Iced Hoji Cha

Finally, summer came to Seattle. It's about 80 degree now, and the bright sunshine shines in through the window. From my office, I could see many people eating lunch out today.

Traditionally many Japanese drink barley tea during summer. Because it is caffeine free, many parents let their children drink barley tea. So did my mother.

Today, I love to drink iced Hoji Cha. Its taste is very similar to barley tea, but Hoji Cha has more smoky flavor. Also, Hoji Cha has catechin, which many studies showed its health benefits, so I can say iced Hoji Cha is healthier than barley tea.

It's very easy to make iced Hoji Cha - just make strong hot Hoji Cha and put ice cubes in a cup. Or, if you would like to brew Hoji Cha with cold water, please use a little bit more leaves than usual and steep for 5 minutes. Cold-brew Hoji Cha has much sweeter than hot-brew Hoji Cha because theanin (sweetness) is extracted more than tannin (bitterness) in cold water. Our website has a little bit more information about the balance of theanin and tannin (please refer the "water temperature" section).

Seattle's summer is short. I will enjoy it with iced Hoji Cha!