Get your tea ready and let’s dive in!

Health Benefits of Tea

One of the main reasons green tea gained so much popularity is the high amount of EGCG. EGCG is a catechin linked to many health benefits. Teas that are less oxidised will have higher levels of this catechin, and green tea is one of them.

Both hot and cold brews can provide antioxidants and boost the immune system and provide an energy boost. However, specific health benefits can vary depending on the type of tea and the brewing method used.

What’s super interesting is that there are many studies on the right water temperature and steeping time for hot brewing to extract the most polyphenols and caffeine, and they all showed the same results – the higher the water temperature, the better.

It was until recently that hot brewing seemed like the best brewing methods for making green tea.

But recent studies showed that cold brewed green tea may actually provide better antioxidant properties and have less caffeine at the same time (1).

Hot Brewing Method

Hot brewing method is one of the most popular ways to make tea. Although hot brewing is simple, it requires a bit more patience and the right water temperature. Don’t use boiling water to make green tea because it will get bitter.

The right temperature for hot brewing green tea is usually between 75 to 85 degrees Celsius, depending on the tea type. Some teas, like gyokuro, require even lower temperature – from 45 to 65 degrees Celsius.

Cold Brewing Method

Cold brewing is steeping tea leaves in cold water for at least 2 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight. Different tea types will require different steeping time. Cold brewing is a fast and easy method that offers a very refreshing flavour with zero bitterness. Besides, tea brewed this way will contain less caffeine than hot brewed tea.

How Was Tea Prepared for This Test?

To determine which brewing method gives a better tasting tea, we did a taste and colour test that involved brewing loose leaf flavoured green tea – the type that’s commonly used for making a cold brew tea.

We used:

• 2 heaped teaspoon per 600 ml of water for cold brewing
• 1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water for hot brewing

Cold brewed tea was steeped for 12 hours in the fridge and hot brewed for only 1 minute at 80 degrees Celsius.

Comparison of Hot and Cold Brew Tea

So, what is the difference?

Without even trying the tea, you can see how different the colour is. 12-hour cold steeping gives a much lighter tea than 1-minute hot steeping.

You may already know that the darker the colour, the stronger the green tea will be. A great example of this is a comparison between popular gunpowder green tea that has a deeper yellow colour and lighter Dragon Well. The first one will usually be stronger and sometimes astringent, while the other one is much lighter and sweeter.

Then, there’s the flavour. Cold brewed tea is very light, fresh and sweet. It has more intense green notes than a hot brewed one. Hot brewed tea, on the other hand, is less fresh but more mellow and sweeter (especially since it’s a flavoured tea). Neither is bitter, but that’s because the steeping time was 1 minute for hot and 12 hours for cold tea.

Cold Brew vs Hot Brew, Which One is Better?

If you want to sip tea throughout the day and enjoy cold, and generally prefer unsweetened drinks, cold brewing is a wonderful option. It’s very refreshing, not overpowering and light.

But, if you like stronger taste or you’re looking for more flavour and caffeine, then hot brewing is a way to go. To explore complex flavours of pure, very high quality green tea hot brewing is actually a must – including re-steeping.

Tips For Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea

1. Use filtered water: The quality of the water you use can significantly affect the taste of your tea. Filtered water with neutral taste is the best choice for both hot and cold brewing.
2. Use the correct temperature: The temperature at which you steep your tea can also affect the taste. When making green tea, keep it at 75-85 degrees Celsius. When making cold brewed tea, use cold or lukewarm water.
3. Steep for the right amount of time: Steeping for too long can give a bitter taste, while not steeping long enough can give a weak flavour. Cold brew green tea for at least 2 hours, but no longer than 24. When making hot tea, keep the steeping time at up to 3 minutes. However, 1 minute should be enough to get the right flavour.
4. Add more flavour: If you prefer a sweeter taste, hot brewing may be a better option. Sweeteners will balance out any astringency. Cold brewed tea is usually much lighter and doesn’t need any sweeteners. For both methods, you can add fresh fruits and even vegetables.
5. Store your tea properly: To keep your tea fresh and flavourful, store it in an airtight container away from light, moisture, and heat. Stale tea will never have a good flavour. However, if your tea doesn’t taste as nice when you hot brew it, try cold brewing because cold brewing results in a completely different flavour. You may discover you like it after all!

