FUSION RECIPE

HOJICHA ROASTED TEA JELLY
Japanese typically drink a cup of tea following their meals to clear the palate. Western desserts can be rich, but this tea-infused jelly has a refreshing quality and is a particularly fine complement to a meal of fresh sushi or sashimi.
Ingredients

Serves 6
59 kcal Protein trace Fat 0 g (per person)
- 3 T hojicha roasted tea leaves*
- 600 ml / 2 1/2 C boiling water
Hojicha jelly
- 9-10 g (0.32-0.35 oz.) unflavored gelatin powder
- 500 ml / 2 C hojicha
Syrup**
- 6 T light color honey, e.g. acacia
- 220-260 ml / about 1 C water
- 1-1 1/3 T Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Directions
- Place hojicha leaves in a teapot, pour boiling water over them. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
- Pour the hot steeped hojicha into a bowl, straining through a paper coffee filter. Measure out 500 ml (2 C).
- From this amount, pour 50 ml (1.7 oz.) into a different bowl. Cool quickly by placing this bowl in ice. Sprinkle in gelatin and allow to stand for 1 minute.
- Add the remaining 450 ml of hot hojicha to the bowl, mix to dissolve gelatin completely and allow to cool. Pour this hojicha-jelly liquid into a container and refrigerate until set.
- In a fresh bowl, add honey and whisk well with 60 ml (1/4 C) of the water. Add the remaining water and soy sauce little by little; adjust amounts of soy sauce, water and honey to taste, depending on honey variety and thickness.
- After it has set, spoon out the hojicha-jelly into individual serving bowls. Serve with plenty of syrup poured over the jelly.
* Hoji means “roasted.” Hojicha is a distinctive type of Japanese tea made by roasting green tea leaves; it contains less caffeine than other Japanese teas.
** This syrup is very light and not too sweet.
Recipe by Michiko Yamamoto
1 C (U.S. cup) = approx. 240 ml; 1 T = 15 ml; 1 t = 5 ml