Hojicha Cappuccino with Roasted Tea (Printer-friendly)

A creamy blend of roasted Japanese hojicha tea and steamed milk, creating a smooth, toasty beverage perfect for any time of day.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tea Base

01 - 2 teaspoons hojicha loose-leaf tea or 2 hojicha tea bags
02 - 1 cup filtered water

→ Milk

03 - 1 cup whole milk or oat milk for dairy-free option

→ Sweetener

04 - 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or sugar (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring 1 cup of filtered water to a gentle simmer. Add the hojicha tea leaves or tea bags and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Strain or remove the bags.
02 - While the tea steeps, heat 1 cup of milk in a small saucepan or using a frother until hot but not boiling. Froth the milk until creamy and foamy.
03 - Divide the brewed hojicha equally between two cups. Stir in sweetener to taste, if desired.
04 - Gently pour the steamed milk over the tea, holding back the foam with a spoon. Top with the remaining milk foam for a classic cappuccino finish.
05 - Serve immediately, optionally dusted with a pinch of hojicha powder or cinnamon.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort without the coffee jitters, with a natural toasty sweetness that makes you feel genuinely nourished.
  • The whole thing takes ten minutes, meaning you can have a café-quality drink at home without planning ahead or complicated equipment.
02 -
  • The steeping time for hojicha is shorter than you might expect—go past four minutes and the tea can taste bitter and flat, losing that toasted, almost caramel-like quality that makes this drink special.
  • The difference between steamed milk and frothed milk matters: you need both temperature and air, which is why a proper frother or even vigorous whisking transforms the texture from hot liquid to something cloud-like and luxurious.
03 -
  • If your milk froths reluctantly, make sure it's fresh and at the right starting temperature—cold milk froths better than room-temperature milk, and too-hot milk won't froth at all.
  • Save a bit of extra hojicha powder in a small dish and dust it on top just before serving, which not only looks intentional but gives you a moment to smell that toasted aroma again before you drink.
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