Hojicha Panna Cotta with Black Sugar Caramel
A silky panna cotta deeply infused with roasted hojicha, served with a dark Okinawan black-sugar caramel—toasty, creamy, and quietly addictive.
Hojicha panna cotta is one of those small Italian-Japanese mash-ups that feels inevitable once you taste it. The Italian custard base is light, milky, and barely sweet—the perfect quiet stage for hojicha's roasted nut and caramel notes to take center stage.
The key is to steep the hojicha generously in the warm cream. Three tablespoons per 500 ml is not a typo—the cream needs to take on a real toasted depth and an unmistakable amber color before you set it with gelatin.
Black sugar caramel made with kurozato (Okinawan black sugar) brings a deep molasses, almost rum-like flavor that mirrors the tea's roastiness without competing. A light pour over the unmolded panna cotta is enough; you want the cream itself to remain the hero.
Serve cold in small portions. A few flakes of sea salt over the caramel make every bite snap into focus. It's the kind of dessert that ends a meal beautifully and pairs—of course—with another small cup of hojicha.
Ingredients
- 500 ml heavy cream
- 150 ml whole milk
- 3 tbsp loose hojicha leaves
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2.5 tsp powdered gelatin (or 3 sheets)
- 3 tbsp cold water (to bloom gelatin)
- For the caramel: 1/2 cup kurozato (Okinawan black sugar) or dark muscovado
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
How to make it
- 1Bloom gelatin: sprinkle powdered gelatin over 3 tbsp cold water in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes until fully absorbed.
- 2In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar, and hojicha leaves. Heat over medium until just steaming (do not boil). Cover, remove from heat, and steep 10 minutes.
- 3Reheat gently until warm but not simmering. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in vanilla.
- 4Strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher, pressing on the leaves to extract maximum flavor. Divide among 6 small ramekins or glasses. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until set.
- 5Make the caramel: combine black sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, swirling occasionally, for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened and syrupy. Cool completely.
- 6To serve: either spoon caramel directly over the panna cotta in its ramekin, or dip the ramekin briefly in warm water, run a knife around the edge, and invert onto a plate. Drizzle with black sugar caramel and finish with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.
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