Cold Brew Tea vs Hot Brew Tea Recap

Both hot and cold brew tea have unique advantages when it comes to taste and health benefits.

While hot tea offers bold flavour, cold brew tea may be a wonderful choice for daily drinking.

If you’re looking for a healthier option, then cold brew tea may be a winner. However, preference plays a significant role, so it’s essential to experiment and find what suits you the best.

Remember, the quality of water, temperature, and steeping time are essential factors in determining the taste and health benefits of your tea.

Sources

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648929/

The post Cold Brew vs Hot Brew Tea – Which is Better? appeared first on All That Tea.

We tested two ways – using cold and hot water to demystify which one tastes better.

After all, every cup and glass of tea you drink should be delicious.

So, is there a better way to make it in terms or flavour and benefits?

Let’s find out.

What is matcha tea?

Matcha tea is a type of Japanese green tea made from shaded tea leaves. What makes matcha a matcha is not only the shading process, but the use of special tea cultivars and removing all stalks and veins from tea leaves before powdering them.

Tea leaves used for making matcha are called tencha and look like small light flakes. Tencha is now more accessible too, so try it when you have a chance. Especially if you love matcha.

Let’s get back to matcha.

Matcha is usually described with three characteristics:

• Umami
• Bitterness
• Sweetness

Umami is a seaweed like flavour that is present in all green teas. It comes from L-theanine, an amino acid specific for Camellia sinensis plant, and is especially abundant in matcha and gyokuro green tea. That’s why matcha and gyokuro will have more umami then sencha.

Gyokuro is also a shaded tea, but it’s produced differently than matcha. It’s typically brewed with much cooler water than other green teas.

L-theanine is increased during the shading process, together with caffeine. Two compounds that give bitterness and astringency are caffeine and EGCG. Some of the highest quality matcha teas will have both sweet and umami flavour. Each matcha tea is going to be different and have slightly different ratios of these compounds.

Ultimately, which one you will like the most will depend on your preferences. If you haven’t found the one you like the most, try different types until you find the perfect one.

Is matcha produced in other countries?

Until recently, most of the authentic matcha tea was made only in Japan. But it’s not only the terroir that’s making matcha exclusive and authentic, it the way it is grown and processed as well. Authentic matcha always tastes different from the non-authentic tea and is easily recognizable based on colour and texture.

However, today there are other countries that are producing matcha tea that’s as authentic as the real matcha – but with a slightly different flavour profile that matches the terroir where they are grown.  

Terroir is an environment where the tea is produced and includes climate, soil and other environmental conditions. That’s why 2 teas from different countries, even if they are produced from the same tea cultivar and in the same way, will always taste different.

Which matcha is the best for making iced tea?

Iced matcha is just amazing for spring and summer days and it’s very easy to prepare.

You can use any matcha to make an iced tea, even matcha produced in countries besides Japan, as long as it has a vibrant, green and fresh scent and appearance. There’s no right or wrong in choosing the perfect matcha, but you should always enjoy your tea.

Many packaging and descriptions will not state the type of cultivar or additional information about how it was produced. In fact, these matter little, unless you are a tea connoisseur on a quest to try every type of matcha in the world.

As long as it’s made from quality leaves and it was shaded, stored properly and ground into a very fine powder, your matcha will provide both benefits and will taste delicious. Some teas may have a fresher flavour and scent, the others may have a stronger sweet and umami taste.

You don’t need to use ceremonial grade matcha for making iced matcha. Latte grades will be fine as well. You can add other condiments and powder too, to add other flavour notes such as honey, berries or even cinnamon.

Which utensils do you need for making iced matcha?

