Hojicha Latte

Method

1. 1Make the paste. Sift the hojicha powder into a small bowl or matcha cup to break up any clumps. Add the water at 80 C — use a thermometer or let boiled water sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk briskly in a W motion with a bamboo chasen or a small regular whisk for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth and slightly foamy with no dry powder visible. This step is the foundation: undissolved powder will clump in the milk and taste gritty. The paste should be fluid enough to pour.
2. 2Sweeten the paste. If using sweetener, add the maple syrup or honey now and stir it into the warm paste. Liquid sweeteners dissolve easily at this stage. If you prefer to taste first, add sweetener after the milk is added.
3. 3Heat and froth the milk. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave until it reaches 65 to 68 C. Do not boil: above 70 C the proteins break down and the foam becomes unstable. Froth with a handheld milk frother for 10 to 15 seconds immediately after heating. For a basic version without a frother, simply heat the milk until steaming.
4. 4Combine. Pour the hojicha paste into a warmed mug. Hold the frothed milk back with a spoon and pour the liquid milk first, then spoon the foam on top. Alternatively, pour the paste into the milk for a more uniform colour. Add a pinch of salt — it rounds out the roasted bitterness and makes the drink taste smoother without adding saltiness.
5. 5For an iced version: prepare the paste with hot water as above and let it cool for 2 minutes. Fill a tall glass with ice to the rim, pour in cold milk, then pour the cooled paste slowly over an ice cube for a layered effect. Add sweetener to the paste while still warm so it dissolves. Stir before drinking.