Hōjicha Latte Recipe
A hōjicha latte is the warm, mellow counterpart to a matcha latte.
Hōjicha is roasted green tea from Uji, Kyoto, ground into a fine powder. Roasting gives it a warm taste of nuts and cocoa, with no bitterness. You make it almost like matcha, only with hotter water.
In short
2 g hōjicha · 60 ml water at 80–90 °C · 150–200 ml milk
Sift, whisk with the water until smooth, then add warm or cold milk. For a stronger cup, use a little more hōjicha or a little less milk.
What you need for a hōjicha latte
- 2 g hōjicha (about 1 level teaspoon)
- 60 ml water at 80–90 °C
- 150–200 ml milk
- a fine sieve
- a bamboo whisk chasen or a small electric frother
No scale? One level teaspoon is a good starting point.
How to make a hōjicha latte
Step 01
Sift the hōjicha
Sift 2 g of hōjicha into a cup. The fine powder tends to clump, and sifting breaks the clumps up front.
Step 02
Make a smooth base
Add 60 ml of water at 80–90 °C and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Roasted tea takes hotter water than matcha.
Step 03
Add the milk
Pour in 150–200 ml of warm milk. Froth it first for a silkier texture.
Iced hōjicha latte
The base stays the same: 2 g hōjicha and 60 ml water. Once smooth, pour it over a glass of ice and add 150–200 ml of cold milk.
For sweetness, add a teaspoon of brown sugar syrup or Japanese kuromitsu. Over ice, the roasted notes turn even more caramel-like.
Vanilla hōjicha latte
Add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract or a teaspoon of vanilla syrup to the milk before frothing. Vanilla pairs beautifully with hōjicha’s cocoa notes, and works just as well iced.
Hōjicha latte with cinnamon and maple
Stir a teaspoon of maple syrup into the smooth base, top up with warm milk and finish with a pinch of cinnamon. An autumn version for colder days.
Which sweetener works best?
Hōjicha is not bitter, so you may not need any. If you do, start with one teaspoon and adjust.
Maple syrup
Brings out the caramel and roasted notes. Our favourite for a warm latte.
Honey
Soft, floral sweetness. Add it once the latte has cooled slightly.
Kuromitsu
Japanese syrup made from unrefined cane sugar, with a molasses-like taste. Excellent iced.
Coconut sugar
Lightly caramel, dissolves well in the warm base.
Which milk works best?
The roasted notes pair well with creamy milk.
Oat barista milk
Lightly sweet and creamy, it brings out the nutty notes.
Whole cow’s milk
Full and soft, with the finest foam.
Soy milk
Froths well, but has a stronger taste of its own.
How hōjicha is enjoyed in Japan
Hōjicha was born in Kyoto in the 1920s, when tea merchants began roasting the leaves and stems left over from making other green teas, so nothing went to waste.
Where matcha belongs to the tea ceremony, hōjicha is an everyday tea. In Japan it is often served after a meal, and at home it is given to children too, because it is mild and never bitter. The latte is a modern take, now served in cafés from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Hōjicha with water only
Sift 2 g of hōjicha, add 150 ml of water at 80–90 °C and whisk briefly. No foam needed.
Hōjicha or matcha?
Matcha
Green tea from shaded leaves, stone-milled. Fresh, green taste with umami.
Hōjicha
Roasted green tea, ground into a fine powder. Warm notes of nuts and cocoa, no bitterness.
Hōjicha latte FAQ
What is hōjicha?
Hōjicha is a roasted Japanese green tea. Roasting turns it brown and gives it a warm taste of nuts and cocoa, with no bitterness. MiMA Hōjicha comes from Uji, Kyoto, ground into a fine powder.
How much hōjicha do I need for a latte?
2 g, about one level teaspoon, for 150–200 ml of milk.
What water temperature should I use?
80–90 °C. Hōjicha is roasted, so it takes hotter water than matcha.
Does hōjicha contain caffeine?
Yes. Because it is roasted and often made from more mature leaves and stems, it usually contains less caffeine than matcha.
Do I need a bamboo whisk?
No. A small electric frother works well, and a shaker is handy for an iced latte.