My very fist houjicha! I bought the sampler from Yunomius and decided to try the basic roast first as sort of a default option.
I followed the instructions to use a lot of leaf (a big heaping tablespoon), but I oversteeped it waaaay too much. It was really really roasty! It reminded me of some oolongs I’ve tried, though it was too strong. Next time I should try steeping it in a gaiwan rather than western-style. Can you do that with Japanese tea, or are gaiwans best with Chinese teas?
However, I’ll say that the tea is definitely doing its job of not adding caffeine to my system. I’m really tired and gonna go to bed now.
