Is spicy masala chai difficult to make at home?

If you ever tried a proper chai, you may have noticed how different it is from regular tea with milk. In fact, proper chai is made differently than a cup of tea with milk. It’s simmered rather than brewed, usually contains lots of sugar and has more than just a splash of milk. Making this delicious tea is more than just brewing a cup of pre-made chai tea blend and adding milk. However, making spicy masala chai at home doesn’t need to be difficult at all.

A few simple tips to keep in mind:

• Always crush your spices using pestle and mortar
• Dry roast spices in a pan before adding water
• Add water first, bring it to a boil and then add tea leaves
• After a few minutes, add milk and sugar and stir
• Don’t forget the pulling process – pour it from one saucepan to the other a couple of time

You can use a pre-made chai blend too, but don’t skip the simmering step.

Ingredients for making spicy masala chai

Chai with chilli is a masala chai with chilli. A typical masala chai will usually contain ginger, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, but there are dozens of other ingredients you can use. These include mace blades, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, vanilla and even chilli. Chilli is rarely used for blending tea, but when it is, you’ll usually find it in chai and red rooibos blends.

Spices

You can make chai with any spice you want. However, the most common ones are ginger, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Mace blades are less common, but incredibly aromatic. Although they sound and look quite exotic, they are actually an outer layer of nutmeg. This recipe uses mace blades, cloves, cardamom and ½ of a small chilli pod. Dried small red chillis are another ingredient you’ll need for making this chai with chilli. You’ll also need green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

Milk

When making a rich homemade chai, always use full fat (whole) milk. Although semi-skimmed milk may work too, it will undoubtedly offer less creaminess. If you are using a milk alternative, choose barista milks with creamier textures.

Sugar

Use either regular white granulated sugar or light brown sugar. Chai will always need a sweetener, as the simmering process will increase the bitterness. Start by adding one teaspoon and add more if needed.

Tea leaves

The best tea leaves for making a homemade spicy masala chai are usually broken Assam leaves. You can use tea bags too, but they may not always offer a rich deep flavour. Avoid stale or weak tasting teas. All ingredients, especially tea, will influence the flavour of chai. Chai tea leaves don’t need to be of a super high quality, but they do need to be aromatic and fresh.

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Spicy Masala Chai with Chilli

Homemade masala chai tea from a scratch

Course Drinks

Keyword Black Tea, Chai, Chilli

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Equipment

• 2 small saucepan
• Pestle and mortar

Ingredients

• 1 cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 1/5 piece of small mace blade
• 1 cm cinnamon stick
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar
• 150 ml milk
• 150 ml water
• ½ to 1/4 small chilli pod mini chili, depending on how hot it is

Instructions

• Gather all spices and crush them using a pestle and mortar.
• Add spices to a small clean saucepan and dry roast them over medium-high heat.
• Add water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add tea and chilli and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add sugar and milk and bring it to a boil again, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
• Strain the tea into a clean saucepan. Remove the spices and tea leaves from the other saucepan. Using these two small saucepans, pour the tea from a slight height from one into the other a few times. You can follow this process using two jugs or two bigger mugs, but small saucepans will be easier to use.
• When the tea is bubbly, pour itinto a serving cup.

More chai recipes

The post Spicy Masala Chai Recipe appeared first on All That Tea.

What are cranberries?

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are small red berries with a very tart flavour. Dry cranberries are readily available in supermarkets around the world, while the fresh ones are usually available only in late autumn. Fresh cranberries will last in the fridge for a month or so, making them a perfect ingredient for early winter drinks. Cranberry juices and cranberry sauces are widely available too, but if you have a chance to enjoy them fresh, you definitely won’t regret it.

Cranberries are a common ingredient in tea blends too, especially those with a zesty and tart flavour. They go well with green and black tea, and other zesty and fruity ingredients.

