If you’ve just discovered the amazing hojicha tea, this hojicha latte is going to make your day! Hojicha is such a unique roasted green tea that tastes amazing with milk. It’s the perfect nutty, smoky, smooth, not bitter, roasted, toasty, and comforting roasted tea. Plus, you can enjoy it time of the day without feeling the caffeine high or crash.

Plus, it’s so easy to make at home with just 3 ingredients and in under 5 minutes.

Here’s how to make a delicious hojicha latte at home!

What is Hojicha?

Hojicha (焙じ茶), or houjicha (pronounced hoe-jee-chah), is a roasted Japanese green tea known for its brown color and unique roasted aroma. Houjicha literally means “roasted tea”, houji (焙じ) meaning roasted, and cha (茶) meaning tea. You can have it as tea leaves or in a powder, similar to matcha.

This roasted tea is made from bancha, older green tea leaves (usually last harvest). Sometimes you’ll also find kukicha, the stems and twigs of the green tea plant, added. These leaves and stems are picked, dried, and then slowly roasted over a charcoal fire. During roasting, hojicha develops a distinct caramel, nutty, roasted aroma and deep brown color.

You can make your own hojicha at home by roasting it in a pan, but it might not develop the same nutty flavors.

Hojicha vs Matcha

A common misconception is that hojicha is roasted matcha powder which is incorrect. While they are both types of green tea and made from the same green tea plant, they’re made from different leaves. They’re also processed in different ways!

So, if you try to make your own hojicha by roasting matcha powder… you’ll ruin perfectly good matcha powder.

Matcha is made from tencha, which are the young tea leaves that are usually shadegrown and picked first in the tea harvest. These leaves have a lot of chlorophyll in them, which gives matcha its green color and earthy taste. Tencha is steamed, deveined, dried, and then ground by stonemill for a soft, powdery tea.

Hojicha, as mentioned, is made with bancha, which are the oldest tea leaves that are picked last in the harvest and laid out in the sun to dry before getting roasted. The tea leaves are roasted over charcoal fire slowly, then either packaged or ground into a powder like matcha.

What Does Hojicha Taste Like?

Hojicha has a deep roasted flavor that tastes like caramel, nuts, and subtle coffee. Because the tea gets roasted at high heats, it degrades a lot of the catechins (polyphenols that make things bitter and astringent) which makes hojicha super smooth, sweet, not bitter, nor drying on the tongue.

When you smell it, it has a very coffee like aroma! You’ll also get deep caramel and smokiness to it that makes it feel comforting and warm. In a latte, hojicha tastes like a caramel, smoky smore (not as sweet, of course) and like toasted nuts.

It’s insanely delicious and many people love it because it’s not too caffeinated!

How Much Caffeine Does Hojicha Have

If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you’re in luck! Hojicha doesn’t have much caffeine in it thanks to the high temperatures burning it all away, haha. One serving of hojicha (about 1 tsp) has around 5-10mg of caffeine, which is very, very little compared to other teas and coffee. It’s about the same amount of caffeine that decaf coffee has in it!

For reference, one serving of matcha (1 tsp) has around 45mg of caffeine in it, which is almost 5 times the amount in hojicha.

Becuse of its low caffeine content, hojicha is a very popular tea to drink in the evenings and for children!

What is a Hojicha Latte?

Now, onto the fun part! A hojicha latte is simply a tea beverage with whisked or brewed hojicha and milk (and ice, if cold.) Normally, you’ll find some sweetener added, but generally hojicha lattes are drunk plain with no additional flavors.

If using tea leaves, the drink is called a hojicha tea latte, but if using powder, it’s just a hojicha latte. That way, it’s easy to tell whether you’re getting a more tea-like drink compared to a strong, bold latte.

It’s super easy to make at home and is the perfect night cap or treat. As mentioned, hojicha has a smoky, roasted, caramel, coffee, and nutty taste, which blends together beautifully in milk.

