kotofarm
1, Hot Ginger hoji tea
The best way is simple hot tea without any sugar or milk.
The ginger and hojicha tea has a nice aroma, so you can enjoy it like herbal tea.
It does not have a strong pungent taste of ginger,but a gentle and mild flavor, so it does not interfere with the taste of food during or after a meal.
①300－500ml boiling water for 1 tea bag(3g).
②Wait more than 5min until ginger tips swells.
③Pour them into cups and enjoy!
2, Ice Ginger hoji tea
It tastes a little different from hot tea.
Iced tea offers the refreshing aroma and taste of ginger, which ease hot and humid summer in Kyoto.
①300－500ml boiling water for 1 tea bag(3g).
②Wait more than 5min until ginger tips swells.
③Remove from heat and refrigerate.
I recommend you to use boiling water at first even for ice tea, to extract the full flavor of ginger.
3, Second/ third brew of tea
Maybe you can enjoy ginger & hoji tea taste during the 2nd brew of tea, but in the 3rd brew, the taste of hojicha weakens and the taste of ginger becomes stronger.
In that case, I recommend you to add some milk, honey or sugar.
The taste will be similar to chai (spiced Indian tea).
4, Used tea leaves will be “Tsukudani”
It might be not so common in western countries, but tsukudani is the food boiled in soy sauce we often eat with rice.
Even used tea leaves we don’t need to throw away!
【Recipe of tsukudani】
・5tea bags (3g×5) of Kyoto Ginger Hoji tea
・mirin ２tbsp
・sake １tbsp
・soy sauce 1.5tbsp
・a pinch of sugar
Mix seasonings together.
Add the contents of the tea bag and seasonings to the pan and stir-fry.
5, Extra; can be used to flavor of sweets.
Kyoto ginger hoji tea can be used for sweets such as syrop, dumplings, ice shave, agar…etc.
