Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Important: mugicha is made from barley and contains gluten – please read the note below if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance.
If you open a fridge in a Japanese home in summer, there’s a good chance you’ll find a plastic pitcher of something pale brown inside. It isn’t iced coffee or black tea. It’s mugicha – roasted barley tea – and for a lot of Japanese families it’s the default cold drink from June to September, poured for kids, adults and guests alike. It has no caffeine, it costs almost nothing, and once you get used to its toasty, slightly bitter flavor, plain water starts to feel a little boring.
The Problem You’re Actually Trying to Solve
Most people outside Japan meet mugicha in one of two ways: a free glass at a Japanese restaurant, or a bag of tea packets at an Asian grocery store with instructions they can’t read. The drink itself is simple, but there are a few things that make the difference between a clean, refreshing jug and a flat or slightly sour one – mainly how you brew it, how long you leave the bag in, and how long you keep it.
Who This Article Is NOT For
- If you have celiac disease, mugicha isn’t safe for you. Barley contains gluten (in the form of a protein called hordein), and celiac organizations advise against barley drinks regardless of how little ends up in the cup. Sobacha, roasted buckwheat tea, is the closest gluten-free alternative – but read its own allergy note first.
- If you want a roasted flavor with real tea in it, hojicha is the better choice – my matcha vs. hojicha caffeine comparison shows how little caffeine it actually has.
- If you’re looking for a health drink, mugicha is best thought of as a pleasant, caffeine-free alternative to water – not a remedy.
What Mugicha Actually Is
Mugicha (麦茶, literally “barley tea”) is made by roasting barley grains until they’re dark brown and then steeping them in water. Like sobacha, it’s called “cha” but doesn’t come from the tea plant at all, which is why it has no caffeine.
It also has a long history. Roasted barley drinks go back to the Heian period, when they were enjoyed at the imperial court, and by the Edo period street vendors were selling it to ordinary people. The modern habit of keeping a cold jug in the fridge took off after the Second World War, as refrigerators became common in Japanese homes – which is why mugicha today is so strongly tied to summer.
How It Tastes
Toasty, grain-forward and slightly bitter, with a clean, dry finish – often compared to a very weak, unsweetened coffee or toasted cereal. Served cold, the bitterness softens and a gentle sweetness comes forward, which is why most people prefer it chilled.
Compared with sobacha, mugicha is darker in color, fuller and more roasted; sobacha is lighter, nuttier and sweeter. Compared with hojicha, mugicha is simpler and more cereal-like, without hojicha’s caramel and tea notes.
How to Make It
Most mugicha outside Japan is sold in tea bags, usually sized for a liter or more. Check the package, since some bags are designed only for boiling and others work for cold brewing too.
Cold brew (the most common way in Japan):
- 1 tea bag per liter of cold water
- Refrigerate for about 6-8 hours, or overnight
- Remove the bag once it’s done, so the flavor doesn’t keep getting stronger and more bitter
Hot brew:
- Bring water to a boil, add 1 tea bag per 500ml (or per the package), and steep 3-5 minutes
- For a stronger, more classic flavor, some families simmer the bag for a few minutes on the stove
- Let it cool, then refrigerate if you’re going to drink it cold
Loose roasted barley:
- About 30-40g per liter, simmered for around 10 minutes, then strained
- Loose barley gives the deepest, most roasted flavor, but it’s more work and harder to find outside Japan
Many Japanese households use a simple brewing pitcher with a lid that fits in the fridge door. Any clean, sealed jug works.
The Part Most Guides Skip: Keep It Fresh
Mugicha is very easy to make and very easy to keep too long. Unlike green tea, it doesn’t contain the catechins that slow spoilage, so a jug left in the fridge for days can start to taste sour. A few habits keep it safe and tasting good:
- Drink it within about a day or two of brewing, and keep it refrigerated
- Use a clean pitcher every time – wash and dry it between batches rather than topping up an old jug
- Don’t leave it out at room temperature for long, especially in summer
- Pour, don’t drink from the jug
If it smells or tastes sour, throw it out and make a fresh batch. That’s the main reason Japanese families brew it so often: it’s cheap enough to make every day.
A Few Things People Ask Me
Does mugicha have caffeine? No. It’s made from barley, not tea leaves, so there’s no caffeine at all. That’s why it’s served to children and drunk in the evening in Japan.
Is mugicha gluten-free? No. Barley contains gluten, so mugicha isn’t suitable for people with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, even though only a small amount ends up in the drink. Sobacha is the usual alternative.
Can I drink it hot? Yes, and some people prefer it in winter. Hot mugicha tastes more roasted and a little more bitter than cold.
Where can I buy it? Japanese mugicha tea bags, including well-known brands like Ito En, are easy to find as mugicha tea bags on Amazon. If you plan to make it regularly, a cold-brew pitcher on Amazon that fits in your fridge door makes the habit much easier.
Where I Landed
Mugicha isn’t a tea you sit and analyze. It’s the jug in the fridge that quietly replaces sugary drinks and plain water in summer, and that’s exactly what makes it worth knowing. Brew it cold overnight, take the bag out, finish it within a day or two, and start a new batch. It’s the simplest habit in Japanese tea culture – and, for a lot of people, the one they keep long after they’ve stopped buying fancy sencha.