Additional ingredients you can try adding to homemade cranberry tea:

• Fresh apples
• Hibiscus
• Orange

Cranberry benefits

Cranberries make for a delicious homemade drink, and they may provide additional benefits too. In fact, because of their numerous potential benefits, they are considered superfood. Studies showed cranberries may help with urinary tract infections and that’s probably one of their most important benefits. But, it’s not the only one. They may also help protect against heart diseases (1) by lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation and may help boost the immune system (2). With the amazing flavour and significant benefits, cranberry tea will easily become your favourite drink.

How to make cranberry tea from fresh cranberries?

There is a thin line between a tea and a juice, especially when you are using fresh ingredients. Juices are usually simply juiced from fresh fruits. Then, water may or may not be added to dilute them, depending on your preferences. Unlike with tea, there’s no boiling or steeping. On the other hand, tea or an herbal infusion always includes steeping either real tea leaves (tea) or other fresh or dried ingredients (infusion) in water. However, some fruit such as cranberries are better simmered than steeped.

You can make cranberry tea from both fresh and dried cranberries, but with different results. Simply steeping them won’t be enough. Dried cranberries are usually sweetened and will release much less flavour than fresh fruits. Thankfully, making cranberry tea from fresh cranberries is super simple, as you will only need to wash and simmer them.

Spiced cranberry tea recipe ingredients

Fresh cranberries – cranberries are usually available in late autumn, but they can keep in the fridge for a month or even longer. However, you can make a delicious cranberry tea using frozen cranberries too. Once they are in season, wash and freeze them (whole) and thaw before using.

Spices – use whole, crushed spices rather than spice powders. They will give a more complex flavour and a clear liquor. Although spices do not really expire, they will lose their flavour over time, so always check before using them in recipes.

Sugar – any type of sugar will go well with this recipe. For a more neutral flavour, choose white granulated sugar or brown sugar for a nuttier warmer notes. Honey will work well too. If you want to avoid sugars, try it with sugar alternatives.

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Spiced Cranberry Tea

Delicious,zesty, sweet, juicy spiced cranberry tea

Course Drinks

Keyword cranberries, fruit tea, Spiced Tea

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Equipment

• saucepan
• Kitchen strainer
• Pestle and mortar

Ingredients

• 50 grams fresh cranberries whole and unpeeled, washed
• 400 ml water
• 1/3 small cinnamon stick
• 1 whole star anis
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

• Gently crush the spices using pestle and mortar.
• Add spices and water into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
• Add cranberries and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
• Strain into a cup, add sweetener and enjoy.

Sources:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3823508/

(2) https://www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-researcher-discusses-health-benefits-cranberries

The post Homemade Cranberry Tea appeared first on All That Tea.

What is a tea caviar?

Tea caviar is a “caviar” made using infused tea and agar agar. With the right equipment and paying attention to ratios and temperatures, it’s incredibly fun and easy to make. Caviar can be made with many juices, teas and liquors. The flavours must be strong though, so gentle teas are best left for drinking instead. You can use it as a decoration, incorporate into other desserts or simply eat with a spoon, and you can add it to tea cocktails too.

What is agar agar?

The best gelling agent for making tea caviar is agar agar. It’s suitable for vegetarians and vegans and it’s often used as an alternative for regular gelatine. Although you can make tea caviar with gelatine as well, the entire process is more complicated. Agar agar jellifies really fast, so you can have it ready in literally 15 minutes or even less once you try it out a few times.

Agar agar is a vegan-friendly product made from algae. It’s used for thickening and jellying as a replacement for gelatine that’s made from animal collagen. Agar agar powder is white in colour and flavourless. Once heated and cooled down, it turns into a transparent jelly. It sets quickly, which makes it a perfect choice for last-minute desserts.

How to choose the best ingredients?

To make the best tea caviar, choose your ingredients first. You can do a very simple caviar by using tea leaves only, or a mix of different ingredients and sweeteners.

