If you're a matcha lover and looking for a next wellness drink to try for your morning ritual, try Hojicha Latte! Hojicha is a roasted green tea that has a mellow toasty flavor and rich caramel-like aroma. With creamy frothed milk, it makes a satysfying latte. You can use loose tea or powder to make this simple yet cozy tea latte.
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What Is Hojicha? What Does Hojicha Taste Like?
Hojicha is a traditional Japanese green tea made by roasting the tea leaves. Green tea, like Sencha and Bancha, is made by steaming the tea leaves to preserve their green color and natural qualities. Green tea is then roasted until golden brown to create Hojicha.
Hojicha has a mellow, nutty flavor with a rich, toasty aroma. It's also slightly sweet and smoky. Green tea is vegetal and refreshing, while hojicha has a more cozy and comforting flavor profile.
Memo: Matcha, green tea, hojicha, and tea are all made from the same plant!
Is Hojicha Better Than Matcha?
Well, it depends on what you're looking for! They're both made from the same plant, but flavor, antioxidant content, caffeine, and price are different because of the production process.
Matcha is a finely ground green tea leaf powder, so it has more caffeine than regular green tea and hojicha. It's packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C, and has an earthy flavor with umami. Tea leaves are grown in shade, then stone-ground, so it's more expensive than regular green tea and hojicha.
Hojicha comes in loose leaves and powder form, so you can prepare it by steeping like black tea or whisking like matcha. It has a cozy and toasty flavor and sweet caramel-like aroma, and has lower caffeine and antioxidants. And it's much cheaper than matcha.
If you feel devastated by the recent price increase of matcha (including me!), hojicha is definitely a fun Japanese tea to try next!
Matcha vs Hojicha
- Matcha: Specialty green tea powder. More caffeine, rich in antioxidants, more caffeine, and expensive.
- Hojicha: Roasted green tea. Less caffeine, loses some antioxidants during the roasting process, less caffeine, and is affordable.
Hojicha Leaves vs Powder
To make the hojicha, you can either use tea leaves or powder. They each offer a slightly different flavor and experience.
Hojicha Leaves
You can steep loose hojicha tea like classic black tea. While they need straining after steeping, they offer a more delicate taste and a rich toasty aroma. The best part of hojicha tea leaves is that you can make 2-3 cups of tea! Save the steeped tea leaves and make your second and third tea.
- Best for: steeped tea
- Texture: light and smooth
- Flavor: mellow and slightly sweet, with a rich toasty caramel aroma
- Prep: steeping
Hojicha Powder
Finely ground roasted green tea powder is whisked into water to create a smooth latte, like you would do with a matcha latte! Since the drink made with powder has real leaves in it, the flavor is bold and strong.
- Best for: lattes
- Texture: creamy
- Flavor: bold and full-bodied
- Prep: whisking
Which Should I Use?
It depends on your preference! If you want a cafe-style drink with bold flavor, go with the powder. If you want a cozy cup of tea latte with a toasty aroma, the loose tea is a great option. Loose tea is my personal favorite!
Ingredients for Hojicha Latte
- Hojicha - Use loose tea leaves or powder depending on the vibe and mood you're feeling.
- Milk - I like oat milk in my hojicha latte, but you can use any milk, like whole milk, almond, cashew, or soy.
- Maple Syrup - or other sweetener like honey and agave syrup.
Instructions
For the Loose Leaf Tea Method
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add tea leaves and simmer for 3 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a cup and strain the tea. Stir in maple syrup.
- Warm up the milk in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave. Froth until foamy on top. Use a countertop milk frother or a handheld frother.
- Pour milk over hojicha. Top with cinnamon(optional).
For Hojicha Powder Method
Soak a bamboo whisk in warm water to soften the bristles.
In a matcha bowl or small bowl, sift in hojicha powder. Add hot water and whisk until smooth.
Combine milk and maple syrup in a saucepan and warm up on the stovetop. You can also add both to a microwave-safe cup and warm up in the microwave. Froth until foamy on top.
Pour warmed milk into a cup and top with hojicha. Top with cinnamon(optional). Mix and enjoy.
More Japanese Tea Recipes
- Matcha Boba Milk Tea
- Blueberry Matcha Latte
- Vanilla Matcha Latte
- Coconut Matcha Cloud
- Matcha Banana Smoothie
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Hojicha Latte Recipe (Using Roasted Green Tea Leaves or Powder)
Ingredients
For the Loose Leaf Tea Method
- 10 g hojicha tea leaves about 4 tablespoons
- 4 oz water about ½ cup
- 4 oz oat milk any milk works
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
For Hojicha Powder Method
- 3 g hojicha powder about 1½ teaspoon
- 2 oz freshly boiled hot water
- 6 oz oat milk any milk works
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
Optional
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
For the Loose Leaf Tea Method
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add tea leaves and simmer for 3 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a cup and strain the tea. Stir in maple syrup.
- Warm up the milk in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave. Froth until foamy on top.
- Pour milk over hojicha. Top with cinnamon(optional).
For Hojicha Powder Method
- Soak a bamboo whisk in warm water to soften the bristles.
- In a matcha bowl or small bowl, sift in hojicha powder. Add hot water and whisk until smooth.
- Combine milk and maple syrup in a saucepan and warm up on the stovetop. You can also add both to a microwave-safe cup and warm up in the microwave. Froth until foamy on top.
- Pour warmed milk into a cup and top with hojicha. Top with cinnamon(optional). Mix and enjoy.
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