Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea -

How to make grass jelly roasted milk tea at home

Black grass jelly is a delightful addition to milk tea as a topping.
It brings a satisfying jelly-like texture, chewiness, and color contrast to your drink while being low in calories. It’s considered a healthy option too!

The mild taste of grass jelly pairs well with almost any milk tea.
And while you can use it as a substitute for tapioca pearls in any drink or dessert, it’s especially heavenly when combined with roasted milk.

In this post, I’ll show you how to make grass jelly roasted milk tea at home.
It’s delicious and incredibly easy!

What is grass jelly roasted milk tea?

Grass jelly roasted milk tea is a type of milk tea that can be found in bubble tea shops like the chain Chatime.
It contains grass jelly cubes and roasted milk tea, which is a type of milk tea that has roasted flavor, normally achieved by using roasted tea leaves (hojicha).

Grass jelly is a traditional Asian dessert made from the leaves and stalks of the Mesona chinensis plant.
The jelly is cut into small cubes or strips and added to the milk tea, giving it a refreshing touch and unique, chewy texture.

Disclaimer: Since I haven’t had the opportunity to try grass jelly roasted milk tea from Chatime as it is not available in my country, I have recreated the recipe based on my own taste preferences. But I can assure you that this recipe is absolutely delicious!

What does grass jelly roasted milk tea taste like?

Grass jelly’s taste, texture, and aroma can vary depending on the brand you choose.

Generally, it has a jelly-like texture, resembling a combination of gelatine and agar-agar.
The flavor is not overpowering, with herbal notes and a subtle hint of piquancy, but without bitterness.

In my experience (I have tried two different brands), the taste and texture were quite similar in both, but the smell differed significantly.
The canned grass jelly from a Chinese brand had an unpleasant fish odor that was too strong for my liking, making it difficult to consume.
On the other hand, the powdered grass jelly I purchased from Vietnam had an aroma that mirrored its taste—mild and herbal, without being overwhelming.

The other element of this beverage, roasted milk tea (or hojicha milk tea), has a gentle roasted flavor that brings comfort and a natural touch of sweetness.

When combined with grass jelly, it creates a delicious taste experience.
The roasted milk tea’s pleasant aroma perfectly complements the herbal taste of the grass jelly, while the jelly’s chewy texture adds a delightful contrast to the smoothness of the milk tea.
And the sweetness of the hojicha milk enhances the overall flavor, making it a delightful and enjoyable drink.

Reasons to make this recipe

SUITABLE FOR ANY TIME OF DAY
Roasted tea (hojicha) is low in caffeine, so most people can enjoy this milk tea even in the afternoon.
HEALTHY
Most bubble teas are high in sugar and calories, but this recipe is low in both.
Additionally, grass jelly may even offer some health benefits, such as acting as an antioxidant, fighting off potentially harmful bacteria and boosting the immune system. And hojicha is also considered a source of antioxidants. [sources: Livestrong, Sendbirdtea]
TASTY
Roasted green tea pairs wonderfully with milk and black jelly grass!
INEXPENSIVE
No matter the cost of the tea you have on hand or the need to purchase grass jelly for this recipe, it will still be more affordable compared to store-bought milk tea!

What you’ll need

Black grass jelly
Simple syrup or maple syrup
Milk of choice
Hojicha tea (roasted green tea)

Ingredient tips and swaps

Grass jelly

Feel free to use canned grass jelly or grass jelly that you made from powder.

Simple syrup

Grass jelly itself isn’t sweet unless you add sugar, so it’s typically served with syrup.

However, if you prefer less sweet beverages, you can skip sweetening this drink. The natural sweetness of milk and the mild flavor of hojicha make it enjoyable without additional sweeteners.

I often use a teaspoon of my homemade sugar-free simple syrup or maple syrup per serving.

Milk

Feel free to use your preferred type of milk for this milk tea recipe.

Both dairy milk and vegan alternatives such as almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk or coconut milk work well and complement the flavors nicely.

Hojicha

Hojicha is a special kind of green tea that is roasted before you brew it.

You can find it in different forms like:

loose tea leaves
tea bags
as a powder similar to matcha but with a brown color

Also, if you have some old green tea lying around, you can easily roast it at home to make your own hojicha.
It’s a great way to give new life to stale tea leaves!

Step-by-step instructions

Be sure to check out the full recipe below

Time needed: 5 minutes

How to make grass jelly roasted milk tea

Prepare the grass jelly
If using canned jelly, remove it from the can.
If using powdered jelly, prepare it according to the package instructions and allow it to harden.
Then cut the grass jelly into small pieces that can be easily consumed through a wide straw.
Prepare roasted tea
If using loose tea or teabags, steep them in hot water for approximately 1-3 minutes.
If using powder, add hot water and mix well.
For each serving, you will need approximately 1 teaspoon of loose tea, 1 teabag, or 1/2 teaspoon of hojicha powder for 50 ml of water. This will create a concentrated hojicha tea.
Assemble
Put the grass jelly pieces in a glass and add some syrup to taste.
Next pour in the milk and the concentrated hojicha.

Does roasted milk tea have caffeine?

Hojicha contains a small amount of caffeine, but the roasting process removes a significant portion of it, making hojicha relatively low in caffeine.
A serving of this recipe contains approximately 8mg of caffeine.

Grass jelly roasted milk tea made from scratch at home

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