Hojicha

Hojicha Co. is a Canadian Japanese-tea brand established in Ontario in 2018. Its name refers to hōjicha, a Japanese green tea made by roasting tea leaves, a process that produces a brown infusion and a toasted, nutty flavor profile distinct from the grassy character commonly associated with unroasted green tea. The company sources and distributes Japanese roasted green tea produced in Japan, with a particular emphasis on Kyoto-associated tea production and the use of hojicha powder in cafés and at home. The brand launched with a collection of Japanese roasted green teas and built its business primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce. This model enabled Hojicha Co. to sell packaged tea and preparation products across markets outside Japan without relying exclusively on a large physical retail network. Its positioning has centered on making a relatively specialized Japanese tea style accessible to international consumers, especially customers already familiar with matcha and café-based tea beverages. A major part of Hojicha Co.'s development was its effort to expand the use of finely ground hojicha powder. In 2019, the company announced plans to introduce hojicha powder to North American tea shops and cafés. The initiative sought to extend the café applications that had helped matcha become widely recognized in Western markets, including the preparation of hojicha lattes and other milk-based drinks. Hojicha powder became one of the brand's most distinctive offerings and helped associate the company with the wider international growth of roasted-tea beverages. Hojicha Co. received industry recognition during its early years. Food Navigator identified it among notable food startup stories in 2018. In 2019, it received a Best Tea award at the Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo. The company's Hojicha Gold Roast later placed third in the green-tea category in a blind tasting at the 2020 Toronto Tea Festival. These recognitions gave the relatively specialized brand visibility among tea professionals and consumers in the Canadian specialty-beverage community. The product range includes roasted Japanese green-tea leaves, original hojicha powder, and tea accessories made in Japan. The company has also broadened its Japanese-tea assortment beyond hojicha. In November 2023, Hojicha Co. announced a collaboration with Marukyu Koyamaen Co., Ltd. and became an official distributor of that producer's matcha in markets outside Japan. This arrangement expanded the brand's portfolio while retaining its focus on Japanese tea and specialty preparation. Hojicha Co. primarily presents itself as a specialist tea company rather than a mass-market beverage conglomerate. Its differentiation comes from the focus on roasted green tea, the promotion of powdered hojicha for café use, direct online distribution, and connections with Japanese producers. Publicly available reference material does not identify the company's founder, parent company, revenue, employee count, listing status, or current executive leadership. The brand is described as active and distributes internationally, with North America, Europe, and Australia identified as important regions outside its Japanese supply base.

Hojicha Co. was established as a Canadian business corporation in Ontario and launched its first collection of Japanese roasted green teas in 2018. The company entered the market at a time when interest in Japanese tea was expanding internationally, but its initial focus differed from the better-known matcha category. Instead of centering its identity on powdered unroasted green tea, Hojicha Co. specialized in hōjicha, a roasted tea valued for its toasted aroma, mellow flavor, and relatively low bitterness. From the beginning, the company used direct-to-consumer e-commerce as its principal commercial model. Online distribution allowed the brand to reach consumers outside Japan with packaged Japanese tea and to develop a focused specialist proposition without the infrastructure of a large national retail chain. Food Navigator subsequently listed Hojicha Co. among notable food startup stories of 2018, increasing awareness of the young company and its category focus. The brand's most important early development was the promotion of hojicha powder. In April 2019, Hojicha Co. announced plans to make the powder available to North American tea shops and cafés. The strategy connected hojicha with the café applications that had helped matcha gain recognition in Western markets. Powdered hojicha can be used in drinks such as hojicha lattes and therefore provides a format suited to cafés, beverage menus, and home preparation. This expansion helped position the company not only as a seller of loose-leaf tea but also as an advocate for roasted green tea as an international café ingredient. Hojicha Co. gained further recognition in the Canadian specialty-tea sector during 2019 and 2020. It received the Best Tea award at the Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo in May 2019. The company's Hojicha Gold Roast also placed third in the green-tea category at the 2020 Toronto Tea Festival blind tasting. These results provided external recognition for the quality of one of its roasted-tea offerings, although the available reference material does not provide detailed judging criteria or commercial consequences. Its assortment has included Japanese roasted green tea leaves, original hojicha powder, and accessories made in Japan. The company later expanded into another important Japanese-tea segment through a relationship with Marukyu Koyamaen Co., Ltd. In November 2023, Hojicha Co. announced that it had become an official distributor of Marukyu Koyamaen matcha in markets outside Japan. The arrangement broadened the company's product scope while maintaining its role as an international channel for Japanese tea. The brand's publicly documented operating identity remains that of a focused Canadian specialist serving international tea consumers. Its supply and product story are rooted in Japan, particularly in Kyoto-associated tea production, while its commercial reach has included North America, Europe, and Australia. The available material does not establish a named founder, corporate parent, ownership structure, financial performance, or current executive team. No information in the supplied sources indicates that the brand is publicly listed or defunct.

