There are two types of people in the world – those who partake in the use of marijuana and those who are too scared to come to the party. Tea lovers see the world in a similar way. There are those who love cooking with tea and freaks who have no reason to be alive.
If you fall under the first category, you are a generally happy stoned citizen who loves a cup of chai.
Brief history of tea
Tea has been working its magic since its birth in southwest China many moons ago. According to legend, Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea while sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water. Some leaves from the tree blew into the water and Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis and the resulting drink is what we now call tea.
Forget about the cup, focus on the tea
Just like marijuana, there a more than one way to consume the herb apart from drinking it. Let’s start to think outside the teacup and get a little more creative with tea. After all, tea bags are little flavour packets and tea leaves are really no different than other herbs. By including tea in your cooking, you will discover a new spice cabinet filled with unusual flavour and scents. Teas can impart subtle smoky, floral, grassy, herbal or even smoky notes to your cooking repertoire.
Pick a Tea
Once again taking to its green cousin Cannabis, Tea is a combination of leaves, stems, and roots. As with Sativa and Indica, tea lovers have two options when selecting tea: “True” Teas and Herbal Teas.
“True” teas represent green, black, white, yellow, oolong, and pu-erh teas and are made from the Camellia sinensis plant. Their wildly different looks and flavours depend on whether and how they’re dried or fermented.
Herbal Teas, also known as tisanes, are caffeine-free infusions of herbs, roots, leaves, or some combination. Popular herbal teas include mint, chamomile, and rooibos, a proudly South African tea made from the indigenous red bush.
How To Cook With Tea
Infuse cooking liquids
Heat broth, cream, or juice and steep the tea just as you would in water. This will add mellow, balanced tea flavors to soups, stews, and braises.
Grind it
Use a tool from your kitchen or one of these fancy AF grinders to pulverize the tea. Grind finely and add directly to sauces, glazes, or baked goods. It’s convenient and quick. No need to steep or strain!
Spice it up
Add your favourite spices to finely ground tea and sprinkle it over popcorn, fish, chicken and roasted veggies.
Get cracking
Next time you sip on a freshly made cup of tea, think about the taste and what you’re going to cook with it. Not sure where to start? Try this winning seafood risotto, inspired by the flavours and spice of Morocco.