If you’ve only just wrapped your head around the matcha craze, bad news: there’s a new kid on the block already.

Meet hojicha, a roasted Japanese green tea which is being hailed as matcha’s ‘toasty cousin’. 

Similar to how its vibrant green counterpart slowly became the drink du jour, hojicha is gaining fans around the world thanks to a social media boom – and if it hasn’t reached your local cafe yet, it likely won’t be long. 

Unlike matcha, which is made from finely ground young tea leaves, hojicha is created by roasting the stems, stalks and leaves of the tea plant, known to botanists as Camellia sinensis.

Legend has it that the drink was born in Kyoto in the 1920s, when a tea merchant decided to roast leftover leaves over charcoal rather than let them go to waste. 

A century later, and it has become one of Japan‘s fastest-growing tea exports. 

From specialist cafes to restaurant menus, hojicha is now making its way into the western world as consumers search for the next great wellness drink.

And to help you to get ahead of the trend, we’ve answered the biggest questions about hojicha, from its health benefits and caffeine content to how it compares with matcha, coffee and traditional English breakfast tea – plus how you can try it for yourself.

Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea which is being hailed as matcha’s ‘toasty cousin’

Is hojicha healthy?

Hojicha is being hunted down by the health-conscious – and for good reason. 

Not only does a standard 250ml cup contain zero calories, it also delivers a host of natural compounds with proven health benefits.

An average serving contains around 8mg of L-theanine, an amino acid that, studies have found, promotes relaxation while also boosting alertness and concentration.

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A typical cup also provides around 30mg to 50mg of catechins – powerful antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect heart health.

The roasting process for the drink, which takes place at temperatures above 200C, also creates pyrazines, compounds found in foods such as nuts and seeds that researchers believe delivers calming effects.

Does hojicha contain caffeine?

Many people switch to green tea to avoid the anxious jitters often associated with the higher caffeine content of coffee, matcha, and even traditional English breakfast tea. 

For those, the good news is that while hojicha does contain caffeine, it has significantly less than many other popular hot drinks. 

A standard 250ml cup of hojicha contains around 7.7 milligrams of caffeine. 

Matcha, on the other hand, contains considerably more. Depending on the serving size and quality of the product, a typical cup made with two to four grams of matcha powder contains anywhere from 40mg to 180mg of caffeine.

A 250ml cup of standard, brewed coffee also has around 100mg, while a double shot of espresso can contain up to 150mg.

English breakfast tea contains between 40mg and 70mg of caffeine.  

Most adults are advised not to consume more than 400mg of caffeine a day as excessive intake can cause side effects including insomnia, anxiety and heart palpitations. Pregnant women should limit their intake to 200mg a day. 

A typical cup of matcha (right) can contain anywhere from 40mg to 180mg of caffeine

How does hojicha taste?

Hojicha may be related to matcha, but when it comes to appearance, the two couldn’t look more different.

Matcha is instantly recognisable for its vivid, bright green colour which gives it a naturally healthy and vibrant look. Hojicha, meanwhile, is more understated, with a reddish-brown hue.

And their flavour profiles are different, too. 

While matcha is known for its fresh, grassy earthy taste, hojicha has a smooth, mellow, cosy flavour with roasted, nutty and smoky notes.

Maria Dawson, managing director at Japanese retailer Clearspring, explains: ‘The gentle roasting process gives hojicha its naturally smooth, mellow taste, with warm toasted notes and a comforting smoky aroma.’

How can I have hojicha?

Hojicha is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed hot or cold, brewed as a tea or whisked into a latte.

It can even be added to drinks and desserts.

If you’re brewing hojicha from loose leaves or tea bags, the process is much like making a cup of English breakfast tea. 

Simply pour hot water over the tea and leave it to steep for around one minute before serving.

If using hojicha powder to make a latte, add two teaspoons to a bowl with around 60ml of hot water. 

Whisk for around 15 to 20 seconds until a foam forms, then pour over steamed milk for a hot latte or milk and ice for a cold version. 

Hojicha powder also works well in baking and desserts. Simply pop it into cake batters, biscuits, ice cream, pancakes or smoothies for a subtle nutty, smoky flavour. 

And for smoothies, chuck it in the blender.  