• 2023

  Matcha distribution collaboration with Marukyu Koyamaen

  [1]Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Hojicha Co. announced a collaboration with Marukyu Koyamaen and became an official distributor of its matcha outside Japan.

• 2020

  Hojicha Gold Roast recognized at Toronto Tea Festival

  [1]Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Hojicha Gold Roast placed third in the green-tea category during a blind tasting at the Toronto Tea Festival.

• 2019

  North American café powder expansion announced

  [1]Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org

  The company announced plans to introduce hojicha powder to North American tea shops and cafés.

• 2019

  Best Tea award at Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo

  [1]Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Hojicha Co. received the Best Tea award at the Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo.

• 2018

  Brand established and first tea collection launched

  [1]Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Hojicha Co. was established as an Ontario, Canada business corporation and introduced its first collection of Japanese roasted green teas.

• 2018

  Recognized in food startup coverage

  [1]Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Food Navigator included Hojicha Co. among notable food startup stories of the year.

A specialist Japanese-tea brand focused on roasted green tea and the international use of hojicha powder in cafés and home beverages.

• Loose-leaf tea · 2018

  Japanese roasted green tea

  The company's core range consists of Japanese green tea that has been roasted to create the characteristic toasted, mellow profile of hōjicha. The assortment includes packaged roasted tea leaves produced in Japan and has been marketed through the company's direct-to-consumer online channel.

• Powdered tea · 2019

  Original Hojicha Powder

  Hojicha Co.'s powdered roasted tea is designed for use in beverages and recipes, including hojicha lattes. The format is central to the brand's effort to extend roasted green tea into North American cafés and to offer consumers a preparation format analogous to the café use of matcha powder.

• Roasted green tea

  Hojicha Gold Roast

  Hojicha Gold Roast is a named roasted-green-tea offering associated with the company. It received third place in the green-tea category of a blind tasting at the 2020 Toronto Tea Festival, giving the product a documented point of recognition within the Canadian tea community.

• Matcha · 2023

  Marukyu Koyamaen matcha

  Through its 2023 collaboration with Marukyu Koyamaen Co., Ltd., Hojicha Co. distributes the Japanese producer's matcha in markets outside Japan. This line expands the company's Japanese-tea portfolio beyond roasted tea while relying on a separate producer partnership.

• Tea equipment and accessories

  Japanese tea accessories

  Hojicha Co. also offers a selection of tea accessories made in Japan. The available reference material does not specify the complete assortment or individual product names, but the accessories complement the brand's tea preparation and home-consumption focus.

• 2023

  Add Marukyu Koyamaen matcha distributionStrategy

  Background

  The brand's historical focus was Japanese roasted green tea, while matcha represented an adjacent and internationally recognized Japanese-tea category.

  Action taken

  Hojicha Co. announced a collaboration with Marukyu Koyamaen Co., Ltd. and became an official distributor of its matcha in markets outside Japan.

  Aftermath

  The collaboration broadened Hojicha Co.'s product portfolio and international distribution role. No financial terms or subsequent sales figures are identified in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2019

  Expand hojicha powder into North American cafésStrategy

  Background

  Hojicha Co. sought to increase awareness and consumption of roasted green tea outside Japan by building on the existing familiarity of Western consumers and cafés with matcha powder.

  Action taken

  The company announced plans to introduce its hojicha powder to North American tea shops and cafés, emphasizing beverage applications such as hojicha lattes.

  Aftermath

  The initiative reinforced powdered hojicha as a central part of the brand's proposition and its effort to support an international hojicha café trend. The supplied material does not quantify sales or distribution growth resulting from the plan.

  Source

1. 1Hojicha Co.en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hojicha Co. official websitehojicha.co