Traditionally, matcha is prepared with hot water, using special matcha utensils – chawan, chashaku and chasen. While you can replace chawan and chashaku, chasen is a must for making traditional matcha. Thankfully, there are no strict rules on how to make iced matcha. In fact, an electric hand frother may be a better option as it will make preparation super easy and convenient.

You may even make it with no utensils, using a shaker bottle or mason jar with a tightly closed lid. However, we recommend investing in an electric hand frother, especially if you love drinking matcha lattes too.

Another great utensils to have and use is a small sifter. Sifting matcha is a must step if you want to avoid lumps.

Hot or cold water for matcha – which is better?

Depending on which flavour you enjoy the most and the type of matcha you are using, both ways may, in fact, be a great option.

For this flavour test, iced matcha teas were made:

1. Using 50 ml of water – one was boiled and cooled to 80 degrees and the other was cold filtered water.
2. Tea was sifted into a smaller glass.
3. After pouring either hot or cold water, it was whisked using a hand frother.
4. Glasses were filled with ice and topped with cold water.

So, what did they taste like?

Iced matcha made with cold water only

Matcha made with cold water only has a lighter, more powdery flavour than matcha made with hot water. It’s fresher, grassier, and it had slightly more froth than a matcha made with hot water. This tea is lighter and sweeter and easier to make, as there you don’t need to boil the water first. It also has some astringency, but that astringency was light as well.  

Iced matcha made with hot water

Matcha made with hot water has a deeper, more complex flavour, with slightly more bitterness, but also more depth. It’s also more difficult to make, as it will require additional steps and you should be careful about the water temperature not to intensify the bitterness. However, if you are an avid matcha drinker, you may prefer this style of making iced matcha.

Which matcha will provide more benefits?

The benefits of any tea will depend not only on the type of tea but also on the way you prepare it.

Matcha is not only delicious, it’s also famous for its potential health benefits and energy boost.

Shading process increases the caffeine and L-theanine content in matcha tea (1), making it a really excellent alternative to a regular cup of coffee. Matcha contains catechins too, which may provide an anti-oxidative boost, provide an inti-inflammatory activity, lower blood pressure and improve memory (2).

If you want to maximise the potential benefits, always follow the brewing recommendations.

Usually, steeping time and water temperature both play an important role in extracting the nutrients from tea leaves. Is that the case with matcha too?

Matcha tea is a powder, so you can’t steep it like regular loose tea or a tea bag.

However, studies suggest that even though there is no steeping time for making matcha and therefore the time won’t influence the benefits, water temperature will (3). Making matcha with boiling water will make it really bitter, so the next best option is to use the recommended temperature – 80 degrees Celsius.

In terms of providing more potential health benefits, making iced matcha with hot water first may be a slightly better choice.

Final thoughts on how to make iced matcha

Iced matcha is really delicious, and it may offer refreshment, energy boost and many other benefits. Making an iced matcha tea is easy and convenient since you don’t need all the utensils. However, when choosing the right method, keep in mind the desired flavour profile and potential benefits. Iced matcha made with cold water and iced matcha made with hot water taste very similar. Unless you are a regular matcha drinker, you may not notice the difference at all as both will taste great.

Sources:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213777/

(2) https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5087/htm

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7796401/

The post How to Make Iced Matcha: Cold vs Hot Water – Tested appeared first on All That Tea.

Is it steeping or simmering? Which method is going to give you the best chai? 2 methods compared in a parallel tasting, cup next to cup, steeped using the same ingredients, the same ratios of water and milk, and the same brewing time.

So, which one is better?

Ingredients for making chai tea

While there are many types of chai out there, the most common one is masala chai, made with black tea leaves, spices, water, milk and sugar. Chai is usually lightly spiced, with texture and depth being a very important aspect of this drink. Ingredients will vary from recipe to recipe, and there really is no right ratio to make the perfect cup.

Both drinks in this test contain exactly the same ingredients, and the same ratios:  

• 2 cardamom pods, a few black peppercorns, star anise, some cinnamon and a clove, crushed using pestle and mortar
• 200 ml of water
• 100 ml of whole milk
• 2 teaspoons of broken leaf Assam black tea

The ingredients were the same, as well as the preparation time. The only thing that was different was the process. One was simmered, the other one was steeped, both for 10 minutes.

