Let’s set the scene: matcha, in her jade-toned glow, sitting smugly on a terrazzo countertop, paired with a glass straw and a woman journaling about “alignment.” For years, she reigned unchallenged—iconic, energising, and slightly smug. But there’s a new girl in town. She’s roasted. She’s mellow. She doesn’t want to do hot yoga at 7am. She just wants to chill. Her name? Hojicha. And she’s here to dethrone your overstimulating queen.
While matcha’s been busy gaslighting your nervous system and charging £6.50 a cup, hojicha’s been slowly smouldering in the background—literally. This Japanese roasted green tea is lower in caffeine, warmer in tone, and dare we say, sexier in flavour. Think toasted rice, burnt caramel, a hint of campfire. It’s the tea equivalent of someone who makes eye contact and actually listens.
And now, with matcha facing global shortages and a general vibe shift away from “rise and grind” and toward “sit down and cope,” hojicha has emerged as the cool, well-rested alternative.
She’s not trying to help you become your best self. She likes you tired and existential.
If matcha is a Virgo, hojicha is a Taurus who already cancelled your 9am meeting.
In cafés from Tokyo to Tulum to Tooting, hojicha is slipping into lattes, desserts, and—of course—brand collabs. She’s showing up in ice cream, panna cotta, and cocktails, usually next to something beige and extremely photogenic. She’s perfect for the oat milk crowd, the mushroom-lamp girlies, the linen-wearers who don’t own a single highlighter pen.
But let’s be clear: hojicha’s not trying to be matcha. She’s not bright, she’s not buzzy, and she’s certainly not pretending to fix your cortisol levels while secretly frying them. She’s calm. Grounded. Kind of a burnt-out millennial in liquid form.
If matcha walked so wellness could run, hojicha ambled over, took a nap, and said: “Babe, maybe you’re doing too much.”
So what happens now? Is matcha over? Not quite. But she’s definitely checking her notifications. Because for the first time in a decade, someone else is getting the invite to the brunch table. And she smells like toasted almonds and freedom.
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