Hojicha Latte (plus Dirty Hojicha Latte)

Gather all the ingredients. I used hojicha powder from Hojicha Co. here. If you‘d like to make hojicha powder from scratch, see the instructions at the end of the recipe. To make a Dirty Hojicha Latte, make a double shot of espresso.

To Prepare the Hojicha Mixture

Into a bowl with a pouring spout (I use a matcha bowl called a katakuchi), add 1½ tsp hojicha (roasted green tea) powder. If you want to sweeten your beverage, add ½ tsp sugar (optional; I don‘t add it). Tip: If you‘re using a regular whisk instead of a bamboo whisk, I recommend sifting the hojicha powder into a cup using a fine-mesh strainer. Fine powders become lumpy once you add hot water.

Add 2 Tbsp hot water. Why hot water? Hojicha powder does not mix well into cool/cold water. With a bamboo whisk (chasen) or flat whisk, mix the tea powder and hot water briskly back and forth, drawing a letter W. Mix until no lumps remain, about 20 seconds. The hojicha mixture should be smooth and a little foamy. If it‘s not fluid, you can add a tiny bit of water (a teaspoon at a time) until it‘s a pourable consistency. Tip: Use as little water as required to make a fluid suspension that you can pour into a cup. We want to keep a rich, concentrated flavor by limiting the amount of water we use.

To Steam and Froth the Milk

With a Handheld Milk Frother: Heat ¾ cup milk in the microwave or a pot on the stove until warm, about 140ºF or 65ºC. Then, with a handheld milk frother, froth the milk until foamy, about 10–15 seconds. If you don‘t have a frother, skip this step.

With an Espresso Machine with a Steaming Wand: Start with ¾ cup milk. Learn to steam milk by following this video tutorial by a World Champion latte artist. For this recipe, Mr. JOC used the auto-steaming function.

To Make the Hojicha Latte

Pour the tea mixture into the cup.

Pour the steamed milk into the center of the hojicha mixture, ending with light foam. Sprinkle additional hojicha powder on top using the fine-mesh strainer. Serve hot and enjoy!

To Make the Dirty Hojicha Latte

Pour the hojicha mixture into the cup and add 2 shots espresso.

Pour the steamed milk into the center of the hojicha mixture, ending with light foam. Sprinkle additional hojicha powder on top using the fine-mesh strainer. Serve hot and enjoy!

To Make Hojicha Powder (optional)

To make hojicha powder from scratch, weigh 1 oz or 30 g of hojicha leaves. I used hojicha from Ippodo Tea, which measures roughly ¾ cup (12 Tbsp) per 30 g; however, every brand of hojicha is different, so please weigh your tea. Next, add the tea leaves to a small-capacity food processor or spice/coffee grinder. I used the Nutribullet here.

Cover firmly with the lid and begin processing.

Grind the tea leaves for 3 minutes, without stopping, until the leaves turn into powder.

Tap the carafe on the counter a few times to release any powder attached to the lid. Then, remove the lid. The texture of the tea will resemble a fine grind size.

To make it superfine to use in a beverage, further grind the hojicha powder by hand. Add 1 Tbsp of tea powder to a mortar and grind it with a pestle until it‘s ultrafine. Transfer to a container. Continue hand-grinding the remaining powder, 1 Tbsp at a time. You‘ll get about 5 Tbsp of superfine hojicha powder. Store the hojicha powder in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dark place (or refrigerator if you live in a hot, humid environment) for up to a month.