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Iced Hojicha Milk Tea Recipe

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Iced Hojicha Milk Tea (ほうじ茶ミルクティー) is literally iced milk tea made with Hojicha tea. Iced milk tea is a very popular drink at coffee shops in Japan, especially during summer, although it’s not seen as often in the US. Usually iced tea is made with English black tea in Japan, but some people like Iced Hojicha Milk Tea for a different but interesting fragrance. Lately, it has become more trendy to use Hojicha in iced tea so it’s gaining popularity.

Hojicha has been around and enjoyed for about 100 years in Japan. It is a kind of green tea even though it the tea leaves look brown and the tea itself is also brown tea, similar to black tea. Hojicha has a mild and smooth taste, and not much bitterness or harshness in it. Hojicha is considered to be more like an everyday tea, using more mature leaves as opposed to young leaves that are used for more expensive kinds of green tea. The tea leaves are then steamed, rubbed, dried, and finally roasted. It is more deeply roasted than regular green tea, and that’s why Hojicha gets its brown color. Hojicha’s light but nutty aroma from deep roasting is characteristic of the flavor. It is very nice, and you will not get tired of it even if you drink it everyday.

For iced tea, Hojicha should be brewed pretty strong to get the nice aromatic flavor of the tea, otherwise, you may not be able to taste it well. Sugar should be added when the tea is still hot to dissolve the sugar easily. Or use simple syrup to sweeten just before you drink. The amounts of tea leaves, milk, and sugar are up to your liking, and should be adjusted freely.

It is, of course, very nice to have cool drinks in hot weather. This one is not overly sweet, so you don’t feel bad afterward. If you never had Hojicha, try this iced milk tea. It is different from your ordinary one and you will enjoy a pleasant surprise on a hot day.

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