Iced Hojicha with Cinnamon (Print version)

Refreshing Japanese iced tea with roasted hojicha, creamy milk, and warming cinnamon spice.

# What you'll need:

→ Tea

01 - 2 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 2 hojicha tea bags
02 - 2 cups water

→ Dairy & Sweetener

03 - 1 cup milk, dairy or plant-based such as oat or almond milk
04 - 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or simple syrup, optional

→ Garnish

05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling
06 - Ice cubes as needed

# Directions:

01 - Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add hojicha tea leaves or tea bags, reduce heat and steep for 5 minutes.
02 - Strain the tea into a heatproof pitcher and allow to cool to room temperature. For faster chilling, refrigerate for 10 minutes.
03 - Fill two glasses with ice cubes.
04 - Pour cooled hojicha tea over the ice, filling each glass halfway.
05 - Stir in milk and sweetener to taste.
06 - Sprinkle ground cinnamon over each glass and stir gently.
07 - Garnish with an extra pinch of cinnamon on top and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you'd order at a quiet café, but takes less time than driving there.
  • The toasted flavor of hojicha pairs beautifully with milk in a way that feels both comforting and sophisticated.
  • Once you make it once, you'll find yourself craving it on afternoons when you need something warm-adjacent but actually cold.
02 -
  • Cinnamon won't dissolve smoothly unless you stir it immediately after sprinkling, so don't just dump it on and hope—a few gentle spirals with your spoon make all the difference.
  • If you use very hot tea straight over ice, the ice melts faster than the tea cools, leaving you with a diluted disappointment—always let it reach room temperature first, or at least lukewarm.
03 -
  • Invest in loose leaf hojicha over tea bags if you drink this regularly—the flavor is noticeably deeper and more complex, and a small tin lasts longer than you'd think.
  • Keep your cinnamon in a cool, dark place and replace it every few months; old spices fade into shadows of themselves and won't do this drink justice.
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