Cooking with tea

Yes, it's not a typo, we're talking about cooking tea. Adding tea to your recipe can transform it completely and add a different flavor and taste, whether it's a salty or sweet dish!

Your savory dishes with teas:

• Have you ever thought of using tea as a spice? Blend crushed Oolong tea leaves with white pepper to spice up your dishes. You will surely not regret it!
• If you make rice, you can add some green tea, especially jasmine tea, to the cooking water for a complementary scent. Do not brew too long, however, to avoid bitterness.
• For BBQ fans, marinate meat or chicken in tea for two to three hours before grilling.
• Smoked tea is widely recommended for fish such as salmon or tuna for example.
• Green tea leaves taste close to spinach. Use the tea as you will with oregano or thyme in your salads or even with your eggs.
• Your soups can also benefit from a little diversion: simply replace the water with tea!
• Remember to add tea infused with your sauces, salad dressings and marinades before serving. White tea in particular is also an excellent addition to poultry broth.
• Another tip: sprinkle green tea leaves with your stir fry during cooking.
• If melting butter, leave a bag for a few minutes before using it in your kitchen.

Your sweet dishes and desserts with teas:

Tea is not only a drink to consume with your dessert but can also fit into the preparation of the latter.
• For muffins, for example, it is possible to add a few crushed tea leaves to the mix before cooking.
• For cakes and shortbread, you can add brewed or directly powdered Earl Gray to the dough for a unique taste. Matcha tea in particular is ideal for an original cake scent.
• You can also simply infuse tea into the milk that will go into the preparation of your dessert.
• If you have dried fruit, let them steep in hot tea before using as a garnish.
• Tiramisu is one of the most popular desserts. Try next time to replace the coffee in your recipe with tea. You can also use the same trick for the Affogato by pouring an infusion of matcha tea over an ice-cream vanilla ball.
• Poach your fruit in Oolong or black tea syrup and honey.
• Do not forget to finish with a tea sorbet: add lemon juice and sugar and put in the freezer. Freshness guaranteed!

Cooking with tea can open up new possibilities for experimenting with all your recipes. However, be careful not to let the tea brew too long and especially avoid reusing tea leaves already infused.

Have you ever cooked with tea? To your pots!