Hojicha vs Matcha: Taste, Caffeine, and Key Differences
Published: October 7, 2026
Last Updated: October 7, 2026
You may have noticed hojicha lattes at cafés lately. Have you ever found yourself deciding between a hojicha latte and a matcha latte?
Hojicha and matcha are both made from Japanese green tea, but they are not the same tea.
Matcha is a powdered tea made by finely grinding tencha, which is produced by steaming tea leaves and drying them without rolling. Hojicha powder, on the other hand, is made by roasting green tea leaves or stems before grinding them into a fine powder.
This article compares hojicha powder and matcha, both commonly used in lattes and desserts, focusing on their flavor, caffeine, production methods, and uses.
Neither is inherently better than the other. The better choice depends on the flavors you enjoy and how you plan to drink it.
Hojicha vs Matcha at a Glance
| Hojicha Powder | Matcha | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of tea | Japanese green tea leaves or stems that are roasted and then ground into powder | Tencha made by steaming and drying tea leaves without rolling, then grinding them into powder |
| Taste and aroma | Toasty, roasted flavor | Umami, fresh green notes, sweetness, bitterness, and astringency |
| Color | Brown to reddish-brown | Green |
| Caffeine | Contains caffeine. Gram for gram, generally lower than matcha | Contains caffeine. Gram for gram, generally higher than hojicha |
| Common uses | Lattes, desserts | Lattes, straight matcha, desserts |
The most fundamental difference is that roasting gives hojicha its distinctive toasted aroma, while matcha does not go through the same roasting process.
What Are Hojicha and Matcha?
Hojicha is a Japanese tea made by roasting green teas such as sencha or bancha, as well as tea stems. Roasting gives the tea its brown color and distinctive toasted aroma.
Hojicha can also be brewed from loose leaves or stems, but this article focuses on hojicha powder, the form commonly used for lattes, made by finely grinding roasted hojicha.
For a deeper look at hojicha itself, see What Is Hojicha?
Matcha is not made by roasting tea leaves in the way hojicha is. It is made by refining and finely grinding tencha, a tea produced by steaming tea leaves and drying them without rolling.
This difference in production is what helps create matcha’s fresh green character and hojicha’s distinctive roasted aroma.
What Do Hojicha and Matcha Taste Like?
Hojicha powder and matcha can both be used as powders, but their flavors and aromas are very different.
Hojicha powder is defined by the toasted aroma created during roasting. Depending on the tea, you may notice flavors reminiscent of toast or nuts. It has a very different character from the fresh green notes commonly associated with green tea. The level of bitterness and astringency varies depending on the raw material and roasting process.
Matcha can have umami, gentle sweetness, fresh green notes, bitterness, and astringency. The balance of these characteristics varies from one matcha to another, and being completely free of bitterness is not a requirement for quality.
If you enjoy toasted, roasted flavors, hojicha may be a natural choice. If you prefer fresh green notes and umami, matcha may suit your taste better.
Hojicha Latte vs Matcha Latte
A matcha latte combines matcha’s umami, fresh green character, and gentle bitterness with milk.
A hojicha latte combines the tea’s roasted aroma with milk, creating a toasted flavor that can bring to mind notes of toast or nuts.
This roasted character can also feel familiar to people who enjoy the aroma of coffee, making hojicha a natural option when you want to try something different from your usual coffee.
Neither tea is necessarily better suited to a latte. It comes down to the flavor you are looking for. Choose a matcha latte if you enjoy matcha’s fresh green character and umami, or a hojicha latte if you prefer a toasted, roasted flavor.
For instructions on making a matcha latte at home, see How to Make a Matcha Latte at Home.
Hojicha vs Matcha: Caffeine
Both hojicha and matcha contain caffeine, but gram for gram, matcha generally contains more caffeine than hojicha.
In a study that analyzed 85 commercially available Japanese teas on a dry-weight basis, the average caffeine content was 1.95% for hojicha, or about 19.5 mg per gram, and 3.77% for matcha, or about 37.7 mg per gram. These figures provide a useful reference when comparing the caffeine content of the teas themselves.
