In the mood for hojicha bubble tea (or hojicha boba)? Well guess what, you can make your own bubble tea at home! This easy recipe was especially designed to satisfy your bubble tea cravings even if you're a beginner. As you enjoy your hojicha milk tea and the perfectly chewy tapioca pearls, you will be so proud of your homemade hojicha bubble tea that you’ll be dreaming of your next batch before you're even done.
What is hojicha bubble tea?
Hojicha bubble tea is a drink made from Japanese roasted green tea and tapioca pearls known as boba. The most popular way to enjoy hojicha bubble tea is as an iced milk tea. When the hojicha milk tea is shaken with the ice, a thick layer of foamy bubbles forms at the top making the drink true to its name.
How to make hojicha bubble tea?
Hojicha bubble tea is made by preparing hojicha milk tea which is poured over cooked tapioca pearls. The hojicha milk tea can be easily made at home using authentic Hojicha Powder, or hojicha tea leaves. The tapioca pearls can be store-bought or homemade, both options are cooked before being combined with syrup and added to your beverage. In this recipe we'll show you how to make hojicha milk tea using Hojicha Powder or hojicha tea leaves, as well as how to make hojicha infused tapioca pearls.
How to make milk tea with Hojicha Powder?
Hojicha Powder is made from finely ground roasted green tea, and is the most popular option for making hojicha milk tea. First, you'll whisk the powder with a minimal amount of cold filtered water using a chasen (bamboo whisk), frother, or spoon. Then you'll combine the hojicha mixture with milk, and you're done! Not only is this method the quickest, it's also incredibly easy to customize the strength of the tea by simply adjusting the amount of Hojicha Powder.
How to make milk tea with hojicha tea leaves?
Loose leaf hojicha is made from green tea leaves which are roasted. The flavor of loose leaf hojicha is best extracted with water, so to make hojicha milk tea you'll first need to steep them in warm water in a small pot. Then you'll add milk to the pot, and when the tea is done steeping you'll need to strain the leaves. Since it takes some time to cool the milk tea when it is made with leaves, it's best to prepare your hojicha milk tea in advance before cooking the tapioca pearls.
How to make hojicha tapioca pearls?
Making tapioca pearls from scratch is much simpler than it sounds, and best of all you can flavor them with the rich and smoky Hojicha Powder. Start by mixing the Hojicha Powder with tapioca starch, and then add boiling water. Knead the dough, shape into pea-sized balls, and cook until softened. Soak your freshly made tea-infused pearls in sweetener to keep them soft for up to 4 hours.
Follow our detailed recipe for a delicious hojicha bubble tea that you can easily make without leaving the comfort of your home.
Hojicha Bubble Tea with Hojicha Powder
Ingredients
- 1 batch of tapioca pearls
- 2 teaspoons Hojicha Powder
- 100 ml cold filtered water
- 280 ml milk (we used oat milk)
- ½ cup ice
Instructions
- Prepare your tapioca pearls using our Hojicha Tapioca Pearls recipe (or follow the package instructions if you're using store-bought tapioca pearls).
- Prepare your milk tea with Hojicha Powder by whisking together 100 ml of cold filtered water and 2 teaspoons of Hojicha Powder.
- Combine the whisked hojicha, 280 ml of milk, and ½ cup of ice in a shaker or mason jar.
- Shake vigorously for approximately 15 seconds to create those famous frothy bubbles.
- Pour the hojicha milk tea into your glass with tapioca pearls and syrup, add a straw and stir before enjoying your hojicha bubble tea.
Hojicha Bubble Tea with Hojicha Tea Leaves
Ingredients
- 10 grams hojicha tea leaves (we used Hojicha Dark Roast)
- 200 ml filtered water
- 180 ml milk (we used soy milk)
- ½ cup ice
- 1 batch of tapioca pearls
Instructions
- Prepare your milk tea with loose leaf hojicha by heating 200 ml of filtered water in a small pot over medium heat.
- As soon as wisps of steam and small bubbles begin to form, add 10 g of hojicha tea leaves (be sure to add the tea before the water begins to simmer, as high temperatures will burn the delicate green tea leaves).
- Steep the roasted green tea leaves on the warm water for one minute.
- Pour 180 ml of your desired milk in a slow circular motion to fully submerge the tea leaves.
- Steep the tea leaves with the milk for two minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let stand covered for five minutes.
- Strain the tea leaves into a measuring cup, and cool to room temperature.
- In the meantime, prepare your Hojicha Tapioca Pearls by following our recipe (or follow the directions on your store-bought package).
- Once the roasted milk tea has cooled, combine it with ½ cup of ice in a shaker or mason jar.
- Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until bubbles form, then pour over the tapioca pearls.
- Stir well and sip on your homemade hojicha bubble tea.
Hojicha Tapioca Pearls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Hojicha Powder
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, divided
- 2-4 tablespoons boiling water
- 2 tablespoons liquid sweetener (we used maple syrup)
Instructions
- Prepare the hojicha tapioca pearls by lining a tray with parchment paper, and dusting the top half with 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon of Hojicha Powder and ¼ cup of tapioca starch in a medium bowl until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add 2-4 tablespoons of boiling water into the hojicha mixture, until a dry dough begins to form (you may not need all of the water). Then knead together until smooth.
- Roll out the dough into several thin logs on the bottom half of the parchment paper, and cut into equal segments.
- Form pea-sized tapioca pearls, and place each one onto the dusted parchment paper. Make sure they are smaller than the straw you intend to use.
- When shaping each hojicha tapioca pearl, you can use additional tapioca starch or hot water to get the dough just right. If your dough is too dry and breaking apart, dip your finger in a small bowl of hot water to smooth any cracks. If your dough is wet and disintegrating, then add more tapioca starch until it comes together again.
- Once all of the hojicha tapioca pearls are formed, fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.
- Add the tapioca pearls into the boiling water, and stir once to avoid them sticking to each other.
- Once the tapioca pearls all float, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of your desired liquid sweetener, and add to a tall glass.
- Drain the tapioca pearls and rinse well under cold water.
- Add the tapioca pearls to the warm sweetener, and set aside while you prepare your milk tea.
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