Rich and Creamy Hojicha Ice Cream Recipe

I remember a conversation I had with my Canadian friend in the late ’90s. I was trying to explain that my favorite ice cream was Matcha ice cream from Häagen-Dazs—but she had no idea what I was talking about, partly because Matcha wasn’t well known back then, and partly because my English skills were pretty limited. These days, though, the word “Matcha” is much more widely recognized.

In a nutshell, Matcha is shade-grown green tea leaves that are finely ground into powder. About three weeks before harvest, tea farmers cover the plants to block sunlight. This process reduces bitter compounds called catechins and increases amino acids—particularly L-theanine—which gives Matcha its signature umami flavor.

Have you heard of “Hojicha”? In Japanese, “hoji” means “roasted” and “cha” means “tea,” so Hojicha literally means “roasted tea.” When people in Japan refer to Hojicha, they’re usually talking about roasted sencha (a common green tea). However, some tea producers also roast tencha—the raw material used to make Matcha. If you look closely at Hojicha powder packages, you might see them labeled as either “Hojicha powder” or “Hojicha (Roasted Matcha) powder.” The latter tends to have a smoother mouthfeel and a sweeter flavor, since the stalks and veins are removed from the tea leaves before grinding.

So, how do you use Hojicha powder? You can add it to all kinds of desserts and baked goods. One of my personal favorites is Hojicha ice cream.

Hojicha (Roasted Matcha) Ice Cream

Kitchen Poucupine

Rich and creamy ice cream made with Hojicha

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine French, Japanese

Servings 5 people

Equipment

• Ice cream maker

Ingredients

  

• 4 Egg yolk
• 30 g (2 tbsp)  Granulated sugar
• 360 g (1 1/2 cups) Whole milk
• 50 g (1/4 cup) Granulated sugar
• 33 g (1/3 cup)  Non fat dry milk powder
• 22 g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp)   Hojicha Roasted Matcha powder

NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale using grams. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience but are not always accurate.

Instructions

 

• In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and 30g of granulated sugar until the sugar gets blended completely.
  
• In a small saucepan, combine and warm the milk, 50g of granulated sugar, and non fat dry milk powder. (Do not boil)
  
• Once warm, remove from the heat and slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture and mix well.
• Scrape the warmed egg yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook on a low heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula unitl the custard thickens and leaves a trail on the spatula when you drag a finger across it.
  
• Remove from the heat and immediately strain the custard into a bowl with ice bath. Keep stirring the custard until it completely becomes cold. Put it into the refrigerator for 6 hours or so.
  
• Add Hojicha (Roasted Matcha) powder into the custard and blend well. Pour the Hojicha ice cream base into an ice cream machine.
  
• Let the ice cream machine churn until it becomes thick and creamy.
  

Notes

*Make sure to cook the custard completely. Raw egg yolks occasionally can cause food poisoning due to the salmonella contamination.

*If Hojicha (Roasted Matcha) powder gets clumpy, strain it through a sieve before churning in the ice cream machine. 

Keyword Gelato, Hojicha, Hojicha ice cream, Ice cream, Without heavy cream