Learn how to make masala chai from a scratch at home.

Steeping method

As chai was gaining in popularity, steeping became a go-to method for making it at home. The idea behind steeping chai is simple. Pre-made chai blends already contain all spices and black tea leaves, and all you need to do is steep a teaspoon of tea in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. In the end, you could also add some milk. Some pre-made chai blends contain very small tea leaves and broken spices, and some have whole spices and longer leaves. Each blend will be different in appearance, intensity and flavour.

Tea was steeped in freshly boiled water for 10 minutes together with crushed spices,  covered. Then it was strained into a mug, sweetened with the same amount of sugar, stirred and topped with hot milk.

Simmering method

Simmering is different from steeping. It means adding all ingredients into a saucepan and simmering it over low heat until tea and spices release their flavour. You can use a simmering method to make other teas too, but because it will cause a stronger brew, it’s best for making milk teas. To make chai this way, you first add water and spices, bring it to a boil, add tea leaves, simmer, then add milk and sugar and bring it to a boil again and simmer for a few more minutes. Once you strain the tea, you pour it from one cup into another several times, preferably from a height. Simmering requires more patience and looking over a saucepan, unlike steeping, where you can simply add tea leaves into a teapot or an infuser and let it steep.

So, what kind of tea will you get using these 2 methods?

Simmered chai

The first noticeable difference is that even though you start with the same ratios, brew them for the same time, volume will reduce significantly. Simmering reduced the total volume by almost 50%. It will also influence the flavour and texture. Simmered chai is frothy, with a complex silky flavour. It’s sweet, with a lot of depth, and feels luxurious, almost as it was made with a milk that has over 10% of fat. And, it has a deeper colour too.

And what about steeped chai?

Steeped chai

To make it as close as possible, tea was covered while steeping, and milk was heated. The steeping is a very different method than simmering. Steeping will reduce the total volume by 20 ml, but that’s not nearly as close to simmering. Even though the spices were crushed, the flavour is lighter. While still delicious, compared to the simmered tea, it feels watery. It also feels much sweeter. Because ingredients released less flavour, sugar stands out more, while in the simmered method, it balances the astringent notes. Steeped tea has a slightly lighter colour and is less foamy than the simmered chai.

So which way should you use at home?

If you want a rich, decadent, creamy tea, use the simmering method. It may require a bit more patience, but it will be well worth it. You can use pure loose leaf black tea or even tea bags and add fresh crushed spices or use a pre-made chai blend. If you’d rather steep the tea, aromatic pre-made blends will likely give a better flavour as they are properly balanced for steeping. And lastly, heat the milk – it will give a nicer texture.

Read more: Chai tea vs Chai latte

The post Making Chai You Will Love – Steeping or Simmering, Which is Better? appeared first on All That Tea.

Why did we try steeping vegetables with tea?

While at first it may not seem appealing to have a cup of vegetable flavoured tea, let’s look at it from another perspective. Many types of tea, especially green tea, will have a naturally fresh vegetal flavour. Japanese sencha may have light spinach notes, gyokuro is famous for its seaweed umami flavour and Chinese Mao Jian is vegetal and grassy. All these flavours have a potential to pair well with vegetables. Plus, earthy beetroots and sweet carrots may go well with fruit and black teas.

However, the flavour of many pure green teas can easily get lost in a heavily flavoured blend. Although gunpowder tea and some types of senchas aare great for blending and flavouring, many of them aren’t. The tea we chose is rarely used in flavoured blends – Chinese Dragon Well or Long Jing tea. Long Jing has unique flat leaves and is lighter than other green teas. It’s nutty, sweet and vegetal, and many stronger ingredients would ruin its delicate flavour. And that’s exactly why it seemed like a good idea to steep it together with some fresh vegetables.

