Hōjicha tea is a special green tea that has been roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal embers. The tea is roasted at a low enough temperature that the tea avoids oxidation.
Hōjicha tea originated on the island of Japan, specifically in the town of Kyoto. The idea to lightly roast tea to preserve it occurred to a Kyoto tea merchant.
Hōjicha tea and matcha tea both come from the same plant. But due to the way they’re processed, they end up looking and tasting nothing like each other.