Category
Business
Choice Scaffolding
Trend cluster
Category
Repurposed
Hojicha
Western brands are using hojicha in healthy and dessert beverages.
4.4
Trend score
What's Happening
What is the Repurposed Hojicha trend?
Repurposed Hojicha: Brands are repurposing a traditional Japanese tea style, Hojicha, in drinks and desserts in the west. Hojicha, while commonly a health-focused drink in Japan, has a strong roasted flavor profile that suits desserts and sweet drinks well. The ingredient is gaining popularity in North America.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Repurposed Hojicha trend
Tea drinkers in the west gravitate toward teas with strong flavors and underlying health benefits. Even when seeking dessert-style drinks like bubble tea, these consumers do not always want caffeinated black teas as the base, but rather something lighter and healthier mixed with sweet ingredients. These green teas leave the consumers feeling less bloated, but they often have a bitter flavor profile. This led to brands looking to more traditional teas for alternate flavor palates.
Evidence
Examples of the Repurposed Hojicha trend
CategoryLifestyle
Sushi-Inspired 3D-Printed Confections
Sugar Lab Has Launched the Stunning Sushi Roll Bonbons
Traditional bakeries face disruption from the rise of 3D-printed confections that offer unique designs and flavors.
CategoryLifestyle
Vegetarian Japanese Snack Boxes
Bokksu's the Vegetarian Snack & Tea Box Answers a Consumer Demand
Companies that offer food subscription boxes with authentic, international cuisine, can capitalize on the growing demand from consumers who want to experience new cultures and lif…
CategoryLifestyle
Convenience Store Matcha Lattes
The Starbucks Matcha Latte with Honnori Hojicha is Easy to Enjoy
Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Collaborate with convenience store chains to revolutionize the retail experience by introducing unique and exclusive beverages.
CategoryBusiness
Organic Powdered Hojicha Lattes
Camellia Sinensis Debuted a 40G Tin of Powdered Hojicha Latte
The popularity of Camellia Sinensis' organic Hojicha latte is disrupting the tea industry, creating a demand for more organic and unique tea offerings.
CategoryLifestyle
Peanut Butter-Flavored Hojicha
DAVIDsTEA Boasts the Peanut Butter Chocolate Hojicha Powder
The introduction of flavored hojicha powder demonstrates the potential for innovation and product differentiation within the tea industry.
CategoryLifestyle
Green Tea Caramel Drinks
Starbucks' Hojicha Meets Caramel Cream Drinks Fuse the East & West
The food and beverage industry can incorporate East-West fusion flavors and limited-time offerings to differentiate themselves in the market.
CategoryLifestyle
Architecturally Inspired Teas
Tea Forté's Frank Lloyd Wright Collection Honors a Design Genius
The architecturally-inspired tea collection from Tea Forté presents a disruptive opportunity for the tea industry to attract design-minded consumers.
CategoryLifestyle
Roasted Small-Batch Teas
The Numi Organic Tea Roasted Japanese Green Tea Comes in Four Flavors
The tea industry can explore small-batch and traditional flavored teas to cater to the growing demand of consumers for unique and wholesome products.
Workshop question
How could your industry benefit from repurposing traditional ingredients for new consumers?
Trend themes
Themes within the Repurposed Hojicha trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Repurposed Traditional Tea
Brands are using traditional teas in new and creative ways in the west, such as using hojicha for sweet drinks and desserts.
02
Vegetarian Snacks
Brands are answering a consumer demand for vegetarian Japanese Snacks with the creation of offerings like Bokksu's The Vegetarian Snack & Tea Box.
03
Organic Powdered Lattes
Organic powdered lattes are becoming increasingly popular, such as Camellia Sinensis' organic Hojicha Latte made from a powdered version of roasted tea.
Industry implications
What the Repurposed Hojicha trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Food and Beverage
Brands are innovating in the food and beverage industry by repurposing traditional ingredients and creating new products that meet consumer needs, like vegetarian snacks and organic powdered lattes.
For
Tea
Tea companies are innovating within the tea industry by offering new and unique blends like traditional teas for sweet drinks and organic powdered lattes.
For
Subscription Boxes
Subscription box companies like Bokksu are innovating within the subscription box industry with offerings that cater to specific consumer demands like vegetarian snacks.
Trend signals
Trend signals for Repurposed Hojicha
Trend score 4.4 out of 10, from popularity 58%, activity 58%, freshness 17%.
Popularity58%
Activity58%
Freshness17%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
