, though the risk is lower than with a tea higher in tannins thanks to the roasting process. Very excessive consumption can also cause digestive discomfort, as with any drink taken in excess.
In summary
Hojicha has real strengths: a toasty, comforting flavor, notably lower caffeine, and a drink that's gentle on the stomach. But between the roasting process and a later-harvest leaf, it also loses a good share of the catechins and theanine that make matcha what it is. Two different drinks, with different uses, rather than a simple substitute for one another.
Have a question about our matchas? Feel free to reach out, we'd be happy to help.