The extra creaminess helps soften the bolder flavors, and you’re left with a delicious, creamy beverage that has all the roasted flavors that make hojicha so addicting!

Hojicha Tea vs. Hojicha Powder

For this recipe, I recommend using hojicha powder as it makes a creamier drink without comprising on flavor. Since the powder is straight up ground tea leaves, it has a concentrated flavor that packs a punch without needing to brew it. Just like how freeze dried fruit powders make any drink taste strong and creamy, hojicha powder works the same way.

If you use hojicha tea leaves, you’ll need to brew it in hot water before adding it to make a hojicha tea latte. While you can make a tea concentrate, the flavor will never be as strong as using the powder. Plus, the added water will dilute your latte and you’ll end up with a weak-tasting hojicha latte.

To each their own, but hojicha powder is definitely the way to go!

How to Make a Hojicha Latte

Here’s what you’ll need to make a delicious, comforting iced hojicha latte:

• 1½ tsp hojicha powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp sweetener

Hojicha Latte Recipe

1. Whisk Hojicha Powder. Sift 1-1½ tsp of hojicha powder into a matcha bowl and add room temperature or hot water to the bowl. Using a bamboo whisk, vigorously whisk the hojicha tea in a zigzag motion until a forth forms on the top. Keep going until you get a tight foam with tiny bubbles and a velvety finish.
2. Assemble Drink. Add ice, sweetener, and milk to a glass, and stir to combine. Then, to with your whisked hojicha.
3. Mix and Enjoy!

Best Hojicha Powder

I haven’t tried too many hojicha powders, but I think they’re pretty accessible online, not so much in stores. You can find hojicha tea leaves in most Asian grocery stores, but hojicha powder is more niche.

Soome brands I’ve heard of that sell hojicha powder include Matchakari, HojichaCo, Rocky’s Matcha, and Matcha Cafe Maiko, which are all American brands. However, there are also many Japanese tea brands that sell hojicha powder, including Marukyu Koyamaen, HoHo, Ito En Oi Ocha, etc. Many small Japanese tea farmers also sell their own hojicha powder, but may be not as accessible to a Western audience.

So far, my favorite is from Matcha Cafe Maiko, who sources their matcha (and I think hojicha) from a farm called Harima Garden.

Note: The best hojicha powders (in my opinion) don’t leave a gritty texture in the drink, has a nice, bold roasted flavor.

Hojicha Benefits

If you thought matcha had great benefits, its roasted cousin, hojicha, also has amazing health and physiological benefits!

According to this study, roasted green tea had more pyrazines and aromatic components (all the yummy toasty and nutty aromas), which promote mood after a mental workload. Hojicha also has less caffeine and L-theanine compared to matcha, which may contribute to its anti-fatigue benefits.

Consuming roasted green tea was also observed to be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular stroke with middle and high consumption.

Because hojicha is made from green tea, it also has the same anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties from polyphenols, although small amounts due to the high heat from the roasting process, which can degrade or alter the chemicals.

So, if you’re sensitive to caffeine but still want all the benefits that matcha has, hojicha has you covered!

Tips:

Here are some tips for making a nutty hojicha latte at home!

• Try Oatmilk: Since hojicha tea has such a rich and roasted flavor, I think it pairs best with a creamier milk like whole milk or oat milk. The creaminess and nuttiness would pair so perfectly together and provide a nice base for the tea!
• Add Sweetener to the Milk: To make beautiful layers in your tea, add the sugar to the milk and dissolve it before adding your tea on top. The sugar makes the milk more dense, so the whisked tea will float on top, creating a layered effect.
• Use Hojicha Powder: I’ve tried both hojicha tea and powder for a hojicha latte, and the hojicha powder makes a much smoother and creamier latte with a bold taste. The brewed hojicha is more watery and gives a more diluted latte.
• Make it Hot: You can enjoy this cozy tea hot by steaming milk and adding the exact same ingredients into it!