New Frontiers in Tea Drinks

At Boba Guys, with locations across California and New York, hojicha has already earned a spot as a core latte flavor, made with organic powder from Tea People and framed as “low in caffeine but high in toastiness.” That matters because the endorsement is coming from a trend-leading boba chain, helping bring hojicha into the mainstream. Specialty offerings include the Hojicha Banana Milk Tea, which layers hojicha atop the fruit-based milk and the Black Sugar Hojicha Latte with housemade Japanese kuromitsu syrup to complement the toasted notes of the tea.

The momentum doesn’t stop there. In New York City, Nana’s Green Tea has built a lineup that ranges from classic Hojicha Lattes to riffs like chocolate and caramel versions, subtly training consumers to recognize and expect “roasted green tea” as a natural part of the latte lexicon. California-based franchise Junbi Tea strengthens that shift with hot and cold hojicha lattes, including a Dirty Hojicha Latte, which pairs the roasted tea with espresso. Together, these brands showcase hojicha functioning almost like a second espresso, offering up layered drinks, “dirty” builds and signature lattes that feel familiar yet distinctive.

Flavors on the Edge is an ongoing series that explores emerging ingredients poised to become high-impact flavor builders.