{"title":"Nutty \u0026 Toasted","description":"\u003ch3\u003eWarm Comfort in a Cup\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you gravitate towards savory, earthy, or coffee-like flavors, you will love our Nutty \u0026amp; Toasted collection. Featuring roasted grains (Genmaicha), roasted twigs (Houjicha), and earthy roots (Dandelion), these teas offer a deep, grounding satisfaction without the bitterness of over-extracted coffee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese blends are often lower in astringency and higher in umami or savory richness. The roasting process mellows the natural caffeine and tannins, creating a smooth, warming brew that pairs beautifully with food. Think of them as the comfort zone between green tea's brightness and black tea's boldness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect for rainy afternoons when you crave something substantial to hold onto, or as a gentle morning alternative when you want warmth without the jolt. Brew them strong, sip them slowly, and let the toasted notes linger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToasty, nutty notes show up across our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/green-teas\" title=\"Green Teas\"\u003eGreen Teas\u003c\/a\u003e (think genmaicha and houjicha), and our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dessert-teas\" title=\"Dessert Teas\"\u003eDessert Teas\u003c\/a\u003e carry the same comforting sweetness.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"oolong","title":"Oolong","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe tea that sits between green and black.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTi Kuan Yin is a semi-oxidized oolong from Fujian Province, China. The leaf is 40-50% oxidized, which puts it halfway between the vegetal brightness of green tea and the malty body of black tea. The cup tastes like blooming orchids over toasted walnuts, with a buttery texture that lingers. The process is what makes it: the leaves are bruised in bamboo baskets to start oxidation at the edges, then fired to stop the reaction. The bruising is what releases the floral compounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy the leaves are twisted.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTi Kuan Yin is rolled into tight pellets during production. The rolling breaks down cell walls and compresses the leaf, which concentrates the aromatic oils. When you steep the leaf, it unfurls slowly, releasing flavor in stages. This is why oolong re-steeps so well. The first steep opens the leaf. The second and third steeps extract the deeper notes. By the fourth steep, the leaf is fully open and the cup is softer, sweeter, with almost no astringency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Hui Gan phenomenon.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChinese tea tradition names the returning sweetness that shows up after you swallow. \u003cem\u003eHui Gan\u003c\/em\u003e translates as \"returning sweetness.\" High-quality oolongs produce it reliably. The sweetness sits at the back of the throat and builds with each sip. The effect is subtle, but once you notice it, you notice it every time. Floral, toasted, sweet on the return.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","offers":[{"title":"Tea Tin","offer_id":47256404459842,"sku":"SQ3117071","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tea Refill","offer_id":47256404492610,"sku":"SQ3117072","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0862\/4962\/files\/oolong-loose-tea-ybtco.webp?v=1779851321"},{"product_id":"genmaicha","title":"Genmaicha","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe green tea for people who find green tea too grassy.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenmaicha is an organic Japanese blend of sencha green tea and toasted brown rice. The rice roasts until it pops, which is why the tea smells like fresh popcorn. The toasting caramelizes the starches in the rice, releasing a nutty sweetness into the cup that softens the vegetal edge of the green tea. The result is savory, broth-like, impossible to over-steep. The tea that makes green tea make sense.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy the rice changes everything.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe starch matters. When the toasted rice steeps, it releases natural sugars and starches into the water, which smooth out the astringency that makes straight green tea taste sharp or bitter to some palates. The body thickens. The flavor reads as warm, comforting, and savory rather than bright or grassy. You still get the antioxidants and the gentle caffeine lift of green tea, but the cup tastes closer to a light miso broth than a standard tea infusion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe lunch companion.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Japan, Genmaicha is the midday tea, brewed with meals because the savory character pairs with food rather than competing with it. Rice bowls, sushi, grilled fish, a sandwich at your desk: the tea cleanses the palate without overwhelming the flavors on the plate. The low caffeine level keeps it gentle enough for afternoon drinking without disrupting sleep later.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","offers":[{"title":"Tea Tin","offer_id":47256299176258,"sku":"SQ6542223","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tea Refill","offer_id":47256299241794,"sku":"SQ6542224","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0862\/4962\/files\/genmaicha-loose-tea-ybtco.webp?v=1779851323"},{"product_id":"herbal-coffee","title":"Herbal Coffee","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe coffee-free cup that holds up to milk.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoasted chicory root and roasted dandelion root form the base. Both roots get roasted until they darken and develop the caramelized, bitter depth that coffee drinkers recognize. Carob and cacao nibs add a chocolatey roundness. The cup brews dark, drinks full-bodied, and stands up to milk without disappearing. It tastes like the morning ritual, minus the caffeine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy chicory became the coffee stand-in.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChicory root showed up as a coffee substitute in Europe during the Napoleonic blockade, when coffee became scarce. The practice migrated to New Orleans during the Civil War, where chicory-coffee blends became a regional tradition that survives today. The root contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber that Western herbalism has long associated with digestive support. Roasted chicory tastes bitter and earthy, with a mouthfeel closer to coffee than most herbal teas can manage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to brew it like espresso.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUse 1.5 teaspoons per 8 ounces, steep 7 minutes at full boil. The roots need the time to release their full flavor. Add steamed oat milk and a shake of cinnamon for a caffeine-free cappuccino. Or pour it over ice with a splash of cream and a drizzle of maple syrup for a cold brew that drinks like the real thing. Blended in our Salem, Oregon kitchen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","offers":[{"title":"Tea Tin","offer_id":47256359108930,"sku":"SQ2683575","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tea Refill","offer_id":47256359141698,"sku":"SQ2683576","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0862\/4962\/files\/herbal-coffee-loose-leaf-tea-ybtco.webp?v=1779851320"},{"product_id":"houjicha","title":"Houjicha","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe green tea for people who don't like green tea.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoujicha is a Japanese green tea roasted over high heat in porcelian pots until the leaves turn reddish-brown and the flavor transforms. The vegetal, grassy character of steamed green tea disappears. What emerges tastes like cocoa, caramel, and toasted nuts. Smooth, naturally sweet, with a clean finish that carries zero astringency. The roasting process also breaks down most of the caffeine and tannins, which makes this the rare green tea you can drink at night.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea includes both leaves and stems. In Japanese tea nomenclature, stem-inclusive teas are called \u003cem\u003ekukicha\u003c\/em\u003e. The stems carry more L-theanine than the leaves, an amino acid that contributes a creamy sweetness to the cup. The stems also roast differently than the leaves, which adds textural complexity to the flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoujicha showed up in Kyoto in the 1920s as a way to use older leaves and stems that didn't make the grade for premium sencha. The roasting covered the roughness. What started as thrift tea became a staple: gentle on the stomach, hydrating without stimulating, served in Japanese schools and hospitals for exactly that reason. Warm, toasty, comforting.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","offers":[{"title":"Tea Tin","offer_id":47256369201474,"sku":"SQ0037171","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tea Refill","offer_id":47256369234242,"sku":"SQ0037172","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0862\/4962\/files\/houjicha-loose-tea-ybtco.webp?v=1779851319"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0862\/4962\/collections\/nutty-toasted-1293342.jpg?v=1779836215","url":"https:\/\/ybtco.mom\/collections\/nutty-toasted.oembed","provider":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}