How to steep vegetables with green tea

1. When making a cup of green tea with vegetables, choose vegetables that are edible raw, such as:

• • • Baby spinach
    • Kale
    • Celeriac root
    • Celery
    • Carrots
    • Beetroot
    • Cucumbers
    • Peppers
    • Sugar pea

Avoid vegetables that shouldn’t be eaten raw, such as potatoes or beans, or those that may give a VERY strong flavour – such as onions and garlic (although, garlic tea exists too, and potatoes make a great milk alternative!)

2. Wash it thoroughly, thinly slice it and steep together with 1 teaspoon of tea leaves.
3. Don’t use boiling water for brewing green tea and don’t over-steep it. Water temperature should be around 70-80 degrees Celsius (158-176°F), depending on the tea type.
4. Steep it for 2-3 minutes and strain. You can re-steep the same leaves once or twice.

5 different vegetables with green tea test

To give you a good idea how it tastes, we tried steeping pure green tea with a carrot, beetroot, celeriac root, chilli pepper and cucumber. Here’s how it tastes.

1. Carrot green tea

Carrots are popular for their sweetness and distinctive flavour that can pair well  with many other ingredients, and with green tea too. A real proof carrots are great in desserts is the classic carrot cake.  Steeped with green tea leaves, they add a light orange tone and a light top and bottom carrot note, with leaving the green tea flavour intact. Should you try it? Yes, if you like the flavour of carrots, try it iced and with optional ingredients such as mango or pineapple.

2. Chilli pepper green tea

 

Chilli is actually a popular ingredient in tea blends, especially rooibos and chai blends. It adds a very strong and vegetal scent to tea and doesn’t influence the colour. Chilli peppers give a hot, but surprisingly very drinkable tea. It’s strong, spicy, but the flavour of green tea is still there. Not convinced you should try it? Think of it as a stronger substitute for ginger and a good ingredient for making a comforting and warming green tea on cool winter mornings.

3. Celeriac green tea

 

Celeriac root has a very similar flavour to celery, with an additional earthy note. It’s often used for making creamy soups or to add flavour to vegetable and chicken clear soups. So, can you steep it with green tea too? In fact, you can. It gives a very delicate touch without ruining the green tea flavour. It doesn’t change the colour either. Is it worth trying? Yes, especially for making an iced tea, steeped together with herbs and fruits such as rosemary and raspberries.

4. Beetroot green tea

 

Beetroot is one of the most versatile root vegetable in the world. It tastes great sweet, sour and salty, and has a beautiful intense colour that will instantly change the colour of green tea. Nutty and toasty notes of green tea pair really well with earthy beetroot, but the flavour is distinctive. Meaning, if you like beetroots, you will enjoy it because it will alter the flavour more than many other vegetables. The best way to drink it? It would make for an amazing proper sweet, iced tea – just use a stronger green tea such as gunpowder.

5. Cucumber green tea

 

Is cucumber tea tasty? Cucumbers are a must try for steeping with green tea! They add a super flavour note to green tea, unlike any other vegetable. They can make green tea taste sweeter and cooler, and just perfect for daily summer sipping. You don’t need to worry about adding too much either – cucumbers are light enough not to ruin the tea. You can try it iced and with a slice of lemon too.

Is it worth trying to steep tea with vegetables?

Definitely! You can experiment with your favourite vegetables or create even more intrinsic flavours by adding more ingredients. Steep them together with green tea that has a vegetal and fresh flavour. Keep the steeping time up to 3 minutes and drink hot or iced.

Need more ideas on how to flavour tea?

• Read which fresh fruits are great for steeping with black tea

The post Is cucumber tea tasty? 5 different vegetables steeped with tea appeared first on All That Tea.

In this test, we will cover:

• What is pink tea?
• Which of the most popular types of green tea are the best for making pink tea?
• What colour can you expect when making pink tea with milk at home?
• Tips for choosing the best green tea for making pink chai

What is pink tea?

Pink tea is a tea made with green tea leaves, water, milk and bicarbonate of soda. The colour change occurs when you change the pH of green tea by adding bicarbonate of soda. That change happens because of polyphenols. (Source: SpringerLink) Tea will first change into an intense deep red, and by adding milk it will become pink. Pink chai will never be vibrant neon pink or intense bright pink, but it should have a beautiful dusty rose or golden rose colour. Some pink teas only have a light pink hue and are closer to regular chai.

