Banana Hojicha Powder

I am still working up to enjoying powdered teas without additives. Almond milk and a tipple of maple made this taste like a bowl of cheerios with sliced banana.

I have never tasted anything that wasn’t an actual banana that tasted so much like an actual banana. Everything banana flavored seems to taste like candy Circus Peanuts or Runts.

The aroma was noticeable but not strong in the dry powder. It was a bit subdued even in the whisked tea. The sip was nutty and roasted and then the aftertaste was exactly as if I had just swallowed a bite of a real banana and was still tasting it. Amazing.

I detected no grittiness in the plain hojicha powder and neither did Superanna. This one did have a touch of texture but it doesn’t put me off from drinking this and I did also prepare it differently. Next time I will use maple syrup as a sweetener and use the Aerolatte to froth it and see if the grittiness goes away.

I’m a HUGE fan of artificial banana flavor. The crunchy Now and Laters in high school are what got me hooked. Or maybe it was the banana Runts in grade school. The origin is debatable, but my love is in full force. This tastes like bananas for sure, but not artificial banana flavor which is based off one variety of banana, so maybe this is some other variety of banana. Either way, this tastes good. I made it with oat milk, honey and some ice and it has more of a nutty banana bread flavor. I ordered it in 3 Leaf’s hojicha variety pack that also came with chocolate and cinnamon. Chocolate cinnamon banana sounds like a winning combo as well and something I am likely to try next. The flavor possibilities are endless!

Another sample from Cameron, thank you! :)

I used all the powder (~2 tsp) and heated the kettle to 185° F to pour just enough water to whisk the powder. Then I steamed a wee bit of soy milk and poured that on top. I took a sip and it seemed a bit bitter or something akin to bitter, so before drinking any more, I added 1/4 tsp of coconut sugar to the top.

This is pretty tasty, and does have lovely banana flavour. I wonder if this would be better cold? The addition of the sugar adds to the banana-ness here, but maybe the hojicha makes it more toasty than I was imagining. Nevertheless, this was fairly tasty, but not something I need for my own cupboard.

Homemade Advent Day 13
from AJRimmer
This one was prepared hot with a little bit of agave and almond milk. The flavor of this one is strong and roasty. It reminds me of coffee but is also leaning a little too close to tasting burnt. Perhaps I should have added more water? The banana is really nice though! I think this one just needs some more experimenting. I have some left to try it cold and with a different type of milk. I think maybe soy milk or oat milk would work better and I might water it down or use less hojicha next time.

Stepping out of my purist comfort zone to try this flavored, powdered version of the latte I generally adore. If it’s flavored and powdered I generally only trust 3 Leaf to make sure it’s not full of crap. Preparation is whisking in hot water and then adding warmed-up vanilla oat milk. But first! Let’s talk about the dry aroma. It reminds me of the Banana Foster dessert. Roasted banana. Caramelized banana. Delicious BANANA. So much banana. The flavor felt a little off at first but as I’ve gotten further into the session I’ve really taken a liking to it. The roasty / toasty notes of the hojicha mix incredibly well!

I made this with cold milk and sugar, and I’m starting to think that I might just not be a hojicha fan. This particular one tasted burned and fishy. I diluted it a little more than it called for and added some whipped cream to the top. Then, I did enjoy it, but it needed a little too much help. I didn’t taste any banana. The flavor was too strong and strange for me, unfortunately. I liked it more when I tried it with oat milk and whipped cream. Then it tasted toasty, but I still didn’t taste banana. I made a cup for my partner, who said it tasted like banana coffee and absolutely loved it. So I may be in the minority here, but I’m glad there’s someone in the house who can enjoy it!

I had very high expectations for this hojicha powder, but it totally lived up to them.

The banana flavour is lighter/milder than the regular banana matcha, but that makes sense because the flavour of the hojicha itself is strong and more dominating. Combined, there’s this very lovely and cozy profile that reminds me of banana bread but with the roast factor of the hojicha. The natural nuttiness of the hojicha really leans well into that too – and it just makes the illusion stronger.

So delicious, and I’m dreaming of a latte so badly right now!

I finally tried this one! For some reason I’d just never gotten around to it…

I prepared it as an iced latte, with 1.5 teaspoons of powder for 4 ounces of warm water. Then I added 8 ounces of milk and a bit of brown sugar syrup.

It’s yummy! The hojicha has a nice smooth roasty, nutty flavor without being overwhelming, and just the right amount of banana! I really like 3 Leaf’s banana flavoring.

I will say that there is a very slight grittiness that’s a bit distracting… But it’s still very enjoyable overall!