Who shouldn’t have hojicha?

While it is safe for most people to enjoy in moderation, hojicha may not be the best choice for everyone.

People with iron deficiency anaemia, heavy menstrual bleeding, or those following a vegetarian or vegan diet should avoid drinking hojicha with meals, as it contains tannins which can reduce the body’s absorption of plant-based iron.

Those who are sensitive to caffeine may also want to limit their intake. Although hojicha contains less caffeine than coffee, English breakfast tea, and matcha, even small amounts can cause side effects.

Anyone taking iron supplements, blood thinners or certain heart or stimulant medications should consult the advice of a professional, as compounds in hojicha may affect how these medicines are absorbed or work.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women can still enjoy hojicha, but it should be included in their overall daily caffeine intake. While it is much lower in caffeine than coffee, matcha or black tea, moderation is still advised.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most feared cancers in the US.

In its early stages, its symptoms are vague and easily dismissible: a dull back ache, abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue.

And just 12 percent of patients survive after five years, with the vast majority being diagnosed after the disease has already spread to surrounding organs. 

Scientists are still working to uncover ways to prevent the devastating cancer, honing in on stripping out processed meats, implementing exercise and tackling obesity. 

But a new study has found an unlikely silver bullet: sunlight. 

Following 90,000 adults, researchers analyzed their average amount of daytime light exposure with wearable sensors. They then followed the participants for nearly a decade, tracking cases and deaths from gastrointestinal cancers, which includes pancreatic cancer.

The team found that being exposed to at least 1,900 lux of brightness – about the same as going outside on a cloudy day – between 7:30am and 8:30pm was associated with a 13 percent lower risk of developing gastrointestinal cancers, which also includes colon, stomach, esophageal and liver cancers. 

The effects were particularly pronounced for pancreatic cancer. The team found that getting just two hours of exposure to light above 5,000 lux – the equivalent of an overcast morning or afternoon – was tied to a 42 percent lower risk of developing the disease.

A new study has pinpointed the exact amount of daytime light exposure that may lower pancreatic cancer risk

It’s unclear why exactly sunlight may be protective against pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers, but it’s possible the benefits lie with vitamin D, a vital nutrient the body produces when skin is exposed to sunlight. 

Once the skin synthesizes vitamin D, it gets converted into a metabolite called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which recent research suggests can promote the death of cancer cells and block the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors. 

Daytime light also helps regulate the body’s internal clock – the circadian rhythm – which boosts the immune system and helps cell DNA repair itself. 

‘Higher daytime light exposure was associated with lower risks of gastrointestinal cancer incidence and mortality, especially for pancreatic cancer, indicating a potential protective effect that warrants further investigation in prevention and prognostic contexts,’ the researchers, from Guangdong Medical University in China, wrote. 

In the new study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, researchers looked at 89,069 adults recruited from the UK Biobank database between 2013 and 2015. Participants ranged from 44 to 79 years old. 

Among them, 1,692 developed gastrointestinal cancer and 891 died from it. 

The above chart shows the survival rate of pancreatic cancer by stage

The participants wore wrist sensors to track their lux sunlight levels between 7:30am and 8:30pm. The researchers then used UK health records to track cancer incidence and deaths over the course of nine years. 

The team found higher daytime light exposure was associated with a 13 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with a gastrointestinal cancer overall and a 24 percent lower risk of dying from it. 

Additionally, 2.4 hours of daytime light exposure greater than 5,000 lux was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer and 53 percent reduced chance of pancreatic cancer death. 

There were no statistically significant differences with other forms of gastrointestinal cancer, including colon cancer, which the researchers note could suggest sunlight may have a particular impact on the pancreas. 

Holly Shawyer of North Carolina was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in her 30s despite being a marathon runner. Her main symptom was a stomach ache. ‘I was in great health before this,’ she said

Ryan Dwars of Iowa with his family. He was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer at 36

‘The current investigation addresses a critical knowledge gap, as there has been limited direct evidence linking daytime light exposure with gastrointestinal outcomes,’ the researchers wrote. 

The team, however, cautioned that the findings show associations rather than proof that sunlight directly lowers pancreatic cancer risk. 

The findings come as pancreatic cancer strikes 67,000 Americans every year and kills 52,000. 