Tea – This recipe is made with Mulled Wine tea blend from Whittards because it’s both festive and full of flavour. Tea was lightly sweetened with white sugar too. Some other teas you can try are flavourful fruit tea blends, strong and smoky black teas or chocolate and fruit flavoured Camellia sinensis teas. If you want to make an herbal tea caviar, teas such as mint, hibiscus, and lavender will be amazing too.

Some teas you can try using:

• Lapsang souchong black tea
• Yunnan black tea
• Apple and cinnamon fruit blends
• Deep-steamed Japanese sencha green tea
• Hojicha green tea
• Chamomile honey herbal tea blends
• Pure peppermint tea
• Lavender floral tea
• Rose floral tea

Agar agar powder – agar agar is available from speciality shops and some supermarkets, depending on your location. You will need only a small amount, approximately 1 gram per 100 ml of tea. 100 ml of tea will give enough tea caviar to decorate desserts.

Oil – choose regular vegetable oil with a neutral flavour. Oil will need to be cold or at room temperature to allow drops to settle as fast as possible. Use at least 200-300 ml of oil, depending on the glass shape. Using more oil will give better results as you will have more surface for squzeeing out the liquid from syringe and allowing pearls to settle.

11 tips for making a perfect tea caviar

To make a perfect tea caviar, pay attention to:

1. Start with less tea – 50 ml of infused tea and 0.5 grams of agar agar. Use a very small saucepan.
2. Wait for a few minutes until tea cools down to a slightly lower temperature to prevent drops from melting into each other. After turning off the heat, wait 2-3 minutes. You don’t want to use boiling liquid.
3. You will need to work quickly because agar agar jellifies quick, not like a regular gelatine. Using a larger 25 ml syringe will help you make them faster. If you are making pearls with over 200 ml of liquid, it’s likely that a part will jellify before you are done. If you need to make more pearls, it’s better to make two batches instead.
4. Choose tall rather than a very wide glass. This way pearls will have more time to cool as they are falling to the bottom of the glass. However, it should be wide enough to allow you enough surface to work with. Use at least 300 ml of oil, especially if you are making pearl for the first time.
5. Make sure you are squeezing liquid around the entire surface, not only in one place.
6. Do not touch the pearls or remove them from the glass before you are done.
7. If the first few drops are melting into each other, wait another minute until the liquid cools down more.
8. Do not add more agar agar than needed. You only need about a gram per 100 ml of liquid. This is less than 1 teaspoon.
9. Once you strain your pearls, they will be coated in oil. You can give them a quick rinse with lukewarm water. Don’t use boiling water and don’t let them sit in the water as they will start melting.
10. Don’t add tea caviar to hot drinks or to hot creams or puddings – they will melt.
11. If you want to use them later or day after, store them in the fridge in an airtight container.

Mulled Wine Tea Caviar

Now, when you know all the basics, try out the recipe below. These tea pearls are delicious on its own or you can add them to a New Year’s champagne.

If you don’t get a tea caviar from the first attempt, don’t give up. It’s likely to take a couple of attempts before making perfect pearls. However, the entire process is much easier than making a homemade caramel and you don’t need a thermometer.

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Mulled Wine Tea Caviar

Easy homemade caviar with sweetened tea

Course Dessert

Keyword Festive, fruit tea, mulled wine

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Syringe (25 ml)
• saucepan
• Kitchen strainer
• Tall glass
• Teaspoon
• Precise kitchen scale

Ingredients

• 110 ml of water (tea leaves will soak some of the water so you will end up with around 100 ml of tea)
• 1-1.1 gram of agar agar
• 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (optional)
• 3 teaspoons of Mulled Wine fruit tea blend
• 300 ml of oil

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil.
• Steep tea in 110 ml of boiling water for about 5 minutes. Some tea leaves soak in more water. You will end up with 10-20 ml less after straining them.
• Strain the tea into a small saucepan and heat it until it almost starts boiling.  
• Add agar powder and stir. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for a minute.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes.
• In the meantime, pour oil into a tall glass.
• Fill the syringe with the tea liquid.  
• With gentle and fast pressure, start squeezing the liquid into the oil in circular movements. Pearls will settle at the bottom. If they are melting into each other, let the tea cool for a few more seconds.
• Once you are done, strain the pearl and give them a quick rinse under lukewarm water.
• Transfer them into a clean container.