Why did we test different green teas?

The reason is quite simple. Making a perfect Kashmiri chai recipe is all about ingredients. Choosing the right green tea is the first step in making sure you will get the right colour and flavour. There are many green teas you can use for making pink tea, but not all of them will have the right flavour. Indian green teas and Chinese gunpowder are usually teas of a choice for making homemade pink chai. And there’s a good reason for that. The best green tea will give not only the right colour, but a deep, slightly smoky flavour that goes well with typical pink chai ingredients such as saffron, rose petals, almonds and star anise.

We tried 5 of the most popular green teas:

• Sencha
• Gyokuro
• Dragon Well
• Mao Feng
• Gunpowder

How did we make pink tea?

To test these green teas, we didn’t follow the typical traditional recipe for making a Kashmiri chai. Instead, we used a simplified method for making any pink coloured tea, added 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in 150 ml of water brought to a boil, added a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and simmered it for 10 minutes. In the end we added 100 ml of icy cold water, strained it into a cup and added milk. When making a pink tea, always add only a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Adding 1/3 or even ½ of a teaspoon will significantly influence the flavour and the tea will be undrinkable. Use you can, use chashaku or a tiny spoon.

Learn how to make Iced pink tea at home

Japanese Sencha

Japanese Sencha is one of the most popular types of green tea. Sencha is a steamed tea with long needle-shaped leaves and a unique vegetal and fresh scent and flavour. It’s amazing to make iced tea and daily drinking but is not typically used with milk. Did sencha give pink colour and what was the flavour like?

Flavour: There was no bitterness, but the tea was too light to be used for making pink chai. It laced body and depth, which makes sense. Sencha is too light and too vegetal to be served with milk.

Colour: Sencha gave a lighter pink colour, with a yellow-orange hue.

Is it suitable for making pink tea? No.

Japanese Gyokuro Konacha

Gyokuro is a type of shaded Japanese tea that’s often brewed at very low temperatures. Gyokuro konacha is a by-product of gyokuro tea production. It contains tea dust and small leaf particles that will brew into a strong tea.

Flavour: Gyokuro is a unique tea. It either has a strong umami flavour or a strong bitterness, depending on the type and water temperature. Flavour is stronger than sencha and the umami note is very intense too.

Colour: It gives a deep brown-red colour.

Is it suitable for making pink tea? No.

Chinese Dragon Well

Unlike sencha and gyokuro, Dragon Well or Long Jing tea is a pan-fired tea. It’s one of the most popular Chinese teas. It’s usually a light, delicate, but flavourful tea, with light nutty notes. Dragon Well is never served with milk. It’s the lightest and most delicate of these 5 tea types.

Flavour: The flavour is very light, but good, nevertheless.

Colour: Dragon Well tea gave a dark pink colour with a greyish hue.

Is it suitable for making pink tea? This tea could be used for making pink tea, but probably with less milk.

Chinese Mao Feng

Chinese Mao Feng is one of the most famous Chinese teas. When prepared properly, this tea is light, but you can use it for making stronger infusion too. Although the flavour is fresh and green, it’s not vegetal like sencha. It has nutty and floral notes and it’s typically not served with milk.

Flavour: There are many types of Mao Feng teas out there, so the type will influence both the colour and flavour. The one we tried gave a colour similar to the colour you would get when using Indian twisted leaf green tea. Flavour was nice too – light, deep and would definitely go well with additional spices.

Colour: Mao Feng gave the prettiest colour of all tried teas – bright dusty pink.

Is it suitable for making pink tea? Yes.

Chinese Gunpowder tea

Gunpowder is perhaps one of the most popular Chinese green teas in western countries. While it’s far from a typical Chinese tea, it became popular because of its strength. Gunpowder is great for making iced teas and tea blends that are served with lots of sugar and other stronger ingredients. It has a slightly smoky, deep flavour. This tea is often used for making this chai at home, exactly because of its strength and flavour.

