Hojicha Cappuccino (Print Version)

A creamy, aromatic cappuccino featuring roasted Japanese hojicha tea blended with steamed milk for a smooth, toasty alternative to traditional coffee drinks.

# Components:

→ 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 hojicha tea leaves or tea bags and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Strain or remove the bags.
02 - While tea steeps, heat milk in a small saucepan or steam using a frother until hot but not boiling. Froth the milk until creamy and foamy.
03 - Pour brewed hojicha equally into two cups. Stir in sweetener to taste if desired.
04 - Gently pour steamed milk over the tea, holding back the foam with a spoon. Spoon the remaining milk foam on top for a classic cappuccino finish.
05 - Serve immediately, optionally dusted with a pinch of hojicha powder or cinnamon.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a cozy hug in a cup without the jitters that coffee sometimes brings, perfect for afternoons when you want comfort but not chaos.
  • The whole thing takes ten minutes start to finish, so you can make something that tastes like a café splurge on a random Tuesday morning.
02 -
  • Over-steeping the hojicha even by a minute can push it toward bitter, so set a timer the first few times until you find your sweet spot.
  • The quality of your hojicha matters more than anything else here—a mediocre tea brand will make this taste generic, so splurge a little on loose-leaf if you can.
03 -
  • If your milk won't froth well, it might be too cold to start with—warm it first, and the foam will come together much faster.
  • Loose-leaf hojicha tastes noticeably better than tea bags, and it's worth hunting down online or at a Japanese market rather than settling for what's at the regular grocery store.
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