And between 2000 and 2021, pancreatic cancer diagnoses increased by 4.3 percent per year among Americans ages 15 to 34, and by 1.5 percent annually among those ages 35 to 54, according to a 2025 analysis. 

What you eat and drink could be putting you at risk of deadly liver disease – even if you rarely touch alcohol.

Liver disease is rising rapidly around the world, with experts warning it could affect up to 1.8 billion people by 2050 unless diets and lifestyles improve.

Once seen largely as a condition affecting heavy drinkers, it is now increasingly being diagnosed in people who drink little or no alcohol.

This form, now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD – formerly called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – is driven by factors including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and unhealthy diets.

It often develops silently, causing no obvious symptoms for years. As a result, many people have no idea they are living with it until significant liver damage has already occurred.

Left unchecked, fat can build up in the liver, triggering inflammation and scarring. In some cases, this can progress to cirrhosis, where healthy tissue is replaced by permanent scar tissue, as well as liver failure and liver cancer.

MASLD is also considered the liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions including excess body fat, raised blood pressure and poor blood sugar control – which also increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Fatty liver is now the only major disease in the UK for which death rates are still rising, and liver disease kills around 12,000 people in Britain every year.

Liver disease is the only major disease for which UK death rates are escalating.  Cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease have increased by 143 per cent over the last three decades 

‘In the late 70s, thousands of manmade chemicals were introduced to our diets, in the form of emulsifiers, additives and pesticides, and now we are seeing this explosion in fatty liver,’ Siggi said.

‘One of the most frustrating things for experts is that around 80 per cent of people with fatty liver don’t show up on tests and go undiagnosed,’ said Siggi Clavien, founder of The Liver Clinic.

‘And yet, given the chance, the liver is an incredibly resilient organ responsible for more than 500 bodily functions, from regulating hormones to repairing cells.’

Experts say diet is a major part of the problem – with sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods, excess calories and poor metabolic health all helping to fuel the rise.

‘The biggest misconception is that alcohol is the only thing that causes liver disease. But 70 per cent of cases are not related to alcohol at all. The major culprit is ultra-processed food.’

Here, Siggi breaks down the foods to avoid to protect your liver, and those that may help give the organ a much-needed boost.

Ultra-processed foods are the worst thing you can be consuming when it comes to liver health

In November last year, a group of world leading experts concluded that ultra-processed foods have adverse effects across nearly every single organ system in the body – with the liver faring particularly badly. 

And with the average person consuming 56 per cent of their daily calories through UPFs, the risk of fatty liver disease is worryingly high. 

UPFs are often packed full or artificial sweeteners, flavours and emulsifiers which can disrupts the body’s hormones and accelerate the progression of the disease.

But the main problem with UPFs, Siggi says, is that they are all too easy to consume, resulting in excess fat –  and one of the first place this fat is stored is the liver. 

Sugary drinks could be quietly increasing your risk 

Drinking just one can of fizzy drink a day – full-fat or otherwise – has been shown to dramatically increase the risk of liver disease.

Chinese researchers analysed the diets of more than 123,000 British adults and found that those who guzzled sugar-sweetened drinks like Coca-Cola had a 50 per cent increased likelihood of developing the condition.

By comparison, low or non-sugar-sweetened drinks such as Diet Coke or Sprite Zero Sugar, raised the risk of MASLD by 60 per cent.

‘There are a couple of reasons why diet sodas are so bad,’ Siggi says 

‘While our livers and guts have been trained to process sugar molecules for decades, artificial sweeteners are entirely manmade.

‘The liver can recognise fat and sugar, but it doesn’t recognise all these new substitutes, so it puts all its energy into fighting this unknown fat and in doing so lets fats and sugars through, resulting in inflammation.’

‘They also increase oxidative stress, so in reality you’d be better off having a glass of red wine than a diet coke,’ Siggi added. 

Non-fizzy drinks such as fruit juice and smoothies can also be damaging to he live, as they are packed full of fructose – a type of sugar is predominantly metabolised by the liver.

When too much is consumed, it places the liver under strain and triggers inflammation. 

