Hoji-cha has been one of my basic go-to teas for years, so I had reservations about purchasing a bagged tea. I can usually taste the paper from the bags, but not this one. Since bagged teas are frequently made from the junk at the bottom of the bins and bags don't permit enough room for the teas to steep correctly, I didn't expect much from this tea. But this tea has changed my mind about bagged teas. I steeped this tea for 3 minutes in 6 oz of filtered water heated to 175F. It produced an excellent cup of tea with a mellow roasted taste (consumed without sugar or other additives). I will certainly purchase this tea again. I have served Hoji-cha both hot and iced during dinners and the consumers enjoyed it and always asked for the "recipe."
