Iced Hojicha Latte Japanese (Printable)

Creamy Japanese iced latte featuring roasted green tea with vanilla and maple sweetness

# What You Need:

→ Tea

01 - 2 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 2 hojicha tea bags
02 - 1 cup hot water

→ Sweetener & Flavor

03 - 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
04 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Milk

05 - 1 cup milk of choice (dairy, oat, soy, or almond)

→ To Serve

06 - 1 cup ice cubes

# How To Make It:

01 - Steep hojicha leaves or tea bags in 1 cup of hot water just below boiling (195°F) for 3-4 minutes.
02 - Strain and discard the tea leaves or remove the tea bags.
03 - While the tea is still warm, stir in maple syrup and vanilla extract until fully dissolved.
04 - Let the tea cool to room temperature or refrigerate for faster chilling.
05 - Fill two serving glasses with ice cubes.
06 - Pour the sweetened hojicha tea evenly over the ice in each glass.
07 - Top each glass with 1/2 cup milk and stir gently to combine.
08 - Serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like a café drink but takes five minutes, which means you'll actually make it on busy mornings.
  • The roasted tea flavor is naturally complex, so the maple syrup feels like a gentle nudge rather than masking anything.
  • Works with any milk you have on hand, making it friendly to different kitchens and preferences.
02 -
  • Water temperature genuinely changes the taste—I learned this the hard way by using boiling water and getting an unexpectedly bitter cup that nearly made me give up on the whole thing.
  • Cooling the tea before adding ice prevents the ice from diluting your drink into something that tastes watery by the halfway point.
03 -
  • Brew double or triple batches of sweetened hojicha in advance and keep it in a glass jar—you can pour it over ice and add milk whenever you want without any of the waiting.
  • If you can't find hojicha, it's worth ordering online because the flavor profile is genuinely different from anything else and worth the small effort to source it properly.
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