The post How to Make Caviar with Tea appeared first on All That Tea.

What is ginger tea?

Ginger tea is an infusion made with fresh or dried ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale). Ginger is one of the most commonly used spices and herbal remedies around the world. It gives festive notes to Christmas cookies, warming note to Indian chai, and delicious aroma to many Asian dishes. Pickled ginger is used as a palate cleaner when eating sushi, and candied ginger is sold as a snack and as an herbal remedy for treating nausea. Reducing nausea may be one of the most known potential benefits of ginger, but there are many other benefits this amazing root has to offer.

What are benefits of ginger tea?

Ginger may offer many potential health benefits. The most important compounds in ginger are gingerols, paradols, shogaols and zingerone, and all of them are responsible for the unique pungent flavour (1).  

Just like with every other ingredient and tea, benefits will depend on how it was processed. The most commonly available types of ginger are fresh ginger, ginger powder and dried ginger, which may be processed further. The unprocessed fresh ginger has the highest content of gingerols, while dried ginger is higher in shogaols and zingerone (2). How much these ingredients influence the taste is clear when making a tea from either fresh or dried ginger – one will be spicier, fresher and more complex, while the other will be milder, spicy, but less pungent.  

The most common use of ginger is to reduce nausea and vomiting, especially since it’s safe to consume in pregnancy (3) and during chemotherapy (4). Other benefits include treating arthritis (5), cancer prevention (6) and reducing blood sugar levels, especially dried ginger (7). In winter, ginger, lemon and honey tea is often used for reducing symptoms of common cold and flu and for calming cough (8).

5 ways of making ginger tea

Ginger tea is easy to make at home, and there are different methods to use. You may enjoy the benefits regardless which method or type of ginger you choose.

1. Dried ginger

The easiest way of making ginger tea is with dried ginger. Dried ginger is available as a whole root, in slices and in smaller chunks. Dried ginger will be easy to strain, will give a clear infusion and it will be less pungent than tea made with fresh ginger. Another benefit of making tea with dry ginger pieces is that you can easily blend it with other ingredients – black, green and white tea, or tisanes such as dry mint, chamomile flowers or dried berries to create your own tea blend. Drying methods will have a different effect on compounds in ginger and make it more or less potent (9). However, all types will contain beneficial compounds. Try not to use ginger that’s been stored for long, as the potential health benefits will decrease over time (10).

2. Fresh ginger

The best and the most aromatic way of making ginger tea is with fresh ginger. It will be more pungent and spicier than dried ginger, but light and refreshing at the same time, too. If you want to make pure ginger tea, this method may be the best choice. It requires some peeling, cutting and steeping or simmering, so it’s also the most time-consuming. Use about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of ginger root per cup of water, peeled and cut into thin slices. You can either steep it in boiling water for about 10 minutes or simmer it.

3. Ginger juice

A great way to add fresh ginger to any tea is to juice the ginger first, then add it to steeped tea. Pure concentrated ginger juice is quite strong and spicy, and a great way to add both the benefits and a peppery warm note to your tea. If you don’t have a juicer, simply peel the ginger first, grate it, and squeeze out the juice using a cheesecloth or a gauze swab. Even 1 teaspoon will add a lot of flavour, so add it carefully.

4. Ginger powder

If neither dried nor fresh ginger is available where you live, you can make tea using ginger powder as well. However, this method is creating a concoction, rather than infusion. Powder is very difficult to strain, so it’s best used for lattes and creamy drinks, rather than making a clear tea. Use about 2 teaspoons of ginger powder per cup of water and steep or simmer in boiling water. You can blend it with other powders too, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. If you have a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth, strain it after 5 minutes.

