Hojicha is roasted green tea. By roasted at high temperature, the leaf color is altered from green to red brown. This aromatic tea goes with any kinds of food, especially oily food.

HISTORY
Tea, introduced by the Buddhist priest, was first used as the medicine more than as beverage, and the only limited people could taste in those days. In 1191, one priest named Eisai made a great contribution to spread tea. He planted tea trees, after he returned to Japan from China with some tea seeds. The plant was great success, then the growing of tea began to spread. His work, Maintaining health by drinking tea, made a great contribution to enlighten people and let them pay attentions to the great power of tea.

In 1500s, Senno Rikyu, tea master, established the way of making tea(Sado). He elevated tea ritual to art. Still now, his started three schools,omote-senke,ura-senke and mushyanokouji-senke inherit his style of tea and contribute to spread not only tea itself, but also Japanese tradition through it.

Kyoto has been holding the reputation as the birthplace of high quality of tea. The plant is flourishing especially in Uji, which is located on the south in Kyoto, for the reasons below.
" Rich nature and environment suited to the cultivation. "

There are two rivers running - the Kizu river and the Uji river - through, and morning mist comes up from both rivers gives enough moisture to tea trees. And the property in Uji surrounded by many mountains is suitable for the growing of tea.

Tradition rooted on this area "
Until the Kamakura Era, Kyoto was the center of everything; culture, academy, art, architecture, economy, and politics. And the way of tea had been formed and sharpened, and refined by many great pioneers like Eisai or Senno-Rikyu(Tea Master), and its style and thought still remain as the part of Japanese tradition.

Ujinotsuyuseicha Co., Ltd. is an Uji-based manufacture, having the aim at spreading our tradition through tea to all over the world.