Sweet, salty, creamy, and roasted, this sea salt cold foam hojicha has it all. It’s an easy-to-make drink that brings cafe-quality drinks right to your home. Think of it as a tea lover’s twist on the popular sea salt cream coffee. Smooth hojicha tea topped with a light, salty-sweet cold foam that melts into every sip. The best part? You only need a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Here’s how to make this delicious sea salt cream hojicha at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s super low in caffeine, so it’s a great late afternoon or evening beverage!
• It feels like a fancy cafe drink, but it’s easy to make at home
• Simple, easy recipe to practice making hojicha
• It’s cozy and delicious!

What is Hojicha?

Hojicha might be a newer tea you’ve heard of! It’s matcha’s younger sibling, which is a roasted green tea made from old tea leaves, stems, and twigs. These are slowly roasted over a charcoal fire until they turn dark brown and take on a rich, roasted aroma. The result is a tea that has a unique roasted aroma and flavor!

Because it’s made with older tea leaves, hojicha is naturally low in caffeine (unlike the caffeine in matcha), making it a great alternative to matcha when you want something gentler.

It has a roasted, caramel-like, nutty flavor with a hint of smokiness. People love it for its soothing profile, especially if they’re caffeine-sensitive. It’s a popular tea amongst kids and elderly people!

What is Sea Salt Cold Foam Hojicha?

You might’ve heard of sea salt cream coffee, which is popular in Taiwan and Vietnam. It’s a delicious, savory, sweet, and creamy iced coffee that’s seriously addicting and refreshing. I was first introduced to it by 85 Degrees, which is a popular Asian bakery selling bread, cakes, coffee, desserts, and more.

This drink is inspired by those coffee drinks and is a hojicha version. It’s closer to Vietnamese salted coffee, which usually has a salted cream top over a strong coffee. Some versions also use a latte as the base, but I find that sometimes it’s a little too creamy.

What Does Sea Salt Cold Foam Hojicha Taste Like?

This drink has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, creamy, and toasty. The hojicha base has a warm, roasted flavor, like toasted nuts or caramel, and a touch of smokiness. It’s smooth and mellow with no bitterness, and because it’s made without milk, the drink feels much lighter than a latte while still creamy.

The combo might remind you of desserts like salted caramel pudding or roasted chestnut cream puffs (like a mont blanc). If you’ve ever had a salted caramel or miso dessert, it gives a similar vibe. It’s sweet-but-not-too-sweet, with just enough salt to keep it interesting.

Do Salt and Hojicha Go Together?

The salt pairs really nicely with the roasted flavor! The sea salt cold foam enhances hojicha’s deep, toasty flavor in the best way. Salt has a tendency to bring out the flavors it’s paired with, which is why it works so well with sweets like chocolate, caramel, cookies, etc.

It actually reminds me of roasted sweet potato or chestnut, which are cozy, caramelized flavors with just a touch of salt to balance the sweetness.

The salt doesn’t overpower the tea, either. It just enhances the flavor, making each sip feel more rounded and satisfying.

How to Make Sea Salt Cold Foam

To make sea salt cold foam at home (and save some serious money), all you need is salt, sugar, heavy cream, and milk. You’ll also need a handheld frother or electric whisk, but if you don’t have one, you can also just manually whisk the cream. You’ll get a great arm workout in!

Just whip the ingredients together until it’s soft and fluffy. But you don’t want to make whipped cream, which is stiff and hard to mix into drinks. You want to whip it just enough so that it’s fluffy but still pourable. This is the key to a perfect salted cold foam!

The base of all cold foams is sweet cream cold foam!

How to Make Hojicha

This recipe uses hojicha powder, which is ground up hojicha tea leaves into a fine powder. It gives a much stronger and bolder flavor compared to brewed hojicha tea. It’s perfect for lattes and creamy drinks like this!

If you whisk matcha already, then you’re already a pro at making hojicha! Hojicha powder is prepared the same way, by whisking until it’s frothy.

Just sift the powder into a wide bowl, then add water, and whisk in a zig-zag or M motion using a bamboo whisk for 20 – 30 seconds. You want to disperse the powder evenly and create a nice foam on top.

How to Make Sea Salt Cold Foam Hojicha

You’ll need:

• 1½ tsp hojicha powder
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1 tsp condensed milk

Sea Salt Cold Foam Hojicha Recipe

1. Add heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt to a small cup or bowl with tall sides. Whip for 10 – 15 seconds using a handheld frother until soft and fluffy but still pourable. It should be like a softly whipped cream.
2. Sift hojicha powder into a bowl and add ¼ water. Whisk tea in a zigzag motion for 20 – 30 seconds until it becomes frothy.
3. Add the remaining water to the tea. For a latte version, skip this step.
4. Dissolve condensed milk into the hojicha using a spoon or stir until completely dissolved. For a latte version, mix the condensed milk into milk.
5. Add ice and sweetened hojicha (or milk and whisked hojicha) to a separate glass, then top with the sea salt cold foam. Garnish with a dusting of hojicha powder.
6. Mix and enjoy!

Other Hojicha Recipes to Try

If you like this creamy, roasted, and nutty flavor combo, then you have to try these other delicious hojicha recipes next:

• Banana hojicha latte
• Double hojicha latte
• Corn hojicha einspanner
• Hojicha einspanner
• Caramel hojicha latte

Tips:

• Create Layers: This is the perfect opportunity to create layers in your drink! Ice is super important because it cushions the impact of the pouring. It’s more important when you make a latte, in which you’ll want to pour the whisked hojicha directly onto the ice to make a tea layer.
• Make it Vegan: To make this vegan, swap out heavy cream with vegan substitutes like oat, coconut, or vegan alternative heavy cream. They’ll all give you that soft, fluffy cream without the dairy.
• Only Add a Little Salt: While the salt is the star of the show, be careful not to add too much salt. You don’t want the cream to become too salty, making it unpleasant to drink. I find that a 1:4 ratio of salt to sugar is perfect!
• Add Vanilla: For an extra flavor boost, add a touch of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste to the cold foam for an even more delicious treat. It adds a nice, creamy, and floral flavor that makes vanilla so addictive.
• Make it a Latte: You can easily make this a latte by whisking hojicha with just a fourth cup of water and using milk as the base of the drink. Basically, a hojicha latte with sea salt cream!