Hojicha is a wonderful variety of green tea. The tea leaves are roasted, imparting a nutty and slightly sweet taste to it. While less famous than other variations of tea, it is often a favorite of those who have had the opportunity to taste it. Hojicha is made from both the stems and the leaves of the tea plant, with batches of 100% stems fetching a slightly higher price and higher quality. The hardier stems stand up to the roasting process better than the more delicate leaves, but those subtleties are not as noticeable in latte preparations.

The lower notes and caramelized undertones from the roasting process make it an ideal candidate for brewing into a latte with steamed milk. Lattes are also quite easy to prepare and don't require anything special, but a little extra equipment can turn your homemade hojicha latte into something far better than what you can get at your local coffee shop!

Ingredients

Hojicha Latte 1 gram hojicha powder or loose leaf tea (1 teaspoon powder, 2 teaspoons loose tea)

3 tablespoons hot water, 190°F (90°C) or boiling

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon sugar (optional for a sweetened latte)

For this recipe, ingredient measurements can be approximate and it's perfectly acceptable to eyeball measurements and adjust to taste.

Equipment

Method

A hojicha latte is prepared in two steps:

First brew about 1/8 - 1/4 cup of strong hojicha tea. Then froth the hot milk and pour into the hojicha for a delicious latte.

Brew The Hojicha Tea

Note if you are using loose leaf tea, skip the whisking and just brew a strong cup of tea in the same amount of water. The ideal brewing temperature of hojicha tea is 190°F (90°C), but you can use boiling water as hojicha is a fairly hardy tea.

Put your hojicha powder in a chawan, or a small bowl.

Pour in 3 tablespoons of hot water, enough to brew a strong cup of hojicha tea.

Whisk the hojicha until fully mixed and there are no remaining lumps of tea.

Continue whisking until the tea is frothy with bubbles. It is now ready for the milk to be added.

Make the Latte

Heat the milk to 150°F - 155°F (65°C - 68°C). You can heat the milk in a microwave, stovetop, or a milk steamer (such as one on a home espresso machine). If you don't have a thermometer, the milk should be very hot to the touch, but should not burn you.

Add the sugar to the milk and stir.

Use the frother to froth up the milk so that a foam forms on the top.

Pour the foamed milk into the hojicha tea until the rim of your cup is brimming with foam.

Dust the top of your hojicha latte with powdered hojicha, or cinnamon to your tastes.

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