Note: These figures come from research comparing tea categories and should not be treated as fixed values for every hojicha powder or matcha product. Actual caffeine content varies depending on the raw material and product.
Roasting hojicha also does not mean that the caffeine is almost entirely removed. The amount can vary depending on the tea used and the roasting conditions.
If you want more control over your caffeine intake, making a latte at home allows you to adjust the amount of powder you use to suit your preferences.
Loose-leaf hojicha is also different from hojicha powder. With brewed hojicha, the leaves are removed after the tea is extracted into water, while hojicha powder is consumed as part of the drink itself.
Source: Tea Research Journal, “Contents of Individual Tea Catechins and Caffeine in Japanese Green Tea”
How Are Hojicha and Matcha Made?
The reason matcha and hojicha powder look and taste so different comes down largely to how they are made.
Tencha, the raw material used for matcha, is grown under shade before harvest. After harvesting, the leaves are steamed and dried without being rolled as sencha is. The tencha is then refined and finely ground.
Hojicha is made by roasting green tea leaves or stems that have already been processed as green tea. Hojicha powder is made by grinding that roasted tea into a fine powder.
In other words, matcha is made by grinding tencha, while hojicha powder is made by grinding roasted green tea. The presence or absence of this roasting step is a major reason the two teas differ so much in color, aroma, and flavor.
The raw material used for hojicha can vary from one product to another, so hojicha is not always made from tea harvested at a particular time or from one specific type of leaf.
Source: Kyoto Prefecture Tea Industry Chamber, “Types of Tea”
Which Should You Choose: Hojicha or Matcha?
There is no single answer to which tea is “better.”
Matcha may suit you if you:
- Enjoy umami and fresh green flavors
- Want to experience the characteristic flavor of matcha
- Want to make matcha lattes
Hojicha may suit you if you:
- Enjoy toasted, roasted flavors
- Like the roasted aroma of coffee
- Want something different from the fresh green character of other green teas
- Want to make hojicha lattes or roasted-flavor desserts
Caffeine can also be part of the decision. Gram for gram, matcha generally contains more caffeine than hojicha, but the actual amount in a cup varies depending on the product and how much powder you use.
Hojicha and matcha are not competing teas. They are Japanese teas with different production methods and very different flavors. The right choice depends on your preferences and how you want to enjoy them.
Explore Hojicha and Matcha from Richly Matcha
Richly Matcha offers both matcha and hojicha from Uji, Kyoto, Japan.
Our matcha collection offers different expressions of umami, fresh green character, and aroma, so you can choose a matcha that fits your preferences and the way you like to drink it. Explore the Richly Matcha matcha collection.
If you prefer a warm, roasted flavor, Richly Matcha’s Uji hojicha powder is another option for lattes, desserts, and other preparations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are hojicha and matcha the same?
No. Matcha is a powdered tea made by finely grinding tencha. Hojicha powder is made by grinding roasted green tea. They differ in how they are processed, as well as in flavor and aroma.
Is hojicha green tea?
Yes. Hojicha is a type of Japanese green tea. Roasting turns it brown, but it is not oxidized in the way black tea is.
Does hojicha powder contain caffeine?
Yes. Hojicha powder contains caffeine. In research analyzing commercially available Japanese green teas, dried hojicha averaged about 19.5 mg of caffeine per gram, although the actual amount varies depending on the raw material and product.
Does hojicha powder have less caffeine than matcha?
Gram for gram, hojicha generally contains less caffeine than matcha. However, actual caffeine levels vary depending on the raw material and product.
Are hojicha powder and matcha the same?
No. Matcha is a powdered tea made from tencha. Hojicha powder is made by grinding roasted hojicha. Although both are powders, they are different teas.
Which is better for a latte, hojicha or matcha?
It depends on your preferences. Choose a matcha latte if you enjoy matcha’s umami and fresh green character, or a hojicha latte if you prefer a toasted, roasted flavor.