5. Ginger paste

Using ginger paste is both convenient and easy way of making tea. Since ginger pastes are usually intended for cooking, choose those without ingredients such as oil or garlic. You can also make your own ginger paste and store it in the fridge. Use 2 teaspoon of paste per cup of boiling water, let it steep for 5-10 minutes and strain.

Sources:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/

(2) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2015.1084633

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019938/

(4) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ginger-benefits

(5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11710709/

(6) https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/12/6599

(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277626/

(8) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1044579X19302135

(9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4571220/

(10) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927121000630

The post How to make ginger tea? 5 Methods to Try appeared first on All That Tea.

How to make Mint Matcha Latte

To make this latte, you will need Japanese matcha tea powder, fresh mint, water, milk and, optionally, a sweetener.

Mint – use fresh mint if possible. Dry mint is much stronger, with a very different flavour profile than fresh mint. You only want to add hints of mint. Fresh mint won’t change the colour of the water, so you will end up with a beautiful, naturally flavoured green latte.

Matcha powder – although you can use any matcha powder, teas with a fresher grassy flavour profile and bright green colour will give the best results. Always use only matcha powder that has a lot of flavour and fresh scent.

Milk – whole milk is usually a better choice for making lattes than semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. You can replace regular milk with a dairy free milk alternative too. Choose milk with neutral flavour, preferably a barista style, as they tend to froth better. Also, some milk alternatives may already be very sweet. Check the flavour before adding additional sweeteners.

Sweetener – choose neutral sweeteners such as white sugar or very light floral honey. Regular milk already has enough sweetness, so unless you prefer really sweet drinks, you can avoid this step.

What type of mint should I use?

There are many types of mint, with peppermint and spearmint being the most common ones. You can choose either, but keep in mind that they have a different flavour profile. Peppermint has a stronger, sharper flavour than spearmint, which is sweeter and lighter. If possible, use fresh mint because it will give a much fresher, brighter and lighter flavour than dried mint. You don’t need to use too much as you only want to scent your latte lightly and not overpower it with minty flavour.

If you don’t have any fresh mint, flavour drops may work well too, better than dry mint. However, opt for those that don’t contain any colourings and add only a drop or two. Intensely green coloured mint flavour drops blended with matcha powder will give a very artificial colour.

When to froth the milk?

To make a proper latte, it’s always best to steam and froth the milk before adding it to tea. Since matcha is very green and naturally frothy, it will be more difficult to get a clean line between tea and the froth. You can froth it once you blend the tea and hot milk and get a green drink with green froth instead.  

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Mint Matcha Latte Recipe

Fresh, vibrant and green matcha latte

Course Drinks

Keyword Matcha, Mint

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Equipment

• electric hand frother
• cup

Ingredients

• 80 ml of water
• 150 ml of whole milk
• 2 smaller fresh mint sprigs
• ½ teaspoon of matcha powder

Instructions

• Bring fresh water to a boil.
• Wash fresh mint leaves and steep them in 80 ml of freshly boiled water for 5 minutes.
• Sift ½ teaspoon of matcha powder into a cup. Add 2 teaspoons of water and make a thick paste with no lumps.
• Remove mint leaves and pour the mint tea into a cup with matcha paste.
• Froth it using a whisk or an electric frother. If you are using a sweetener, add it now and stir.  
• Heat the milk, but don’t let it boil.
• Pour the milk into the cup with matcha tea and froth it using an electric hand frother.

The post Mint Matcha Latte appeared first on All That Tea.

How to make granola?

What’s great about homemade granola is that you can make it in literally 2-3 minutes + drying time. You can make it as healthy or as indulgent as you want and choose from dozens of ingredients. Homemade granola won’t cost you a lot, and it will taste delicious.

Ingredients for making Christmas granola

To make this recipe, gather all the ingredients first.

Hazelnuts – First, dry roast hazelnuts in the oven for about 40 minutes at 120 degrees. While this step is not necessary, it will add more flavour to hazelnuts and you will be able to peel off the skin. The easiest way to crush them is to put them into a clean zip-lock bag or wrap them into a clean kitchen towel and use a kitchen mallet.

