Prices collected 25 August 2026 from fourteen sellers’ own listings.
Hojicha powder is roasted green tea ground fine, like matcha but brown. You whisk it the same way, it makes the same milky lattes, and it costs about a third of what matcha costs — with far less caffeine.
What to buy
| Shop | Size | Price | Per gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tezumi (Kagoshima) | 100 g | $20.00 | $0.20 |
| Tezumi (Uji) | 100 g | $22.00 | $0.22 |
| Hojicha Co. | 100 g | $25.00 | $0.25 |
| Tezumi (Organic) | 100 g | $28.00 | $0.28 |
| Matchaeologist | 100 g | $29.00 | $0.29 |
| Jade Leaf (Teahouse) | 50 g | $16.99 | $0.34 |
A latte uses about 3 g, so a 100 g bag is about thirty-three drinks. At $20 for 100 g that is 60 cents a latte.
The unit problem
This is the category where sellers make comparison hardest. The same shelf will quote you:
| How it was listed | What it actually costs |
|---|---|
| $3.02 an ounce | $0.11/g |
| $0.18 a gram | $0.18/g |
| $90 a pound | $0.20/g |
| $25 per 100 g | $0.25/g |
| $11 an ounce | $0.39/g |
| $14 an ounce | $0.49/g |
The per-ounce prices look small and are the most expensive on the list. Convert everything to price per gram before you compare anything. Divide the price by the number of grams in the package — that is the only number that means anything.
Powder or loose leaf?
In the US it barely matters to your wallet: hojicha powder and hojicha loose leaf cost about the same per gram.
That is unusual. In Japan the powder costs about two-thirds more than the leaf, which is what you would expect for the extra grinding.
So in the US, choose on what you want to make:
- Powder — lattes, baking, ice cream, anything where it needs to dissolve. You drink the whole leaf.
- Loose leaf — a cup of tea. Steep and discard.
If you want both, buy both; the powder is not the premium option here that it is in Japan.
Should you import it?
Probably not. Hojicha powder costs roughly the same in the US as in Japan — the American price is only slightly above the Japanese one, before you pay for shipping.
That is very different from hojicha loose leaf, where the Japanese price is about half the American one. If you are importing, import the leaf.
Why it’s cheaper than matcha
Hojicha powder costs about a third of what matcha costs, for three reasons:
- No shading. Matcha’s leaf spends weeks under cover, which cuts the yield and adds labour. Hojicha’s doesn’t.
- Later leaf. Hojicha is often made from later harvests or from stems, which cost far less than first-flush tencha.
- Roasting is cheap. It is a fast process, unlike the slow stone-milling matcha needs.
None of that makes it worse — it makes it a different drink at a different price.
Caffeine
Roasting burns off much of the caffeine, which is why hojicha is the Japanese evening tea. Powder is somewhat higher than leaf, because you consume the whole thing rather than steeping it.
It is not caffeine-free. No seller claims it is. If you need zero caffeine, this is not the drink.
What to check before you buy
- Convert to price per gram. Nothing else on the page is comparable.
- Check whether it’s powder or leaf. Some shops list both under similar names.
- Buy 100 g rather than 50 g if you will use it — the bigger sizes are meaningfully cheaper per gram.
- Look for a roast date if you can find one. Almost nobody publishes it, but roasted tea fades.
FAQ
What is hojicha powder used for?
Lattes, baking, ice cream — anywhere you would use matcha but want less caffeine and a toasty, caramel flavour instead of a grassy one.
Is hojicha powder the same as matcha?
No. Matcha is shaded green leaf, stone-ground, and green. Hojicha powder is roasted leaf, ground, and brown. Hojicha has far less caffeine and costs about a third as much.
How much hojicha powder per latte?
About 3 g, the same as matcha.
Is hojicha powder cheaper than matcha?
Yes, by roughly two-thirds.
Can I make hojicha powder from loose leaf?
Not really — a home grinder will not get it fine enough to suspend properly in milk.
Prices from fourteen sellers’ public listings, read 25 August 2026. Japanese prices converted at ¥160 to the dollar.
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