# Tea! Beyond the mundane! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 24, 2025, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025 "2025-12-24T15:46:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2025, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/21 "2025-12-28T08:12:04Z")
Reporting in. I, too, found the experience not worth repeating. Ah, well. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/22 "2025-12-28T20:42:44Z")
I do wonder whether it’s the adding the bourbon to brewed tea that flattens the experience, rather than brewing a tea already infused with bourbon essence by skilled tea blenders. Oh, well, so many teas out there to enjoy… Which reminds me, time to brew another mugful. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/23 "2025-12-29T17:20:25Z")
More tea has arrived! From Harney & Sons: Tauseg Blend: Green tea with pineapple and coconut flavoring White Christmas: White tea with vanilla and almond flavoring Bee’s Knees: White tea with honey, lemon, and gin flavoring Salted Caramel: Black tea with caramel, Himalayan salt, and vanilla flavoring Venetian Tiramisu: White tea with hojicha (Japanese roasted green tea), cacao nibs, and cocoa I look forward to trying them all. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/24 "2026-05-21T14:09:15Z")
I thought this might be the thread to ask about something I just learned about: [hojicha powder](https://hojicha.co/products/hojicha-powder?srsltid=AfmBOookEVRKsMpHC0EAFfUOrFuFN6ISEIIFTlUC52nOWSuIvwbGNkIf). That’s a link to a company that sells it. They describe it like this: > Our authentic Hojicha Powder is made from tea leaves grown in the fields of Kyoto, the famed tea growing region where it first originated 100 years ago. After soaking up the sun, the tea leaves are harvested and carefully steamed, rolled, and dried. The green tea leaves are then expertly roasted to bring out the distinct notes of cocoa and earthy undertones that distinguish this unique Japanese tea. The roasted tea is finely milled to provide a smooth experience as the Hojicha Powder perfectly dissolves to create rich and creamy lattes and tea infused desserts. It essentially sounds like matcha, but roasted. Has anyone here every tried it? Is it any good? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/25 "2026-05-22T01:33:38Z")
The [Hojicha I got from Harney & Sons](https://www.harney.com/products/hojicha?srsltid=AfmBOoqc6NajEhfZQ344EYTuVdhxSGHQlpLULy5oLa4W4f2MA4JlfDpo) is made with roasted green tea twigs, very small, short, thin pieces, and I love it! It’s delicious. It’s also [very different from Matcha.](https://hojicha.co/pages/hojicha-vs-matcha?srsltid=AfmBOoqCIcnbRYYiS1DExmJfnai0yaBX7n-urIJMSoVj3C_8QvoVKo7_) Harney & Sons also offers a tea called [Matcha Iri Genmaicha](https://www.harney.com/products/matcha-iri-genmaicha-bag-of-50-sachets) which is described as: “Genmaicha is coated with Matcha. This tea is a blend of large Bancha leaves and the brown toasted rice with occasional popped rice dusted with brilliant green tea powder.” ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/26 "2026-05-22T03:13:16Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > All three types of tea contain about as much caffeine as energy drinks - but the caffeine is released over a more extended period. The longer you steep the tea, the less caffeine directly enters the bloodstream. For example, tea that steeps for a long time is less stimulating than tea that only steeps for a short time. I’m really curious what they believe is even a plausible mechanism for this effect. Are they positing some kind of caffeine inhibitor that comes out of tea leaves in a slow release fashion? Because the alternative explanation is that tea “sucks in” caffeine after releasing it. Otherwise, the much more relevant takeaway is don’t take X sellers as gospels on the properties of X, they’re likely repeating some half remembered mumbo jumbo and they’re not super committed to telling the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/27 "2026-05-22T13:54:29Z")
When I Google the claim that the longer you steep the tea, the less caffeine directly enters the bloodstream, it says that it’s a myth. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/28 "2026-05-22T14:56:02Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > The [Hojicha I got from Harney & Sons](https://www.harney.com/products/hojicha?srsltid=AfmBOoqc6NajEhfZQ344EYTuVdhxSGHQlpLULy5oLa4W4f2MA4JlfDpo) is made with roasted green tea twigs, very small, short, thin pieces, and I love it! It’s delicious. Very interesting! It sounds like the they don’t grind the Harney & Sons version into a powder, then. I’m glad to hear you like it - I think I’m going to have to give it a try. I like matcha, but I don’t _love_ it - it’s a bit too grassy for me in general, so I’m thinking Hojicha might be better suited to me. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/29 "2026-05-24T01:46:59Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > When I Google the claim that the longer you steep the tea, the less caffeine directly enters the bloodstream, it says that it’s a myth. A moment’s logical consideration of the theory indeed makes it patently silly. Unless one steeped the tea for a minute or two, then dumped it out and resteeped the same leaves, it’s just not gonna happen. @ShadowFacts I hope you enjoy the Hojicha as much as I have. There are other toasted/roasted grain tisanes, like Japanese Soba, that are also delicious. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/30 "2026-05-25T18:58:10Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > Very interesting! It sounds like the they don’t grind the Harney & Sons version into a powder, then. “Twigs” makes it sound more like bancha than matcha to me, whether it’s ground or not. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/31 "2026-05-31T01:32:33Z")
I just got in an order from [Den’s Tea](https://denstea.com/) with a bancha, hojicha, genmaicha, kukisha, dattan sobacha, and organic hojicha, and while the bancha looks twiglike, it’s actually tightly rolled leaves. The hojichas are bits of stem. None of the Den’s teas are ground, though some tea vendors’ hojichas are powdered. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/32 "2026-07-30T19:00:29Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > @ShadowFacts I hope you enjoy the Hojicha as much as I have. There are other toasted/roasted grain tisanes, like Japanese Soba, that are also delicious. Well, I finally ordered some Hojicha powder (from David’s Tea). There was an option for a strawberry-flavored one, but that was mostly sugar, so I opted for the plain, unadulterated powder. I’ll give it a 7/10. I like it better than straight matcha, which is a bit too grassy-tasting for me, but not as much as my loose leaf black tea. It does have a nice nutty flavor and it mixes into a latte well. I’m not sad I got it and I’m sure I will finish it, but I doubt it will go into my regular rotation. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025/33 "2026-08-01T02:10:22Z")
Glad you liked it. I’ve been experimenting with roasted grain tisanes, and a hella good one is roasted corn kernels. Robust flavor with clear corn personality in it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-beyond-the-mundane/1026025.md?page=1)