Oats – use either thick rolled or thin rolled oats, whichever you prefer the most. You can use both of them as well and even add some rye flakes too.

Chocolate – Chocolate will melt in the oven. If you don’t have chocolate drops, you can make white chocolate shreds from regular white chocolate.

Chai Syrup – Because of the warming spices, homemade chai syrup is a great binder for this granola. Learn how to make Chai Tea Syrup here.

Place all ingredients in a bowl except sprinkles and marshmallows. Adding marshmallows is an optional step. If you don’t like the flavour of marshmallow fluff, keep it out. If you use them, they are going to add additional sweetness, so adding a pinch of salt is a good idea to balance out the flavour.  

What’s the best temperature for baking granola?

While you may be tempted to speed up the process by increasing the oven temperature, don’t do it. Your granola may burn or bake unevenly. Keep the temperature at not over 120-130 degrees Celsius and check every 10 minutes. Half-way through, use a fork and gently crush and turn it so it bakes evenly.

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Easy Christmas Granola

Homemade granola with chai tea syrup

Course Breakfast

Keyword Black Tea, Chai, Tea Syrup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Baking tray
• Baking paper
• bowl
• Spoon

Ingredients

• 100 grams of oats
• 20-40 grams of white chocolate drops
• 40 grams of rice pops
• 40 grams of lightly roasted hazelnuts, crushed
• 10-12 spoons of Chai tea syrup
• Christmas sprinkles
• Marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

• Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Put oats, rice pops, white chocolate drops and crushed hazelnuts into a bowl.
• Add tea syrup and mix. Consistency will depend on your tea syrup, but the syrup shouldn’t be dripping from the spoon once you mixed it. If you are using a thin syrup, you may want to use less.  
• Add marshmallows and mix (optional). Use either small marshmallows or cut them into smaller chunks so they melt evenly.
• Add sprinkles and gently mix.
• Spread granola on baking paper in a thin layer. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but spread it out evenly.
• Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 120-130 degrees. It’s done when it’s crispy and light golden.
• Take it out from the oven, let it cool down and store in an airtight container.

The post Easy Christmas Granola appeared first on All That Tea.

1. Mulled Wine

When talking about Christmas drinks, it’s impossible not to start with mulled wine. Mulled wine is for sure, the ultimate holiday drink, so it doesn’t surprise it’s one of the most popular festive tea flavours. Teas inspired by mulled wine can be caffeinated and caffeine free, and they are an amazing alternative if you want to enjoy this warming flavour all day long. Mulled Wine from Twist Teas contains all the spices and fruits to make a proper mulled wine any time you want.

Price: from 4.00 GBP

Caffeine: No

Type: fruit tea blend

Where to buy: Get Mulled Wine tea from Twist Teas website.

2. Mulled Cider

If wine is not really your thing, mulled cider can be a great alternative. This spiced drink is as warming and aromatic as mulled wine, but with crispier and fresher apple notes. Mulled Cider tea from Bird and Blend is an apple-based tea with warming spices and natural zestiness, no caffeine or alcohol, and 100% warming flavour.

Price: from 6.70 GBP

Caffeine: No

Type: fruit tea blend

Where to buy: Get Mulled Cider from Bird and Blend website.

3. Eggnog

Smooth and custardy eggnog is a must for the holiday season. It’s the creamiest of all holiday drinks and incredibly delicious. Eggnog is usually only lightly spiced with nutmeg and can be served with or without alcohol. T2’s Eggnog tea is blended with black tea, hazelnut brittle, nutmeg, sweet blackberry leaves and eggnog flavourings for perfectly creamy eggnog experience in a teacup.

Price: 16 GBP

Caffeine: Yes

Type: black tea blend

Where to buy: Get Eggnog tea from T2 website.

