Hojicha and its Versatility — Nikita Beverage Co.

Author Introduction - Kelvin Kung

Kelvin is an award-winning architect who worked on several high profile projects including Eataly, Holt Renfrew, Branksome Hall’s Innovation and Studio Theatre, East Gwillimbury’s Community Centre, King Community Centre, Toronto’s Harbourfront, Contemporary Calgary Class A Art Gallery, and Toronto’s Western North York Community Centre–a project that won the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence in 2021. With over 10 years of architectural experience, his professional journey has taken him through Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, and Kyoto. In addition to his architectural endeavors, Kelvin has been a dedicated volunteer at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre since 2014 where he immerses himself in the practice of kyūdō, Japanese Archery, holding a shōdan rank, experiments with kaiseki-ryōri, and finds solace in reading at the Raymond Moriyama, CC OOnt FRAIC, designed Toronto Reference Library.

Nikita Collaborator

So great to be an adviser for Nikita Beverages! It allows me to reminisce about working as an Architect in Kyoto, Japan, as well as sharing my love for Japanese food and tea culture!

Nikita Hojicha

Nikita Hojicha is sourced from the Kagoshima prefecture on the Japanese Island of Kyushu

Kukicha Houjicha

Fellow McGill Alumni, Andrew Goulet's, (B.Eng in Chemical engineering, MEng, P.Eng.) love of tea brought him to Kagoshima, Japan in Kyushu to procure the best kukicha (茎茶) for Canadians. Kyushu's climate, with its mild winters and abundant rainfall, is conducive to tea cultivation. Kuki (茎) is the stem part of a tea plant; it can be in its naturally green type or roasted as houjicha (also spelled hojicha). It's also typically known as kukihoujicha (茎ほうじ茶).

*Kukihoujicha*

Roasted kuki (twig) and leaves exhibiting lovely shades of copper, brown, and green, displayed on Hasami porcelain made in Nagasaki Prefecture (with over 400 years of craft history dating to the Edo Period), also in Kyushu.

Tracking the tea market

I graphed a dataset focusing on the top 12 origins from which Canada sources its tea. Canada imports about $9 million from Japan out of the overall market value of $135 million. Check out the graph below.

Canadian Tea Market

The large import of tea from the US, and from the UK, demonstrates the Canadian tea drinkers reliance on distributors, as virtually no tea is actually grown in the US or in in the UK

The supply chain for houjicha in Canada is still relatively niche, but given our increasing awareness of different types of Japanese tea, houjicha is starting to become a normalized option that I see in Toronto cafes. With Canadian consumers on track to grow with health-consciousness and wellness as a priority, the market for green tea is set for exponential growth. By choosing online shopping, Canadian consumers can get specific about origins, roasting methods, and the particulars of the plant for a specific flavor profile. Raw ingredients offer flexibility: we can cook with them, steep them, bake with them, and use them in a multitude of ways.

Hojicha Infusion

Hojicha infusions reveal a beautiful amber colour

Houjicha HIghlights

Rich in theanine, the amino acid creating the umami found in houjicha (ほうじ茶), houjicha is a great alternative for a low-caffeine but bold and rich flavor that’s also very flexible for cooking healthy savory dishes or desserts! I made a cold brew to extract kukicha's naturally fragrant, low-acidic flavor profile that's highly aromatic and full-bodied. Pictured below!

Cold Brew Hojicha

Scientific studies have shown that cold brewing tea results in infusions with more bioactive components than the traditional hot brewing method. Cold brewing releases more phenolic compounds (e.g. catechins, epicatechins) while minimizing the release of caffeine.
Check out our posts on plant polyphenols for more information on the relevance of polyphenols and their role as dietary antioxidants.

Houjicha in Cooking

I also made soba from scratch using powdered houjicha for brunch. Check out the recipe below!

Houjicha Soba

Soba, typically made with buckwheat, is a classic Japanese noodle

Houjicha Soba Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Buckwheat Flour - 130g

Wheat Flour - 60g

Houjicha Powder = 10g*

Water = 100gr

Steps:

1) Combine buckwheat flour, wheat flour and houjicha powder.

2) Ensure the flour mixture is completely mixed well, with no lumps. Sift several times as necessary.

3) Add water.

4) Knead until you achieve a consistent dough.

5) Rest the dough for 20 minutes.

6) Cut through a pasta cutter at a setting that gives an approximately 2-3mm width.

7) Boil for 2.5 minutes, the soba should still be al dente.

8) If serving for a brunch, serve topped with chives, masago, and a poached egg.

If preferred, you can mix the soba noodles with extra virgin olive oil to give more umami and bring a fuller bodied mouthful.

*To create houjicha powder from kukicha, you can dehydrate the Nikita Hojicha tea leaves further using a dehydrator or a low heat setting on an oven, then use a food processor, and finally a mortar and pestle to create a fine powder. For a more traditional method, replace the mortar and pestle step with a suribachi.

Traditional Japanese method involves rolling the dough flat, folding the dough thinly and cutting to achieve noodles, though this process is more labour intensive. Here’s a video for the process demonstrated by a Soba Shokunin (Soba Craftsman):

Soba Shokunin (Soba Craftsman)

From Japan to Canada: Exploring Nikita Hojicha and its Versatility