I absolutely love Ippodo's kuki-hojicha, and at less than $5 per 100g, it's probably the best value of any tea I buy. The problem for me is that the international shipping winds up being way more than the tea itself--I think it's typically something like $25 to ship $5 worth of tea. So I'm wondering, how long does hojicha last? Because it would be much more cost effective to order five or ten 100g packets at once and then keep it for a year or so, rather than shipping a single packet every month or two.
I typically find a noticeable difference in sencha after it's been opened for a couple of months, sometimes as short as one month. Though I can extend the lifespan of a larger shipment of sencha up to maybe 10 months or a year if I keep the packages frozen before I open them.
I would guess that hojicha should last somewhat longer than sencha, since it's roasted, but not as long as a black tea would. What's your experience on how long you can store hojicha?
Re: How long does hojicha last?
I would think if it's sealed it would last a good while... 6 months at least (?) Once opened the the roasted flavor would diminish over time.
Re: How long does hojicha last?
I need to get over to the NYC store and see if they carry this tea.
To extend green tea life after opening I use a Chip- inspired storage method. I can fit 100 g of Japanese green tea into 3 Upton sample tins, and then fit the 3 tins into one beautiful washi covered double lidded canister. That way only 33 g are exposed to air on a regular basis at any one time. It's not as effective as the original unopened packaging, but it's better than putting all the tea directly into one canister.
To extend green tea life after opening I use a Chip- inspired storage method. I can fit 100 g of Japanese green tea into 3 Upton sample tins, and then fit the 3 tins into one beautiful washi covered double lidded canister. That way only 33 g are exposed to air on a regular basis at any one time. It's not as effective as the original unopened packaging, but it's better than putting all the tea directly into one canister.
Re: How long does hojicha last?
In my experience, houjicha does diminish over time, though nowhere near the way normal sencha does. I've had houjicha opened for a couple months without too much deterioration, and once had one open for more than 6 and it was still quite drinkable. In Japan you often see houjicha sold in LARGE quantities... 500grams or more. It's meant to be kept around a while, and the flavor profile is not delicate enough to matter too much.
Also, I'm pretty sure the NYC store sells normal houjicha... though they didn't have the kuki-houjicha when I was there last.
Also, I'm pretty sure the NYC store sells normal houjicha... though they didn't have the kuki-houjicha when I was there last.