Hojicha, roasted Japanese green tea

[@desertfox432]

It all depends what you want. Tea isn't just about taste. Both teas will provide a comforting feeling especially when sick. This is what Kukicha/Hojicha Karigane is known for. Also, you might want to note that stems are naturally more concentrated in Theanine, which gives that umami thick sweetness. The leaves being from Sencha will feature that EGCG bitterness along with the bitterness of caffeine. So if you want winter morning roasty caffeine, go for the Hojicha with leaves in it. If you want a comforting roasty night drink, stems only.
Brew tea as you want, but I will share my Hojicha brew in case you might enjoy it : 3-4g's/100ml/100 degree water. First brew is 30 seconds, 2nd brew 1 min, you can squeeze a 3rd brew with 3 mins but it will be thin. Cheers! 🍵

[@EspressoRob]

I am surprised to hear the stems have more thiamine.. do you find a nice focus with houjicha ?

[@desertfox432]

@@EspressoRob Try it to know. For me Kukicha/Houjicha Karigane has a mellow comforting focus. It's also well documented stems produce more theanine because they receive less sunlight.

[@danndm4512]

I was surprised with the result. I was inclined to believe that the unsorted hojicha version would be more tasty and full flavoured than karigane.