1. Place hojicha leaves in a teapot, pour boiling water over them. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Pour the hot steeped hojicha into a bowl, straining through a paper coffee filter. Measure out 500 ml (2 C).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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