How to make the perfect hojicha latte at home?

A hojicha latte is one of the easiest specialty drinks you make at home. No espresso machine, no barista training. Just powder, hot water, and milk. The result is a rich, roasty drink with warm cacao notes that feels like a proper café order.

Here's how to make it right.

What you need

2g Genie Super Hojicha Powder (roughly one heaped teaspoon) 30ml hot water at 80°C, not boiling 150ml milk of your choice — whole milk, oat, or almond all work Sweetener to taste, optional

Method

Sift the powder first. Hojicha clumps easily and sifting it before adding water takes ten seconds and makes a real difference to the texture.

Add your 30ml of hot water and whisk in a W motion until the powder dissolves and goes slightly frothy. A small milk frother works perfectly if you don't have a matcha whisk.

For a hot latte, heat and froth your milk separately then pour it over the concentrate. For an iced latte, fill your glass with ice, pour the concentrate in, then add cold milk.

Taste it before sweetening. Hojicha has no bitterness so you may not need anything. If you do, honey works best.

Hot or iced?

Both work well. The iced version is surprisingly refreshing — the roasted notes come through clean and the amber colour over ice looks as good as it tastes. If you're making it iced, go slightly lighter on the milk so the flavour doesn't dilute.

Which milk?

Oat milk amplifies the roasty, nutty character of hojicha and is the best pairing. Whole dairy gives a creamier, more traditional latte feel. Almond works but thins the flavour slightly.

Hojicha behaves more like a light espresso than a tea when you make it this way. No steeping, no straining, no mess. Two minutes once you know what you're doing.