Flavour: This tea will give a strong and bold colour and flavour and a creamy tea with a very deep colour. It makes a good base for adding spices and milk.

Colour: Deeper red-purple colour.

Is it suitable for making pink tea? Yes. This tea is perhaps the easiest to use and you can actually adjust the intensity of colour quite easily.

Pink Tea Test Recap

What this test showed is that any pure green tea can become a pink tea, but with a different shade of pink and different flavour. Using a pre-made Kashmiri chai blend will make the task much easier, but even if you don’t have one, don’t give up. You can try making it with any strong green tea with nutty and smoky notes.

From all these tested teas, the one we would choose again is Mao Feng tea. It gave the prettiest colour, light flavour, with no bitterness and enough body to be served with milk. The second choice would be a gunpowder tea, followed by Dragon Well.

Pink Tea Tips:

• Avoid green teas with grassy notes – these are mostly steamed Japanese teas
• Choose strong teas – slightly astringent green tea with a full body will be a great choice
• Avoid green teas with umami notes – these are mostly Japanese shaded teas
• Avoid teas with a light body – they may give a great colour, but the body will lack – this means teas that you usually wouldn’t drink with milk
• Indian and Nepali green teas will probably give great results
• Choose teas with nutty and smoky notes that brew into a strong, deep yellow infusion

The post Can you use any green tea to make pink tea? 5 green teas tested appeared first on All That Tea.

Tea and fruits – which fresh fruits are the best?

We tried brewing simple, strong black tea with 6 different fresh fruits to see which ones give a great flavour, and which ones are better avoided.

This flavour test should give you an idea what to expect when brewing black tea with fresh fruits. It can’t tell you what pre-made blends with the same fruits taste like. Premade blends are made with dried fruits and usually many ingredients and flavourings.

1. Black tea with banana

Banana teas are steadily gaining in popularity over the last several years. While it may sound strange to give a banana flavour to tea, banana blends taste surprisingly good. But how does a simple black tea steeped with fresh banana slices taste like?

We added 3 slices and waited. First, the colour of the tea changed a little. It became a slightly less attractive, which may be discouraging. But the flavour changed for the better. Fresh banana slices added delicate banana flavour, and a honey-like sweetness to black tea. This would be a great fruit to add when steeping tea for making lattes and if you like adding honey to tea.

Yea or nay? Yea!

2. Black tea with apricot

Apricot teas are less popular than peach teas, which is a real shame. Apricots are usually more tart than peaches, but when ripe, they are super sweet and juicy. We added ½ of fresh apricot, thinly sliced. And just how nice it was! The colour turned to beautifully intense orange and apricots gave a nice acidity to black tea and light apricot flavour. This tea was a bit lighter on apricot flavour than expected, but it was quite nice. Steeping tea with fresh apricots would be great for flavouring black tea for tea drinkers that like hibiscus teas, sour fruit teas or lemon teas.

Yea or nay? Yea!

3. Black tea with blueberries

Blueberries are sort of classic. Among dozens of berries, they are one of the most popular choices for baking and making smoothies. We added some blueberries and waited. The scent was wonderful, just like a blueberry tea should be, but the flavour was delicate. Who might like it? Tea drinkers that enjoy pure and only lightly flavoured tea. To intensify the flavour, crush them before steeping them with tea.

Yea or nay? Yea!

4. Black tea with red currants

Red currants are not everyone’s cup of tea. They are pretty, but have a very unique acidic taste. They are less sweet than blackcurrants or blueberries, but sweeter than cranberries. When added to black tea, they change the colour and make it brighter and pretty, but the flavour is disappointing. They alter the flavour, and not really in a good way. There’s acidity, but the flavour is missing.

