As we go on learning about the benefits of tea it's becoming more popular, but not only as a drink. Tea is also earning popularity as a flavoring agent for cooks. You might remember a similar thing happening a couple of years ago during the time when coffee exploded as a stylish beverage.
Tea goes well with food so it feels like a natural step to start utilizing it as a flavor-enhancer, the same way we utilize herbs and spices. And there are other great reasons for the enhanced interest in cooking involving tea.
Because of all the reported health benefits of tea any other way to slip it into your diet is beneficial. but another exciting benefit of cooking with tea is that it is a good way to add or enhance the flavor of a dish without adding fat, calories, sodium or sugar.
Although cooking with tea may seem like a new trend, it has actually been around almost as long as the beverage itself. The British have used tea to flavor tea cakes and to stew dried fruit for years. The Japanese have been enjoying ochazuke, which is made by pouring green tea over rice before serving. And the Chinese have been using black tea to smoke and simmer foods for centuries.
Popular chefs are improving these uses of tea and learning that even simple additions can lend a richness to recipes without overpowering the natural flavor of the dish. For instance try adding a tablespoon of English Breakfast to a salad dressing, or a Jasmine teabag to rice while it's cooking.
Cooking with tea doesn't have to be limited to the appetizer or main course. Tea can also lend a complex taste to dessert. Rich black teas like Darjeeling have deep tones that help strengthen the flavor of chocolate desserts. Green teas are able to add a zing to creamy desserts while they also tend to calm the tart flavor of a citrus sorbet. While fragrant teas like chai are able to impart a pleasant flavor to rich items like frosting or cheesecake.
Let the creative juices flow when cooking with tea. It can be used as a spice by adding tea leaves to a pepper grinder; you may even want to add white pepper, or a different spice of choice with the tea in the pepper grinder. It can also be applied as a marinade. If you are not sure where to begin, or if you need a little direction, take a look at one of the many cookbooks that specialize in cooking with tea.
If you're just beginning to use tea in your cooking it may help if you think of the tea as another ingredient or a spice, instead of a beverage, and go with your instincts. Also remember all the forms of tea -- you can utilize tea leaves, brewed tea, tea bags or if you enjoy green tea you can use green tea powder to sprinkle on things like fruit. There are also all the varieties to select from -- Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Matcha, Bancha -- to name a few.
So get creative and enjoy the benefit of this whole new world of flavorings. Happy Cooking
Tea goes well with food so it feels like a natural step to start utilizing it as a flavor-enhancer, the same way we utilize herbs and spices. And there are other great reasons for the enhanced interest in cooking involving tea.
Because of all the reported health benefits of tea any other way to slip it into your diet is beneficial. but another exciting benefit of cooking with tea is that it is a good way to add or enhance the flavor of a dish without adding fat, calories, sodium or sugar.
Although cooking with tea may seem like a new trend, it has actually been around almost as long as the beverage itself. The British have used tea to flavor tea cakes and to stew dried fruit for years. The Japanese have been enjoying ochazuke, which is made by pouring green tea over rice before serving. And the Chinese have been using black tea to smoke and simmer foods for centuries.
Popular chefs are improving these uses of tea and learning that even simple additions can lend a richness to recipes without overpowering the natural flavor of the dish. For instance try adding a tablespoon of English Breakfast to a salad dressing, or a Jasmine teabag to rice while it's cooking.
Cooking with tea doesn't have to be limited to the appetizer or main course. Tea can also lend a complex taste to dessert. Rich black teas like Darjeeling have deep tones that help strengthen the flavor of chocolate desserts. Green teas are able to add a zing to creamy desserts while they also tend to calm the tart flavor of a citrus sorbet. While fragrant teas like chai are able to impart a pleasant flavor to rich items like frosting or cheesecake.
Let the creative juices flow when cooking with tea. It can be used as a spice by adding tea leaves to a pepper grinder; you may even want to add white pepper, or a different spice of choice with the tea in the pepper grinder. It can also be applied as a marinade. If you are not sure where to begin, or if you need a little direction, take a look at one of the many cookbooks that specialize in cooking with tea.
If you're just beginning to use tea in your cooking it may help if you think of the tea as another ingredient or a spice, instead of a beverage, and go with your instincts. Also remember all the forms of tea -- you can utilize tea leaves, brewed tea, tea bags or if you enjoy green tea you can use green tea powder to sprinkle on things like fruit. There are also all the varieties to select from -- Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Matcha, Bancha -- to name a few.
So get creative and enjoy the benefit of this whole new world of flavorings. Happy Cooking
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