When you think about tea, the thing that comes in our mind is its popularity as a beverage. Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world for a reason and that is its blending nature. Unlike other beverages, you can experiment a lot with its flavor by adding different condiments and blend the teas.
On top of that, organic tea is known for its benefits, such as boosting metabolism and burning fat. A typical tea lover might love the same old tried and tested blend of tea. But, if you are feeling especially adventurous, so be ready to break some rules (I mean some kitchen rules!!) and get a little playful with tea. I want to say for those who want to try new flavors can go for multiple blends for a soothing tea drinking experience.
You might be wondering about the blending process and how it can either increase or decrease your tea drinking experience. I recommend you be creative and try out each suggestion with a different type of tea. You may end up finding the perfect combination for yourself. And to simplify your doubts, we have some pointers, which you can keep in mind before blending your favorite tea.
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Flavor Comes First
We all have our preferences when it comes to the flavor or I would rather say it’s the most prior thing. And all the tea drinkers abide by the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. That being said, everyone has their own thing for a specific flavor and while exploring new blends of tea, you need to be open-minded.
For those who love earl grey tea, try blending your tea with some cream or an orange flavored tea; it will bring out the citrus flavor. For a light tea lover, mixing chamomile tea with some French lavender or jasmine tea can be a soothing experience. Do some research on different types of add-ons and flavors they bring out.
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Take Account of Temperature
Temperature plays a vital role when it comes to blending teas. So, the general rule of thumb over here is to blend the teas according to their respective families based on temperature. Like black teas needs a higher temperature to brewing perfectly.
Whereas the green, herbal, white, and loose-leaf tea brew excellently at low temperatures. If you are looking for a tea that goes well with darker and lighter teas, then go for rooibos tea. It will blend in just fine with high and low-temperature group teas. Don’t neglect the serving part. For example, lighter teas taste best when served iced. Whereas darker brews can be served either way.
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Find the Perfect Ratio
Deciding the perfect ratio is critical for any blended tea exploration. It all depends on the flavor you love and prefer. So, now you have an important decision to make related to the ratio of each flavor. Do you want to split it evenly or in a 3:2 ratio? What do you prefer as a base flavor? And which flavor you want to be as an accent? You need to consider all these parameters for the perfect blend.
You can experiment with it by brewing different quantities of teas in a small pot. Be thorough while performing this experiment and take notes of different ratios of teas. Now, select the one which you loved the most. It will take time to find that perfect ratio, but you will get an excuse for some more tea.
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Condiments
Condiments are the last stop in your journey to find that perfect blend of tea. It helps to add that finishing touch that makes your taste buds go gaga. Now, before selecting condiments, you need to ask yourself a question, how do you want to drink them? With honey, lemon, sugar, or cream, or something else? It seems simple but for that perfect blend, you need to be more specific.
For example, all the teas which have almond in their blend require nut-based milk to enhance their flavor. Condiments such as cinnamon, cloves, and ginger go well with almost all the tea blends when served with some brown sugar.
Final Thoughts
At last, I want to say blending tea is more art than science because it demands experiment but with more imagination than intention. For example, knowing which complementary proteins work best is where the science little bit of things comes into the picture. On the other hand, again, it is not rocket science to figure out that dairy and legume isn’t the most palatable flavor combination in the world.
So, what are you waiting for? Go to your kitchen and get ready to brew your hot cup of blended tea now and enjoy its satisfying flavor. There is no harm in experimenting with different tea flavors as the result might surprise you.
