Hi everyone, it’s been a long time! This is Marie from Obubu!
As you already saw in the title of this post, today’s tea recipe is a delicious Hoji-chaï Latte!
A lot of you may already know what Chai Tea is, but for people who have never tried this fantastic drink yet, “Chai” or “Masala Chai” is a sweet tea beverage originating in India and made by boiling black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices.
It can also be consumed straight, without any dairy, but this way of drinking is less common that the first one.
In the traditional way, the tea that is used to make Masala Chai is Assam or Ceylon black tea, but for peoplewho don’t like bitterness and astringency, I would really recommend using Japanese black tea (Wakoucha)instead! Compared to Indian black teas, Japanese black teas are known to be much lighter and have a gentle, delicate aroma. Most of the time, they can be consumed without any sweetener as they are naturally very sweet.
However, an endless problem remains for people who want to enjoy Chai Latte at night .. Yes! caffeine!
All black teas contain caffeine, and many people are worried about not being able to sleep!
This is why I wanted to make a Chai Latte that anyone can enjoy at any time, and for that I changed the black tea to hojicha (roasted green tea)!
But the next question is: There are so many types of hojicha! Which one are we going to use?!
After experimenting with the different Hojichas we have at Obubu, I finally found out that high-grade Hojicha teas that are made from finer tea leaves like Sencha are a bit astringent and release some sourness in the Chai Tea, so would recommend using lower grade Hojicha made out of Bancha or Stems, to get a more gentle, smooth taste.
Among the Obubu’s Hojicha, our 「Tsugumi Kukicha」 was the best one to pair with the spices and the milk (I used almond milk in this recipe)!
Tsugumi Kukicha is produced from the stems of summer harvest Tencha leaves.
Medium-heavy in body with a lingering presence, it has notes of pecans and chamomile, and releases an aroma of wood, peat moss and toast.
But let me introduce the recipe to you guys!↓
(You can also watch the recipe video on Obubu’s Youtube channel and our Japansese Instagram @kyoto_obubu! Don’t hesitate to share it!)
「Houji-Chai」2人分
– Water 220g
– Almond Milk 300g （You can also use regular milk, or any vegetal milks）
-「Tsugumi Kukicha」10g〜12g
– Honey １tbsp (sugar is also fine)
[Spices]
・Cardamom x2
・Cloves x2
・Cinammon stick x1
・Whole Black Pepper x 6
・Fresh Ginger slices 3g〜5g （I recommend to put 5g to people who really like a strong ginger taste ）
① On a cutting board, crush the cardamom seeds and chop the ginger into small pieces. Break the cinnamon sticks by hand.
② Put the water and the spices in a small pan and take to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
③ Add the Tsugumi Kukicha and boil again for 3 to 5 minutes with occasional mixing.
④ Add the almond milk, mix well and bring to a boil again
⑤ Sprinkle a tea strainer on the mug to pour the milk tea, and add the honey while the drink is still hot.
DONE〜！
I really hope you will like it and I am looking forward to hearing your returns〜！♡