Tea Recipes

If you’re making the transition away from coffee or just want to try a new hot drink, tea offers plenty of choices to enjoy some new flavors. Tea has been served for hundreds of years in several countries, and continues to be a part of the culture of India, China, England and Africa amongst others. If you’re a new tea drinker or an enthusiast, here are three great tea recipes to try:

Directions:

1. Make English breakfast tea by brewing hot water in a kettle until it boils.
2. Add a tea bag to a small teacup and top it with a teaspoon of white sugar.
3. Pour the hot water over the teabag and let it soak and steep for at least 3-5 minutes.
4. Gently push the tea bag against the side of the teacup with a spoon to squeeze out the flavor and let it sit in the hot water again for another minute or two.
5. Squeeze the teabag once again and remove it from the cup.
6. Next, stir in about 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream to taste.

Serve, and enjoy!

*Note: If you’re serving English breakfast tea for guests, you’ll need to make it in a teapot instead. Follow the same process of brewing hot water, but steep 2-3 teabags in the teapot to achieve the right amount of flavor. Allow guests to select their own sugar and pour milk or cream into their cups after the tea has been poured.

Indian chai tea is a blend of aromatic spices, milk, and sugar, and does require some patience if you are making it from scratch. While you can buy chai concentrate or chai tea bags, you won’t necessarily enjoy the same flavor as a made-from-scratch recipe! Here’s a basic but flavorful version of classic Indian chai tea:

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tablespoons of crushed spice mix: cardamom, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon sticks (quantity will depend on your tastes)
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon black tea

Directions:

1. Mix together the spices, water and tea in a small saucepan until dissolved, stirring continuously for about 10-15 minutes.
2. You are “cooking” the tea, and can add milk slowly after the 10 minute mark.
3. Cook it all together until it is smooth; then strain into cups to serve. Enjoy!

Iced green tea is a refreshing drink for the warmer months that can also give you that caffeine boost you crave.

Directions:

1. Mix together 2-3 green tea bags with hot water and let them steep for at least 5-7 minutes.
2. Squeeze out the flavors and remove the tea bags from the water, mix in some sweetener, and pour over ice cubes in a glass to enjoy!