Did you know that the process of making tea can also help calm your nervous system as much as drinking it? As tea lovers, we have all grown up surrounded by the mellow fragrance of our favourite ghar ki chai and wondered how life would have been incomplete without it. From the first hesitant sip as a kid to chugging down a few cups in a day as an adult, we evolved to care deeply for this irresistible concoction.
In today’s world, we are seeing an ever-increasing trend of blending tea rather than just making the standard brew. A variety of tea blends are readily available in the market but very often these commercial blends use artificial flavorings. However, we can choose to make natural healthy tea blends at home.
Tea blending can be a rewarding experience especially if you have a knack for experimenting and creativity. There are many different ways to blend tea. Some artisan tea blenders start with basic recipes and then experiment with different combinations of tea leaves and spices. Although, as we begin the tea blending process, it becomes an intuitive practice that forces us to create new and unique combinations.
Common Tea Blends
Before you start experimenting, it is important to take a close look at some of the most common and popular tea blends/ recipes and their ingredients. Here a few:
- Earl Grey Tea (Green Tea/ Black Tea, Bergamot Oil)
- Indian Chai (Black Tea, Ginger, Cardamom, Cinnamon)
- Herbal Tea (Chamomile, Lavender, Hibiscus)
The best way to find the perfect tea blend is to try different flavours. That means you need to leave your traditional taste behind and be open to unconventional suggestions. Let yourself experiment and have fun along the way.
Step to Step Guide to Create Your Own Tea Blend
If you feel up and ready to get experimenting with some popular blends, follow along this simple guide to tea blending with just a few supplies at the comfort of your home:
Step 1: Choose Your Teas
What we mean by choosing the tea is understanding the difference between various grades of teas. A whole tea leaf looks like something like this.
Step 2: Know Your Ingredients
As you start understanding the varieties of teas, you are able to figure out what ingredients to pair with a particular tea to enhance its flavours. This does not require you to be a mad scientist. But, it’s good to have a strong knowledge of the basic properties of the ingredients that you wish to use. If you prefer to have a spicy tea blend, use black tea and pair with your standard kitchen spices (in powdered form) like cinnamon, dried ginger, cayenne, cardamom. If you prefer a refreshing fruity tea blend, use green tea and add popular fruit peels like orange, lemon, strawberry etc. You can also experiment with flowers like hibiscus, rose that create subtle aromatic tea blends. Remember to use dried form of your ingredients because you don’t want them to overpower the taste of tea. It is also important to keep in mind both the benefits and side-effects of certain herbs that you can mix in your tea wisely.
Step 3: Experiment With Ratios
Once you have your tea and ingredients ready, you need to figure out the best ratio for the perfect tea blend. Let us be honest with you here, there is no fixed ratio which is why this is the most crucial step. Here, you need to be as experimental as possible without going overboard with any of the ingredients. This is the typical trial and error process. In general as a starting point, it is best to use a 2:1 ratio of tea leaves to herbs which means for 1 cup of tea, you need 2/3 cup of chosen tea with 1/3 cup of ingredients. Always be mindful to maintain the flavour of your tea base and create a blend that has either subtle or strong hints of accompanying flavours of the herbs depending on your chosen ratio.
Step 4: Blend and Taste
After you have found the combination of teas and spices/herbs of your preference and have set the ratio, it’s time to blend away. Grab a blender or use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. If you’re blending by hand, simply combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well until they are evenly distributed. Don’t shy away from tasting your tea blend and it will be completely okay if doesn’t taste good. Try changing the ratio or use other ingredients to create your desired tea blend.
Tea Blending Ideas
Are you still confused about tea blending? Or you feel discouraged to not achieve the desired tea blend? There are so many of natural ingredients in our kitchen that it becomes difficult to choose the best ingredients to pair with tea. Don’t worry and try any of these simple two-ingredients tea blends:
- Green Tea and Mint Leaves
- Black Tea and Lemongrass
- Black Tea and Rose Petals
- Black Tea and Cacao
- Green Tea and Lavender
- Green Tea and Orange Peel
- White Tea and Jasmine
- White Tea and Sandalwood
- Black Tea and Licorice
- Green Tea and Mango Peel
No matter how you enjoy it, tea has a unique and special ability to blend with various ingredients. Tea blending is indeed as enjoyable as any other hobby. So, give your creative buds a go and get blending!
We are proud to share with you our own special tea blends that are loved and cherished by many of our customers. We create 100% authentic hand-crafted tea blends that are natural and contain no artificial flavourings or preservatives.
