Hojicha Bubble Tea

5 from 2 votes

Change up your drink routine with a hojicha bubble tea that gets its sweet, nutty flavor from Japanese roasted green tea.

Prep Time3

Cook Time10

Total Time13

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Servings: serving (16 ounces)

Author: Jee Choe

Steep hojicha tea in ¾ cup of hot water for 3 minutes.
Boil water on the stovetop or use electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set water temperature to 195°F. For best results, make tea ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator. Use filtered water if possible.
Strain the tea and stir in brown sugar.
Set aside to cool.
Cook tapioca balls. Boil ¾ cup of water and brown sugar in a saucepan. Add tapioca balls.
Combine water and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once you see big bubbles (2-4 minutes), add tapioca balls. Keep boiling for 8 more minutes on medium-high heat. Turn off heat and cool slightly, until tapioca balls are quite warm, but aren't too hot to eat.
Assemble the drink. Put warm tapioca balls and brown sugar syrup into a cup. Add ice, cooled down hojicha tea, and milk.
Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink.

You can use any milk for this recipe, including plant-based options, but whole milk makes a creamier drink.
For the ideal boba texture, serve tapioca balls when they’re very warm. Just make sure they’re not too hot, since they can burn your mouth.
Tapioca balls shouldn’t be made ahead since they start to harden as they cool.
Use a wide straw to drink boba so you can get a few tapioca balls and tea with each sip.
Hojicha tea can be steeped and made ahead of time. It can be stored (without sugar or milk) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.