If you follow me on social media or have attended my classes, you probably know that masala chai is traditionally brewed with black Assam tea, generally in a CTC (cut tear curl) cut. Traditional is an interesting word when it comes to chai because there was a time not really that long ago that South Asians didn’t drink tea. Despite having native plants in Assam consumed by the indigenous Singhpo people, the leaves weren’t processed the way they are today and tea was mostly imported from China.

Hojicha is a roasted green tea from Japan, sometimes called roasted matcha when consumed in powder form. It has MUCH less caffeine than matcha or black tea, and so it’s great for an evening drink if you can’t do something too strong. When Hojicha.co told me (this is not a sponsored post, I just wanted to try this product) they like using their dark roast hojicha for masala chai, I was intrigued, having recently gone “rogue” with a pumpkin masala chai recipe I knew I had nothing to lose by trying something else that was new to me.

Since its discovery in China in 2737 BCE, the way we process and consume tea as humans has been ever evolving. So many cultures have made tea their own and innovation continues. I love sharing the traditions I grew up with, learning tea traditions from other cultures and also experimenting.

So even though hojicha is green tea, I’ve boiled it in this recipe and prepared it similarly to how I prepare masala chai, with a few changes. To get the right color, after simmering the tea leaves with the water, spices and milk and completing a double boil, I did cover and steep the entire mixture for two minutes before straining and serving. The result was a nutty, sweet and delicious brew. You may find the spices show up a little more subtly due to the complexities within this brew, but I really enjoyed it for my tea time this afternoon.

Masala Chai with Hojicha

Serves: 2

1 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp grated ginger or ginger juice

1/4 ceylon cinnamon stick, crushed

3 cardamom pods, crushed

8 grams hojicha tea leaves (I used Hojicha.co dark roast)

1 tbsp sugar

1. Simmer spices in water for 3-5 minutes

2. Add hojicha and simmer for about 2 minutes

3. Add milk and sugar, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and bring to a boil again.

4. Stir thoroughly, pressing against the leaves with your spoon

5. Cover and let steep for 2-3 minutes, then strain and serve.