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Kaguwashi (香) — Aoba Hōjicha, a light-roasted green tea. Fragrant and graceful: sweet, toasty, and refreshingly green.
If traditional hōjicha is deeply roasted, Kaguwashi is its refined, lighter counterpart. Crafted from carefully selected first-flush leaves and delicately roasted to the perfect balance — sweet and nutty like classic hōjicha, yet keeping the refreshing green aroma and subtle umami of sencha.
Winner of the Gold Medal at Teas of the World 2019 in Paris, Kaguwashi became the first Japanese tea ever to receive that honour in the green tea category. Loved for its gentle fragrance and sophisticated flavour, it embodies Sueyoshi Seicha Kōbō's pursuit of harmony between aroma, taste and craftsmanship.
Flavor profile
Sweetness ★★★★☆
Astringency ★☆☆☆☆
Bitterness ★☆☆☆☆
Umami ★★★★☆
Roast ★★☆☆☆
Tea characteristics
Type: Aoba Hōjicha (light-roasted green tea)
Blend type: Multi-origin blend
Cultivar: Yabukita
Harvest: 1st harvest
Cultivation: Kabusecha (covered tea)
Steaming: Medium-steamed
Roast level: Medium
Supply: ~1 ton/month
Awards & recognition
2024 — Great Taste Awards (UK) ★★
2022 — Great Taste Awards (UK) ★
2021 — Great Taste Awards (UK) ★ / Teas of the World (France) — Gourmet Medal
2020 — Great Taste Awards (UK) ★★ / Japanese Tea Selection Paris (France) — Silver Award
2019 — Teas of the World (France) — Gold Medal (first ever for a Japanese producer) / Japanese Tea Selection Paris (France) — Silver Award
How to brew (1 serving)
You will need 5 g of tea leaves, 120 ml of hot water and a kyusu.
1. Add 5 g of leaves to the teapot — precise measuring isn't necessary, a rounded teaspoon is a good guide.
2. Pour hot water at 80°C. Without a temperature-controlled kettle, adding about 6 ice cubes to 1 L of boiled water brings it to roughly 80°C.
3. Cover and steep for 1 minute.
4. Pour slowly and evenly, down to the last drop. When serving several cups, alternate between them so the strength stays even.
Ingredients: Green tea (produced in Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan)
Net weight: 80 g
Storage: Store in a cool, dark place away from humidity and strong odours.
Available as an 80g retail pack and in 1kg wholesale bags.
