Hot Hojicha Latte (Printer View)

A warm, comforting Japanese beverage blending roasted green tea with creamy steamed milk and optional sweetness.

# What you'll need:

→ Tea

01 - 2 teaspoons hojicha powder (roasted green tea powder)
02 - 1/2 cup hot water, approximately 175°F

→ Milk

03 - 1 1/2 cups milk, dairy or plant-based

→ Sweetener

04 - 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or sugar, to taste

# Method:

01 - Sift hojicha powder in a small bowl to eliminate lumps.
02 - Add hot water to the hojicha powder and whisk until fully dissolved and frothy using a bamboo whisk or regular whisk.
03 - Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Froth the milk with a milk frother or whisk until creamy.
04 - Pour the dissolved hojicha into two mugs evenly.
05 - Add sweetener to each mug if using and stir to combine thoroughly.
06 - Gently pour the steamed milk over the tea base while holding back the foam with a spoon, then top with the reserved foam.
07 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with a light sprinkle of hojicha powder.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you're wrapping your hands around something warm and intentional, not rushed or mass-produced.
  • The whole thing takes 10 minutes but feels like you've given yourself permission to slow down.
  • Unlike regular coffee, hojicha won't leave you jittery, just quietly alert and grounded.
02 -
  • The water temperature is genuinely critical—I once used boiling water straight from the kettle and the hojicha tasted burnt and astringent, so please let it cool just slightly before whisking.
  • Whisking the powder with water first is the secret that separates a silky latte from a grainy mess, so don't skip it thinking you can just mix it all together in the mug.
03 -
  • If you don't have a bamboo whisk, a regular whisk or even a fork works—the bamboo chasen is traditional and creates beautiful foam, but the end result tastes just as good without it.
  • Make the hojicha base ahead of time and reheat it gently if you're making drinks for more than one person, which saves you from standing at the stove whisking repeatedly.
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