Hojicha Latte

Both come from Japanese green tea plants, but the processing is completely different. Matcha is stone-ground steamed leaf, vivid green, grassy with an umami depth, and relatively high in caffeine. Hojicha is roasted tea, reddish-brown, nutty and caramelised with notes of toasted grain, and contains around five to seven times less caffeine than matcha. A matcha latte is energising and slightly bitter. A hojicha latte is warming and mellow and suitable for the evening. For anyone sensitive to caffeine, hojicha is the clear choice.

Yes. For a latte with loose leaf, use double the standard quantity — about 5 to 6 grams per 100 ml of water — and steep at 80 to 85 C for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain, then combine with warm frothed milk. The flavour from loose leaf can be slightly more delicate. Powder gives a more concentrated, café-style result because the finely ground surface area extracts more efficiently and dissolves completely into the milk. If using powder, always sift it first and whisk to a smooth paste before adding milk.

Oat milk is the choice of most cafes and baristas: naturally sweet, neutral in flavour, froths well, and does not overpower the roasted character of the tea. Whole dairy milk gives a classic, creamy texture. Soy milk froths well but can carry a faint bean note. Almond milk is too thin and produces unstable foam. Coconut milk from a can is very rich and shifts the character of the drink noticeably. Optimal milk temperature is 65 to 68 C. Above 70 C the proteins begin to break down and the foam will not hold.

Increase the powder to 2 to 3 teaspoons instead of one. Use less water when making the paste: 40 to 50 ml instead of 60 ml to get a more concentrated suspension. The standard ratio is 1 part water to 3 parts milk. For a stronger result, move toward 1 part water to 2 parts milk. With loose leaf tea, steep for 2 minutes instead of 1 and use slightly more leaf. Most cafes use a double dose of powder and less milk than home recipes suggest.

Prepare the paste exactly as for a hot latte: whisk hojicha powder with hot water at 80 C until smooth. Let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Fill a tall glass with ice all the way to the rim. Pour in cold milk. Then pour the cooled hojicha paste slowly over one of the ice cubes in a thin stream to create a layered effect: amber tea floating above white milk. Stir before drinking. Add sweetener to the paste while it is still warm so it fully dissolves before the cold milk goes in.