Now that I’ve shared my iced matcha latte obsession, it’s time to share the other tea that I often make as an iced latte. It’s another Japanese green tea, hojicha, however it’s brown in colour because the leaves are roasted in high temperatures. Doesn’t a roasted green tea latte sound delicious? Hojicha is also naturally low in caffeine so unlike matcha you can enjoy this drink in the evening, too! The way I make an iced hojicha latte is very similar to my iced matcha latte recipe simply because I use hojicha powder, and not loose leaf. Like matcha, hojicha powder is made by taking the tea leaves and grinding them up until a fine powder forms. Therefore, you’re ingesting the entire leaves with this iced hojicha latte recipe.
What is Hojicha Green Tea?
Hojicha (also spelled houjicha) is a Japanese green tea made by roasting sencha or bancha. In Japanese, houji means to roast and cha means tea.
If you want to learn more about this Japanese green tea, check out my blog post all about hojicha here.
As stated in the beginning, we are using hojicha in powder form for this recipe though. This will give you a stronger flavour and have you sipping on the iced tea latte in just a matter of seconds!
Where to Buy Hojicha Powder
My hojicha powder came from one of my favourite matcha brands, Grace & Green. This brand was the one who first introduced me to hojicha in powder form actually! They ship directly from Japan but shipping is still pretty quick. Here’s where you can purchase their hojicha powder.
Hojicha Co. is a Canadian brand that focuses on selling high quality hojicha and they added hojicha powder to their line up, too. You can find their hojicha powder online here (they even offer free pick up at Union Station for any Toronto readers out there!)
Find more hojicha powder recommendations here!
Iced Hojicha Latte vs. Iced Matcha Latte
Hojicha has warm, roasted notes and lacks the grassy and earthy taste that matcha has (along with some other Japanese green teas).
When combined with milk and ice, they are both super refreshing and creamy. The flavour profiles is the main difference between the two iced lattes, and the iced hojicha latte some what resembles an iced coffee drink.
Therefore, you should definitely serve this up to any coffee loving friends to get them slowly hooked on tea!
How to Make an Iced Hojicha Latte at Home
You can also make this tea into a hot tea latte, for those days where the temperature is a bit cooler. Find my Hojicha Tea Latte recipe here. No steeping time or heat is involved with this iced hojicha latte recipe though!
Iced Hojicha Latte
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon hojicha powder
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon real maple syrup optional but highly recommended!
- ice
Instructions
- In a jar or bottle filled with ice, add the hojicha powder and cold water. Seal and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds or until you don't see any powder clumps. The ice cubes should help break them apart though.
- Open the jar and slowly pour in milk (watch the cool milk + hojicha effect!) and then maple syrup or another sweetener of your choice.
- Stir together and enjoy!
Notes
How to Make a Dirty Iced Hojicha Latte
Similar to how you would make a dirty iced matcha latte, just add a shot of espresso to this iced hojicha latte recipe! However, with that addition, please note that the iced hojicha latte would no longer be naturally low on caffeine.
Want to make an Iced Hojicha Latte at home? Pin this recipe for later here –> http://bit.ly/2Y9KGHg
*If you give this recipe a try, send me a photo of your creation on my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Include the hashtag #theteacupoflife.
This looks & sounds delicious!!