Yea or nay? Nay ☹

5. Black tea with apple

Apple tea is not only one of the most popular types of fruit tea – apple tea is the fruit tea. Many fruit teas contain dried apple pieces. Homemade apple and cinnamon teas are just as popular as a pre-made blends. But what do thin slices of fresh apple do to a black tea? They chance the colour to an orange-brown and give a dose of acidity and reduce astringency. However, it would taste better if the tea was simmered, rather than steeped, and enhanced with some cinnamon. Who would like it? Tea drinkers that like fruit and apple teas and like acidity in tea.

Yea or nay? In between.

6. Black tea with mango

Mango is a synonym for a tropical flavoured tea. Mangos are sweet, juicy, and super tasty. We had very high expectations from this one. Mango brightened the colour of tea, but not as much as apricots did. It did almost nothing to the flavour. Flavour was so disappointingly weak, especially since the mango was ripe, sweet and juicy. It only reduced astringency and added some undefined sweetness. To get a stronger flavour, you would need to use quite a lot of fruit.

Yea or nay? Nay ☹

The post Tea and fruits – which fresh fruits are yea, and which are nay for steeping with black tea? appeared first on All That Tea.

What is Toast and Jam tea?

Toast and Jam tea is a breakfast blend dedicated to one of the most popular breakfast combo – tea, toast and jam. It’s a typical British breakfast tea with a twist that smells exactly of toast and jam. This tea is blended for tea drinkers who usually drink regular strong breakfast tea bags and want to add more flavour to their morning tea routine.  

We tried 3 different methods to make the best morning cuppa that won’t take more than 5-6 minutes of your time.   

3 Ways to Make a Perfect Cup of Toast and Jam Tea

Method one – Sweet and creamy Toast & Jam Latte

This method will take about 5 minutes of your time if you are brewing tea and heating the milk at the same time and is great for tea drinkers that like to add both milk and a sweetener into their morning cuppa.

You will need:

• 1 tea bag
• 150 ml of freshly boiled water
• 100 ml of whole milk
• 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam

How to do it:

1. Bring fresh water to a boil.
2. Steep one tea bag at 98-100 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag and add a teaspoon of strawberry jam.
3. Heat the milk in a microwave for 1 minute. Use a tall cup. Once it’s hot, froth it with an electric hand frother.
4. Add hot and frothed milk to tea.

You can use either strawberry jam or preserve. Strawberry jam will give a light, but deep strawberry notes and sweetness. Alternatively, use honey or sugar.

Why do we like it? This method is great for turining this tea into a treat. It adds creaminess, softens black tea, and adds sweetness and light strawberry notes.

Method two – Strawberrylicious tea with milk

To make a “regular” cup of breakfast tea, simply heat the milk and add it to your tea. Why heating the milk? Because it will give a warmer, deeper flavour.

You will need:

• 1 tea bag
• 200 ml of freshly boiled water
• 30 ml of whole milk
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• ½ teaspoon of strawberry extract

How to do it:

1. Steep one tea bag in 200 ml of freshly boiled water at 98-100 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.
2. Remove the tea bag, add strawberry extract and a teaspoon of honey.
3. Heat the milk in a microwave for 1 minute and add it to the tea. Stir.

Why do we like it? It’s easy, simple, add intensifies the jam note. Plus, if your strawberry food extract is red, it will chance the colour of this tea into pink.

Method three – Regular, but fruity cuppa without milk

You can add a spark to you regular cup of breakfast tea by simply brewing it with fresh fruits. Since Toast & Jam is a strawberry jam flavoured blend, slice up some fresh strawberry and steep them together with tea.

You will need:

• 1 tea bag
• 250 ml of freshly boiled water
• 2-3 ripe strawberries (washed and sliced)  
• ½ teaspoon of honey

How to do it:

1. Bring fresh water to a boil.
2. Wash and slice strawberries, add them to a cup together with one tea bag of Toast & Jam tea. Steep for 5 minutes at 98-100 degrees Celsius.
3. Remove the tea bags and strawberry slices and add honey. Stir.

Why do we like it? Fresh strawberries are great for steeping with black tea. This method is very simple, but adds an intense fruity flavour.

All these methods are suitable for making tea with any breakfast blend tea bags.  

Get Toast & Jam Tea from Ocado

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