4. Hot Toddy

The best thing on cold winter nights is to snuggle under the blanket. Enjoying a cup of warm drink at the same time makes it even better. This traditional drink is made with whiskey, honey, water, lemon and spices and is usually enjoyed throughout the winter. Hot Toddy tea blend is an alcohol-free tea alternative from Tugboat, made with black tea, and all the spices and flavouring to give the same warming feeling.

Price: from 2.20 GBP

Caffeine: yes

Type: black tea blend

Where to buy: Get Hot Toddy tea from Tugboat website.

5. Fruit Punch

Seeing a big bowl of fruit punch means it’s time to party. Fruit punch is made with different fruit juices and often a sparkling wine or carbonated non-alcoholic drink, and garnished with fresh fruits. Depending on the recipe, punch may contain a mix of different alcoholic drinks too, but it can be alcohol free as well. A Fruit Punch tea blend from It’s Tea is a festive fruit blend, made with oranges and pineapples, cinnamon rods and mistletoe.

Price: from 1.55 GBP

Caffeine: no

Type: fruit tea blend

Where to buy: Get Fruit Punch tea from It’s Tea website.

6. Glogg

If you love mulled drinks, you will love glogg too. Glogg is a Swedish version of mulled wine, but it can be made with other spirits too. It’s warming and rich and often served with dried fruits. Glogg inspired tea from Kusmi Tea’s an herbal, caffeine and alcohol-free aromatic blend of blackcurrants and grapes, spices, liquorice and natural zestiness from hibiscus, lemon peel and orange essential oil.  

Price: 19.90 EUR

Caffeine: no

Type: fruit tea blend

Where to buy: Get Glogg tea from Kusmi Tea website.

7. Buttered Rum

What could be more indulgent than a hot drink made with butter and spices? Buttered rum is a rich and warming winter drink made with rum, butter, spices, and sugar. Buttered Rum tea from Clearview Tea Company contains no alcohol or calories, only a comforting and rich buttered rum flavour.

Price: 14.00 CAD

Caffeine: yes

Type: black tea blend

Where to buy: Get Buttered Rum tea from Clearview Tea Company website.

The post 7 Teas Inspired by Christmas Drinks appeared first on All That Tea.

What is Candy Cane Popcorn Tea?

Candy Cane Popcorn tea is a holiday blend from Yawn. It contains a deeper black tea base, popped rice, apple pieces, white chamomile and safflower petals and natural flavours. Toasted and popped rice is commonly blended with Japanese green teas such as sencha, bancha or sometimes even gyokuro, to create a delicious tea with a toasty and nutty flavour called genmaicha or popcorn tea. Nowadays, both toasted rice and popped rice are used for modern style tea blends too.

While candy canes may traditionally contain a peppermint flavour, in this blend they represent sweetness and cheerfulness. Cany Cane Popcorn does not contain mint, but festive sweet flavour instead. It smells absolutely delicious – toasty, nutty, with deep caramel notes incorporated into a brisk black tea base. All the ingredients make it look very pretty too.

How to brew this tea?

To make a cup of Candy Cane Popcorn tea, use 1- 1 ½ teaspoon of tea leaves per cup of freshly boiled water and steep for 2-3 minutes.

When brewing black tea, it’s better to use more tea leaves and keep the steeping time at 2-3 minutes, rather than over-steeping it. Over-steeping may cause bitterness.

This tea steeps into a light and fragrant cuppa with light sweetness. Gentle toasty and caramel notes are layered on a stronger, brisk black tea, giving a light mouth-drying feeling followed by an intense and long, sweet nutty aftertaste. You can enjoy this tea with or without condiments. The best sweetener? Brown sugar, honey, or even a caramel sauce.

Who would like this tea? Candy Cane Popcorn tea is one of those blends you want to have when you need something to cheer you up. Flavour profile is great for combining with different condiments, including sweeteners and milk. It’s a wonderful choice if you enjoy sweeter but brisk black teas with caramel and toasty notes. Because it’s only lightly flavoured, it would also be great for those who prefer pure black teas but want something cheerful to enjoy during a holiday season.

