Does Hojicha Have Caffeine? What We Can Verify
Phase & LeafShare
Quick answer
Yes. Hojicha contains caffeine because it is tea.
Phase & Leaf does not publish a milligram amount for Later Hojicha because no finished-product caffeine test is available for the current powder and a defined prepared serving. A number from a different tea, a different form, or a different recipe would not measure this product.
Later Hojicha is stone-milled roasted green tea powder. The powder is mixed into the drink, not steeped and removed. The amount in a cup can change with the product formulation, amount of powder, finished serving size, and recipe concentration.
If caffeine matters to your routine, treat Later Hojicha as caffeinated, follow the package directions, and pay attention to your total intake and personal sensitivity.
Keep the claim honest: Shop Later Hojicha for the roasted powder ritual, or read What Is Hojicha? for the tea basics.
What is verified for Later Hojicha?
The current evidence supports a short list of facts:
- Later Hojicha is roasted green tea.
- The current product is a stone-milled powder.
- The package size is 3 ounces.
- The powder can be mixed with water or milk.
- Tea naturally contains caffeine.
The evidence does not support an exact finished-drink caffeine amount, a country-specific origin, a caffeine-free claim, or a promise about sleep or personal response.
That distinction matters. A precise number looks useful, but precision without a matching test creates false confidence.
Why Phase & Leaf does not copy a category number
Government databases and tea studies can explain how caffeine measurements are made. They do not automatically describe every product on a shelf.
For example, an official food-composition entry may report a value for a specific tea infusion made with a defined amount of tea, a defined volume of water, a defined temperature, and a defined extraction time. That result belongs to that preparation. It is not a test of Later Hojicha powder.
The same caution applies to a study of dry tea material. A dry-material result does not tell you the dose in a finished cup unless the product, serving amount, preparation, and yield match.
Phase & Leaf therefore uses category research to explain variability, not to invent a product number.
| Evidence type | What it can tell you | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| Finished-product assay with a defined recipe | The amount measured in that tested product and serving | Every future batch or a different recipe |
| Government food-composition entry | The value for its named food and preparation | The amount in Later Hojicha powder |
| Tea research | Which preparation variables can affect extraction or concentration | The exact amount in an untested Phase & Leaf cup |
| Supplier category description | Product family, form, package size, and intended uses when stated | A finished-drink caffeine dose without test data |
Why a powdered drink can vary
Powder changes the preparation question.
Later Hojicha is mixed into the drink, so the amount of powder you measure matters directly. A level scoop and a heaping scoop are not equivalent. A small cup and a large latte are not automatically equivalent. A concentrated base divided between two drinks is different from using the entire base in one drink.
The product itself can also vary by formulation or batch. Those variables are why a useful finished-product caffeine statement needs a matching sample, method, serving, and lab result.
The practical variables are:
- amount of Later Hojicha powder used
- total finished serving size
- whether one mixed base is divided into multiple servings
- recipe concentration
- product formulation and batch
Water temperature and whisking can change texture and flavor, but Phase & Leaf does not claim that a specific home technique produces a verified caffeine dose.
Hojicha vs matcha vs coffee
All three drinks contain caffeine. Their ingredients and preparation are different, so a broad category ranking should not be presented as a measurement of the Phase & Leaf products.
| Drink | Current Phase & Leaf form | Preparation | Evidence-safe caffeine statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Later Hojicha | Stone-milled roasted green tea powder | Mixed into water or milk | Contains caffeine; no finished-product amount is verified |
| Midday Matcha | Matcha green tea powder | Mixed into water or milk | Contains caffeine; no finished-product amount is verified |
| Coffee | Ground coffee | Brewed and filtered by the chosen method | Contains caffeine; amount varies by product, method, strength, and serving |
That does not mean comparison is useless. It means the comparison should focus on verified details such as taste, form, recipe, and serving.
For the flavor differences, read Hojicha vs Matcha and Hojicha vs Coffee.
If the green tea powder ritual fits an earlier part of your day, compare Midday Matcha with Later Hojicha by taste, preparation, and timing.
Does roasting remove the caffeine?
Roasting defines Hojicha's color and flavor, but roasting alone does not give shoppers a finished-cup number.
The starting tea, formulation, amount used, and finished serving still matter. That is why Phase & Leaf does not say roasting makes Later Hojicha caffeine-free or assign it a universal low-caffeine number.
The accurate answer remains: Hojicha contains caffeine, and the amount in this finished product has not been verified.
What the Later Phase means
Later describes taste, pacing, and ritual.
Later Hojicha has a warm roasted profile that Phase & Leaf places after Morning Push Coffee and Midday Matcha. It gives the slower part of the day a different cup and a simple mixing ritual.
It does not mean no caffeine. It does not promise a sleep result, a personal cutoff time, or a guaranteed feeling.
Read Why Hojicha Fits the Later Phase for the brand and flavor logic.
How to keep your routine consistent
You do not need a guessed number to prepare the product consistently.
- Follow the current package directions.
- Use the same measuring tool each time.
- Level the powder instead of changing the scoop from cup to cup.
- Keep the finished serving size consistent when you want a repeatable drink.
- Account for coffee, matcha, energy drinks, and other caffeine in the same day.
- Adjust around your own sensitivity.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes that caffeine amounts and individual sensitivity vary. If a verified amount is important for a medical or personal reason, consult an appropriate professional and use products with testing tied to the exact serving.
FAQ
Does Hojicha contain caffeine?
Yes. Hojicha is tea and naturally contains caffeine. Later Hojicha does not have a verified finished-product amount available, so Phase & Leaf does not publish a guessed dose.
How much caffeine is in Later Hojicha?
No finished-product caffeine result is currently available for the exact Later Hojicha powder and a defined prepared serving. A category number would not answer that product-specific question.
Does Hojicha always have less caffeine than Matcha or coffee?
Phase & Leaf does not make that universal claim for its products. A valid comparison would require tested products and matched serving methods. All three drinks contain caffeine.
Is Later Hojicha caffeine-free?
No. Later Hojicha is not sold as caffeine-free. Later describes the roasted flavor and ritual lane, not a caffeine threshold.
What changes the amount in a powdered drink?
The product formulation, amount of powder, finished serving size, and recipe concentration can all matter. That is why a useful number needs a test tied to the product and preparation.
Sources and how we use them
- Later Hojicha product page, used for the current powder form and package-size context
- Japan MEXT Food Composition Database: Hoji-cha infusion, used to show that official values belong to defined preparations, not as a Later Hojicha dose
- Yoneda and Kato, 1994: The Effects of Brewing Conditions on the Concentration of Caffeine, used for general preparation-variability context
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: caffeine guidance, used for product, serving, and sensitivity context
Reviewed and updated July 20, 2026. We do not turn category research into a finished-product amount.
The useful answer
Hojicha contains caffeine. The exact amount in Later Hojicha has not been verified.
That answer is less flashy than a universal chart, but it is accurate. Follow the package directions, keep your powder amount and serving consistent, and consider the rest of the caffeine in your day.
Shop Later Hojicha or browse all phases.
Browse the Learn library for more brewing guides and comparisons.