If you love roasted, toasted, and nutty flavors, then you’ll love hojicha tea, an earthy, toasty, and slightly smoky roasted Japanese green tea. You get an incredible roasted flavor that is only elevated when added to milk and sugar.

While you can have hojicha in a brewed tea latte, it’s best in powdered form, also in a latte, or as an einspanner. The sweet, fluffy cream of the einspanner pairs perfectly with the robust hojicha, and it’s a must-try drink!

Here’s how to make a hojicha einspanner at home!

What is a Hojicha Einspanner?

A hojicha einspanner is a modern tea twist on a traditional Viennese einspanner, which is coffee topped with thick whipped cream. Instead of coffee, we use a concentrated, whisked roasted Japanese green tea (hojicha) base, then top it with a thick layer of sweetened whipped cream.

What is Hojicha?

Hojicha (ほうじ茶) is a Japanese roasted green tea made by slowly charcoal-roasting tea leaves and stems until they turn a deep amber brown. Unlike bright, grassy matcha, hojicha has a warm, nutty, and slightly smoky caramel flavor profile with virtually no bitterness. Because of the roasting process, it is naturally low in caffeine (about 7.7 mg per serving compared to matcha’s 40 mg), making it a great drink for any time of day (even evening).

Besides having low caffeine, hojicha also has a ton of other health benefits, making it a perfect tea to enjoy all day.

What is an Einspanner?

An einspänner, or Viennese coffee, is a hot beverage with espresso topped with whipped cream. It started in Austria in the 19th century to keep coffee warm for coachmen and carriage drivers.

The whipped cream keeps the coffee insulated and prevents it from spilling for coachmen driving carriages, waiting in the cold for their next patron. The name einspanner comes from the one-horse carriages that were popular at the time, the equivalent of modern-day taxis.

Now, you can find this delicious drink worldwide with different renditions of the classic drink, from matcha einspanners, einspanner lattes, and hojicha einspanners!

Hojicha vs. Matcha

Hojicha and matcha are two famous Japanese green tea powders enjoyed by thousands worldwide. However, they taste quite different and are produced in different ways.

Matcha is a green tea powder made from grinding young, shade-grown green tea leaves into a fine powder. The result is a bright green tea powder with a vegetal, umami, and earthy smell that is sometimes sweet and creamy.

Hojicha is a roasted green tea powder made from slowly roasting mature green tea leaves, stems, and stalks over a charcoal fire until the tea leaves turn a dark brown color. When ground, hojicha tea powder is dark brown and has a roasted, smoky smell and robust toasted flavor.

How to Make a Hojicha Einspanner

A hojicha einspanner is milky with the perfect sweetness and a robust tea flavor. It’s a great alternative to milk tea, which can sometimes be watery or not flavorful enough.

To make a hojicha einspanner, you’ll need:

• 1 tsp hojicha tea powder
• 1 cup water or ½ cup milk + ¼ cup water (for a creamy latte base)
• 2 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup ice

Hojicha Einspanner Recipe

1. Prepare hojicha. Whisk hojicha tea powder with water in a tea bowl in a zigzag motion using a tea whisk until a froth forms. You can also use a handheld frother or shake in a lidded jar. (Use less water and add milk here for a latte base).
2. Make einspanner cream. Whip heavy cream and sugar in a small cup or bowl using a handheld frother or electric whisk until light and fluffy. The mixture should be soft and thick but still pourable.
3. Assemble drink. Add ice and hojicha into a separate cup, then top with the einspanner cream.
4. Mix and enjoy!

Where to Get Hojicha Tea Powder

You can find hojicha tea leaves in most Asian grocery stores in the tea aisle! However, hojicha tea powder is a little harder to find. Most hojicha powders are sold by specialty grocery stores, tea stores, or cafes. Many matcha-specific cafes or stores also sell hojicha adjacent.

The best and easiest way to get hojicha is by buying it online from known brands or cafes. I’m still hunting for my favorite hojicha tea powder, but I’ve had it from local cafes around me in the Bay Area, like Matcha Cafe Maiko, Polaris Cafe, Izumi Matcha, etc.

You can also make hojicha powder by grinding hojicha tea. However, without a high-quality grinder that can make fine powder, the hojicha you grind will probably be very gritty and unpleasant to drink.

Tips

Here are some tips for making a delicious hojicha einspanner at home!

• For more hojicha flavor, use an extra half teaspoon of hojicha tea powder. Increase your amounts gradually to find the sweet spot!
• You can add hojicha tea powder to the cream for a double hojicha latte with hojicha cream.
• If your hojicha tea powder has clumps, sift it using a fine mesh sieve.
• Make this more creamy by adding milk to the whisked hojicha.
• For a dairy-free version, swap the heavy cream for oat or vegan heavy cream! This will give you the creamiest, most neutral flavor.
• Swap the sugar for brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or other liquid sweetener for a caramelized flavor!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hojicha einspanner made of?

A hojicha einspanner is made of concentrated whisked hojicha green tea powder, water (or milk for a latte base), a sweetener like sugar or maple syrup, ice, and a thick topping of whipped heavy cream. It’s the tea version of a coffee einspanner!

Does hojicha have less caffeine than matcha?

Yes, hojicha has much less caffeine than matcha, which has 5 times more caffeine! Tea makers roast old green tea leaves, which lose most of its caffeine as they age.

Can I make a hojicha einspanner dairy-free?

Yes! Instead of heavy cream, use cold oat cream or vegan cream for the top layer, and use oat milk or almond milk for the drink base if added.

More Hojicha & Einspanner Recipes to Try Next

If you love this hojicha einspanner, then you need to try all the other delicious einspanner combinations out there! Check out my matcha einspanner recipe or try a savory-sweet twist with this corn hojicha einspanner! For another nutty roasted profile, you’ll love my black sesame einspanner latte.

If you want to keep exploring hojicha, first try a classic iced hojicha latte, then amp it up with a fruity strawberry hojicha latte. Lastly, treat yourself to a sweet hojicha hot chocolate! You’ll thank me later.

As always, I’d love to see your creations online. Tag me @ispillice everywhere!