Tea Recap

Water or Milk? Water or milk

Day or night? Day

Caffeine? Yes

Hot or Iced? Hot

Sweetened or Pure? Pure or sweetened.

What’s the price? from 5.95 GBP

Where to buy? Get Candy Cane Popcorn from Yawn website or Yawn Etsy shop.

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What is Mulled Wine tea?

Mulled wine is a hot drink made with red wine, oranges, spices and sugar or honey. There’s no doubt mulled wine is delicious and just perfect for cold winter nights, but if you want an alcohol-free alternative, although it may sound unlikely, mulled wine teas may actually offer the same experience too.

Mulled Wine tea from Whittard is a fruit tea blend with some ingredients that are typically not common in a mulled wine tea blend – apples, hibiscus, sweet blackberry leaves and roasted chicory root. All of them are naturally caffeine free. Because of its earthy and slightly bitter flavour, roasted chicory root is probably the most known as a caffeine-free coffee alternative. This blend doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners or sugar. Instead, a light sweeteness comes from sweet blackberry leaves. Dry tea smells very rich and fruity, with lots of zestiness, sweetness and deeper earthy notes.

How to brew this tea?

To make the best cup, use 2 rather than 1 teaspoon of tea per cup of water. Steep for 5 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius. This blend contains smaller, uniformed particles to offer a really rich infusion. If you are looking for a complete mulled wine experience, you can simmer it on the stove instead.

What’s truly amazing about this Mulled Wine tea blend is that it actually feels like a rich but gentle, real mulled wine. It has so much depth and richness, some tartness, fruitiness, sweetness and even a slight tannic note, with light clove notes. Each and every ingredient in this blend plays an important role to offer a flavour that’s as close as it gets to a real mulled wine. There are light tannic notes and depth from roasted chicory root, light sweetness from sweet blackberry leaves, tartness and zestiness from hibiscus and citric acid, and deep fruity apple base.

This is not an apple tea, and this is not a roasted chicory tea. This is a real holiday blend that you can enjoy completely guilt-free. If you prefer sweeter mulled wine, you can add a teaspoon of honey or sugar.

This blend is great for tea drinkers that love the flavour of mulled wine, zesty fruit blends and lightly spiced teas. If you love cooking with tea or want to make a holiday tea syrup, this blend would be an amazing choice too.

Need more inspiration? Find out how to make tea caviar with Mulled Wine tea.

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What is Finlandia Tea?

Finlandia tea or Suomi Tee from Nordqvist is a black tea blend with Finnish blueberries and natural blueberry flavour, sprinkled with white and blue cornflower petals. Suomi means Finland in Finnish, so the Suomi Tee is a Finnish Tea. This tea is very simple, yet highly aromatic. It has a wonderful, deep and sweet blueberry scent and a deeper, brisk black tea base. If you love blueberries, this blend may make all your blueberry tea dreams come true. Finlandia Tea is highly aromatic, fresh and filled with blueberry scent. What’s so special about Finnish berries, and that includes blueberries too, is that they are wild-grown in forests, and they certainly won’t be lacking in flavour.

How does this blueberry tea taste?

Fruity black tea blends usually taste amazing both hot and cold. When served hot, this tea is bright, light and medium bodied, with deep berry notes and very light sweetness. When served iced, it has a brisker light flavour with light natural sweetness and a lot of natural freshness. Blueberry notes are present both when drinking and as an aftertaste, which is stronger when this tea is cold.

To make the most flavourful iced tea, use double the amount of tea leaves and steep in freshly boiled water for 5 minutes. This tea is not astringent, so it’s great with no condiments but goes really well with honey too.

Finlandia Tea is perfect for tea drinkers that like berry flavoured black teas but want more naturally tasting teas bursting with flavour and for those that enjoy black tea blends where the flavour of the tea is still highly present. Available in traditional tea bags and as loose tea.

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