Ujicha Kobo of Fukujuen Uji Kobo – Roast Your Own Hojicha Tea
Green tea, made without a fermenting process, looks green both as leaves and liquid. When roasted, the tea leaves turn brown with a fragrant aroma, becoming what is called hojicha. Interestingly, the roasting method creates a completely new flavor and aroma. You can experience this simple, yet transformative procedure yourself at Ujicha Kobo of Fukujuen Uji Kobo.
The process begins with sencha. At this workshop, Fukujuen, a renowned tea producer, uses higher-quality sencha leaves than those typically used for hojicha, so you can get premium hojicha.
Separate the tea leaves into two batches, spread one on baking paper on an electric griddle, and with cooking chopsticks, stir them until browned, avoiding any scorching. As the color changes, a rich roasted scent begins to emerge. Repeat the process. Also, you can make an aroma sachet using the fine tea leaves produced during the process.
Once you learn how to make hojicha, you can easily do it at home. This technique can also be used to refresh old tea leaves or to fill your home with a pleasant aroma before guests arrive.
The workshop ends with a tasting of your own hojicha along with instruction on how to brew it. You can savor it with a Japanese sweet.
Hojicha is less astringent than unroasted green tea. Enjoy its mild flavor and soothing aroma.
Fukujuen offers a range of tea experiences, including grinding tea leaves with a traditional stone mill to make matcha, and learning the proper etiquette for matcha or sencha tea ceremonies. At the small, free museum and tea garden, you can visually experience the beauty of the culture of Uji tea, and learn the tea-producing process. The cafeteria serves both sweet and savory dishes, with many of them incorporating tea, like tea-flavored noodles. At the gift shop, you can find various teas, sweets made with tea, tea utensils, high-quality, local Asahiyaki pottery, and more.
Open: Available daily (except when the facility is closed); priority given to reservations; 10:00am – 3:00pm (last admission); about 30 minutes
Address: 10 Uji Yamada, Uji City, Kyoto
Access: 8 min. on foot from Keihan Uji Station, 15 min. on foot from JR Uji Station
Website: https://www.ujikoubou.com/en/
Matcha Making with a Stone Mill (Ujicha Kobo of Fukujuen Uji Kobo)
Discover the art of matcha green tea. Try your hand at rotating a stone mill, grinding tea leaves called tencha into fine matcha powder that is used in tea ceremonies. Then, whisk your own matcha and …
