Tea in an Italian stovetop espresso maker
I’m playful and I love experimenting. Also, I’m Italian. So, I’m going to show you how to make hojicha tea in an Italian stovetop coffee maker, aka the moka pot (in Italian la moka, la caffettiera, la macchinetta are all acceptable ways of referring to it).
Every Italian household is equipped with one because espresso is a necessity. I won’t take sides here but I firmly believe in peaceful coexistence… coffee and tea are not mutually exclusive! Hojicha tea brewed this way reminds me of barley coffee, another popular beverage in Italy (which, despite its name, doesn’t contain any coffee and is naturally caffeine free). By brewing hojicha tea this way, you get a “concentrate” which is perfect if you are making hojicha latte.
How it works:
An Italian stovetop coffee maker consists of 3 parts. The bottom part is the water reservoir. Fill with filtered water. On top of the water reservoir sits a funnel-shaped filter. Fill with hojicha tea without pressing on the leaves. I get more flavor by grinding half of my hojicha to a powder in a mortar. The lidded top part is where the coffee (tea in this case!) collects when it’s ready.
Also, you can add flavor directly to the hojicha tea leaves and hojicha powder before brewing, maybe some cocoa nibs or cacao powder or even your favorite spices.
I have tried making hojicha latte with this concentrate and I have to say, I was impressed. It really helps make the final drink more flavorful and less watery.
What would you use this hojicha tea concentrate for? I was thinking cocktails too ;-)
