In this article, we explore tea blends, including blending tea leaves and adding ingredients.
Should You Blend Tea?
Most blended teas cancel each other out in terms of taste and aroma. Tea farmers and well-known tea teachers rarely blend teas, believing that tea is best experienced in its pure, natural form based on its production process, from rolling to frying.
However, with the right direction in terms of leaf types and ingredients, you might enjoy some possible mixes.
Blending Tea Leaves
Combine leaves of the same tea type: Tea enthusiasts can blend different leaves of the same type of tea. For instance, blending various high-mountain Taiwan green teas with long green tea leaves from China can create a specialized green tea blend with unique aromas and flavors.
Blend Puer teas: Puer tea offers opportunities for blending due to the availability of loose leaf Puers, both cooked and raw. Combining different ages of Puer, with one cooked and the other raw, can result in a combination of earthy, dry, and soothing tastes.
Combine different tea types: Combine Oolong and green tea leaves to create a half-blend between unfermented and half-fermented tea. Mix darker, more roasted Oolong teas with Puer to create a fully fermented and half-fermented blend with a bolder, richer taste.
Adding Ingredients to Tea
Puer tea: Add honey to Puer tea for an earthy and sweeter taste. Organic honey offers nutritional benefits. You can also add dark chocolate directly to Puer tea or enjoy it alongside.
Green tea: Honey and sugar cane enhance green tea. Real sugar cane, rich in antioxidants and cold-fighting properties, boosts both taste and health benefits.
Black tea: Add cinnamon to black tea for a nice spice, and incorporate other spices to mimic or create unique Indian Chai flavors. Orange flavoring, through extracts or small orange slices, soothes the throat and combats colds. Add fruits like pomegranate or peaches to black tea for a delightful taste.
Summary
- Blending tea requires careful selection of leaf types and ingredients to avoid compromising taste and aroma.
- Tea enthusiasts can experiment with blending different leaves or adding ingredients like honey, chocolate, or fruits for unique flavors.
- While traditional tea masters prefer pure teas, creative blends can offer enjoyable and personalized tea experiences.
Experiment with a few of these ideas to see whether tea blends is a practice that suits you!
