Hojicha Ice Cream - Hojicha Aisukurimu
By Emiko Davies
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Easy
"The easiest no-churn ice cream hack ever is whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. You can add any flavours really to this simple preparation, but hojicha ice cream is my weakness.
Hojicha has a gentle, toasted, nutty flavour. It is a green tea, but it isn’t bitter, it is roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal, which is what contributes to those toasty notes. It’s delicious as iced tea in the summer and comforting as hot tea in the winter.
The roasting also removes the amount of caffeine in the tea, so hojicha is even enjoyed by children before going to sleep. Here, I like to make a cold infusion of the tea leaves with the cream for a perfectly balanced flavour. If you can’t get the tea leaves, you can try with powdered tea – it may be a stronger flavour, so use less, and you won’t need to wait for the infusion either."
GOHAN: Everyday Japanese Cooking by Emiko Davies (Smith Street Books, £26) Photography: Yuki Sugiura
Ingredients for Hojicha ice cream
Method
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Mix the hojicha and cream together, giving it a little stir to combine (I just like to put the tea directly into the carton of cream for less washing up). Leave to infuse for 8 hours or overnight in the fridge.
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Strain (if using leaves) and then whip until peaks hold. Fold through the sweetened condensed milk, then transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze for 6–8 hours. This is best enjoyed not long after it is made, but it will keep well for a couple of weeks.
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Serve with a little dusting of hojicha powder or just some hojicha tea leaves over the top.
About the author
Australian-Japanese cook and writer Emiko Davies has lived in many countries across the world. Her home is currently between Florence and Pisa, where she hosts cookery classes and workshops. She has written several cookbooks inspired by the food of Florence and Tuscany. And her latest book Gohan is an exploration of the Japanese recipes of her childhood.
