Tired of regular cuppa and want to try something new? There are many ingredients you can add to your tea and make it more special. Chances are, you already have most of them in your kitchen cupboard. What to add to you tea?
Try these 7 common cooking ingredients!
1. Corn-starch to make creamier milk teas
Corn starch or potato starch is a must have for baking and cooking. They are used for thickening sauces, making eggless custards and making creamier pastas. Starch is often added to Spanish chocolate to make it thicker are more indulgent, but you can add them to other milky drinks too. How? Use a simmering method and simply add a teaspoon of starch dissolved in a bit of water. Stir while stimmering until it thickens.
Get inspired with Custard Milk Tea Recipe
2. Cocoa powder to make tea mocha
You've probably heard of a coffee mocha, but tea mocha is not a common drink at all. Which is quite a shame, actually. Tea mocha tastes delicious, and it's super easy to make at home. You can add cocoa powder directly into milk, or make a simple chocolate syrup with cocoa powder, sugar and water and add it into a brewed cuppa. Robust black teas are a perfect choice for making tea mocha, so next time you are making a cup of English Breakfast, try it with some cocoa powder or chocolate syrup instead of regular sweetener.
3. Bicarbonate of soda to change the colour
Bicarbonate of soda or baking soda is mostly added to cake and cookies to make them fluffier, but it's often used for cleaning too. Baking soda is the crucial ingredient in making pink chai as it will change the pH level of green tea and turn the colour into a deep red. It will also change the colour of other drinks, such as Butterfly pea flower.
Get inspired with Iced Pink Tea
4. Flavour extract to get an instant flavoured tea
Flavour extracts are amazing for turning your regular cuppa into something unique. You can use them with pure tea without milk or for milky drinks. Depending on the extract, start with a few drops until you get a desired flavour.
Try out these:
5. Purees to enhance texture and flavour of lattes
Pumpkin pie spice latte would not be the same without a spoon of pumpkin puree. But it's not only pumpkin puree you can add – sweet potato puree, taro puree or apple puree are all amazing ingredients as well. They will add both texture and flavour to lattes. The best purees to use will have no visible fibres and will be extra smooth. If your puree is not smooth, you can blend it together with pre-steeped tea to get a nicer texture.
Get inspired with The Best Autumn Sweet Potato Latte
6. Syrups to sweeten it and to add a new flavour note
Flavoured syrups can be a great addition to your cuppa. There are hundreds of flavours to choose from, and you can easily turn your tea from a pure, unflavoured one into a rich and flavoured blend. Syrups are usually quite sweet, so always start with one or two teaspoons. They are great for making iced drinks, as they will easily melt in cold water.
Get inspired with Earl Grey Simple Syrup Recipe
7. Instant powders for texture and flavour
All kitchen cupboards usually contain at least one pouch of some instant powder, such as custard, pudding, or whipped cream. While instant powder may not be your first thought when thinking about condiments, they actually work amazingly well. A heaped teaspoon of instant custard powder can turn your milk tea into an instant custard milk tea.
Final thoughts on what to add to tea
Tea is more than just a drink – it offers an opportunity to get creative and play with hundreds of flavours and texture. There are many ingredients you very likely already have at home, that can add that extra spark to your regular cuppa, from inspant powders to sugary syrups, starches and purees. Not only will they add a new flavour, these simple and common ingredients may turn the tea you don't usually like into a real treat.