Experts warn that failure to ban nitrites from bacon and ham despite sounding alarm a decade ago has cost thousands of lives 

Limit your intake of red and processed meats 

Processed meat – which has been preserved by smoking, curing, slating and adding preservatives and includes things like sausages, bacon and ham- is associated with a higher risk of bowel cancer. 

But it can also wreak havoc on your liver too. 

‘The body isn’t used to processing all these additives, preservatives like nitrates that would not normally be used in home cooking,’ Siggi explains. 

‘The liver really struggles to process these foods. Typically, it converts sugar to fat, but when it’s faced with unknown substances, it lays down fat to try and protect itself.’

But contrary to popular belief, Siggi says there’s nothing wrong with eating a bit of red meat – in fact we’re genetically predisposed to be able to process it.  

However, leaner is always better as red meat is higher in saturated fat, which can overtime contribute to low-grade inflammation. 

Processed meat can also be high in salt, and increase the risk of high blood pressure, which can put added stress on the liver and heart. 

For this reason, the NHS advises eating no more than 70g a day of processed and red meats a day. 

Any type of alcohol is toxic to the liver – but some drinks are more dangerous than others

Alcohol will cause damage – but some drinks are definitely more dangerous than others 

‘Alcohol is a toxin and it does cause liver damage – but there are moderate health benefits that come with drinking a glass of red wine. 

‘It’s a lot better to drink sensibly throughout the year than to do things in extreme,’ Siggi says. 

He recommends saving your alcohol for time spent socialising. 

‘Every blue zone diet in the world promotes a sense of community around drinking, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t do the same,’ he says. 

‘Toxicity load is dramatically different depending on the alcohol, but mixers are guaranteed to make it worse. 

‘When you mix a low grade alcohol with an artificially sweetened or sugar ladened mixer, you’re essentially hitting the liver with two toxins at the same time – meaning your liver never gets a break. 

‘The absolute worst thing you can do for your liver is drink a cheap spirit with a mixer and then take a paracetamol; That’s why binge drinking is so dangerous.’ 

Following a Mediterranean diet could have a protective effect 

To keep your liver functioning well, experts recommend following a Mediterranean style die 

To keep your liver functioning well, experts recommend following a Mediterranean style diet – rich in vitamin C, fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants – to help protect the organ against free-radical damage and reduce levels of inflammation.  

‘Extra virgin olive oil, fish, wholegrains and vegetables can also help reduce liver fat and keep so-called bad cholesterol level in check,’ Siggi says. 

Drinking five cups of coffee a day could slash your risk of liver cancer 

The health benefits and risks of drinking coffee have been incredibly well-documented, with studies linking the morning pick me up to everything from high blood pressure to brain health. 

Now researchers say coffee drinkers are significantly less likely to develop liver cancer or die from liver disease. 

Analysis of the coffee consumption of more than 350,000 adults found that those who drank five or more cups a day were 50 per cent less likely to develop liver cancer compared with non-coffee drinkers. 

And its powerful anti-inflammatory effects benefited decaf drinkers too. 

While experts are still unsure exactly why coffee posses this unique power, its thought its protective effects lie in its combination of bioactive compounds and antioxidants, which help prevent and reduce scar tissue. 

‘Coffee brings a lot of blood into the liver – which can grow by up to 40 per cent when it’s working hard – helping cells function efficiently, aiding tissue repair and regeneration and allowing the organ to filter substances from a larger volume of blood.’ 

However, Siggi warns, it’s good to be mindful where your coffee is coming from. 

‘When coffee is stored incorrectly, it can go mouldy. When we inhale these spores, mould can get into the bloodstream and the liver, increasing the risk of toxicity and inflammation.’ 

This is particularly dangerous for people with a compromised immune system who find it harder to fight off infections. 

So who is most likely to get liver disease?

Once thought to be a condition that mainly affected heavy drinkers, cases in people who rarely or never drink alcohol have soared in recent years – driven by obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. 

For this reason, people from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds are likely to be hit the hardest, Siggi says, with ultra-processed foods being the most available to them.  

‘Genetics also play a role,’ Siggi added, ‘which is why we see people who are thin developing fatty liver;. 

Obesity has also been a major driver of the rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with around two third of Brits now considered to be overweight or obese. 

But around seven in 10 with the devastating disease will not be aware they have it.