Hojicha Jelly

1. Gather all the ingredients. If you are using strongly brewed hojicha instead of water, brew the tea now and omit the hojicha powder. In this recipe, I use more water to make this Hojicha Jelly less firm than standard kanten jelly. If you prefer an even softer jelly texture, you can add a bit more water; see my blog post for details.
2. In a saucepan, add 2½ cups water (or strong hojicha) and 1 stick kanten (agar) powder.
3. Whisk well while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
4. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking the mixture once in a while.
5. Turn off the heat. Add ¼ cup sugar and 1 Tbsp hojicha (roasted green tea) powder.
6. Whisk to combine until the sugar has dissolved and the hojicha powder is well incorporated with no lumps (the ground leaf powder won‘t dissolve).
7. Run a square or rectangular mold (I used a nagashikan that is 15 x 14 cm or about 6 x 5½ inches) under running tap water so the jelly doesn‘t stick. Shake off the excess water, but do not wipe it dry. Pour the hot hojicha mixture into the mold. Tip: If you don‘t have a nagashikan, you could use a baking pan or dish that is 8 x 8 inches (20 x 20 cm). It will create a flatter, single layer of jelly compared to the mold I used.
8. Remove the bubbles on the surface by quickly touching them with the flame from a butane torch (also called a kitchen torch) or a long-stemmed utility/candle lighter. You also could scoop them off with a spoon or pop them with a toothpick, but those are both time-consuming methods.
9. Once the bubbles disappear, let the mixture cool and solidify on the countertop until it is at room temperature (about 45–60 minutes). The jelly will set before it reaches room temperature. To chill, cover with plastic (I actually added a sheet of paper towel under the plastic to absorb condensation) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To Make the Topping

1. Combine 3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk and 3 Tbsp milk and mix well. Adjust the consistency and sweetness based on your preference. Add more sweetened condensed milk for a sweeter, thicker mixture. Tip: This Hojicha Jelly is vegan-friendly if you skip the condensed milk topping. For a vegan option, I highly recommend serving this with kuromitsu (黒蜜), Japanese black sugar syrup. You can make it from scratch following my recipe.

To Serve

1. Remove the jelly from the mold. If you used a pan or dish, run a knife along the edges of the pan and quickly invert it onto a cutting board to release the jelly.
2. Cut into ½-inch (1.3-cm) slabs and then into sticks.
3. Cut into ½-inch (1.3-cm) cubes.
4. Transfer the cubed jelly to individual serving dishes and pour some sweetened condensed milk mixture on top. Enjoy!

To Store

1. Transfer the leftover jelly to an airtight container or cover the serving bowls with plastic. Store in the refrigerator for 3 days. Do not freeze.