Hojicha enters the mix
Hojicha — roasted green tea — is trending as a matcha alternative this spring, now sold in powdered form so cafes can blend toasty, lower‑caffeine lattes and desserts without the bright grassy edge of matcha explainer.
Retail availability has surged: major e‑commerce listings show dozens of powdered hōjicha SKUs from multiple brands, with some Amazon pages reporting 500–700+ purchases in the past month. amazon.com Specialty producers are packaging barista‑grade powders—Hojicha Co. and Matcha.com both sell stone‑ground hōjicha marketed for lattes and pastry use. hojicha.co Trend trackers and international outlets note rising interest through 2025–26, with search‑interest indices climbing and coverage in lifestyle outlets declaring hōjicha’s café moment. grokipedia.com Major coffee chains have not rolled out a nationwide hōjicha pivot: Starbucks’ 2026 spring menu emphasized matcha and other seasonal flavors rather than a broad hōjicha launch, while trade blogs and vendor pages show independent cafés and dessert makers adopting powdered hōjicha for lattes, ice cream bases and confections. about.starbucks.com
