If coffee lifts you up and then drops you by 2pm, these two Japanese teas are worth a try. Both come from green tea leaves, but they taste and feel completely different.
Matcha: bright and focused
Matcha leaves are shaded before harvest, which makes them extra green, then stone-ground into powder. Because you whisk the powder straight into water, you drink the whole leaf. That gives it a stronger, grassier taste and more caffeine than regular green tea.
Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that, together with caffeine, may support alertness without the jittery edge. Many people describe it as calmer, steadier energy. It’s still caffeine, though, so the usual limits apply.
Best for: mornings, before a workout, or a long stretch of focused work.
Hojicha: toasty and mellow
Hojicha is green tea roasted over high heat. The roasting turns it reddish-brown, gives it a nutty, caramel flavour and lowers the caffeine. If matcha tastes too grassy for you, hojicha is often the easier one to love.
Best for: afternoons, after meals, and anyone sensitive to caffeine.
Side by side
| Matcha | Hojicha | |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour | Grassy, umami | Toasty, nutty |
| Caffeine | Higher | Lower |
| Best time | Morning | Afternoon or evening |
How to make them
Matcha: Sift a teaspoon into a bowl, add a splash of water at 75–80°C (boiling water turns it bitter) and whisk in a quick zigzag until frothy. Top up with water, or pour over cold milk and ice for an iced latte.
Hojicha: Steep loose hojicha in hot water for 30–60 seconds. For a latte, whisk the powder with a little hot water, then add warm milk and a touch of honey or date syrup.
Quick tips
- Good matcha is bright green. Dull or yellowish means older or lower grade.
- Keep it sealed, away from heat and light, and use it within a couple of months.
- Count your total caffeine if you also drink coffee or soda.
- In Ramadan, a hojicha latte at suhoor is a gentler start to the day than strong coffee.
You don’t have to choose. Plenty of people drink matcha in the morning and hojicha after lunch.
Start with our Organic House Matcha and explore the Energy collection.
