How to Cook with Tea: 3 Things to Try

Cooking with tea is quickly becoming the new hot topic in the world of cuisine. "Used in many gourmet restaurants, tea adds new and unique dimensions of flavor, texture, and aroma to recipes," says Chris Cason of Tea Muse. Tea is being used as a spice, blended into marinades and tenderizers for meat, baked in bread, used to boil rice and eggs, combined into sweet confections, and so much more.

I set out to find out a little more about cooking with tea. The first thing to clear up is that tea leaves are indeed edible-clearly, or we wouldn't be cooking with them! Treat them just like any other green leaf, like spinach leaves or bay leaves. While the idea of eating a tea leaf salad might not be the most appetizing, there are definitely tips and tricks of the trade to try if you're in need of vamping up your daily dishes.

Try It!

1. Subs-tea-tute:
For practically anything that you cook with a liquid-whether it's boiling rice or making soup-try substituting your liquid or stock with tea. It sounds bizarre at first, but the flavors will give an unexpected Asian tang to a once bland dish. (You'll have to steep your tea first and then add it to your dish.) Remember: for a stronger flavor, add more leaves. Don't steep your tea longer or hotter for a stronger flavor, as it may end up bitter instead of better.

2. Tea Spice:
Try using ground tea leaves as a spice. Combine it with pepper, lemon pepper, ginger, or honey for a sweet and spicy flavor. Also try using a flavorful tea as a base for your sauces and marinades.

3. What's For Dessert?
We've all heard of madeleines and tea cakes, the delicate cookies and sweets that elegantly complement tea at a tea party. Instead of a complement, how about a completion? Tea can be literally baked into your sweet breads, cakes, and cookies. I've even seen tea trifles, Green Tea Tiramisu, green tea powders used as icing, chai crème brulee, and chai tea ice cream. So get out there and experiment, sweetie! And what about health benefits? Tea retains its natural oils and antioxidants in cooking just as well as it does in brewing, so go on: get those heart healthy HDLs and bod-happy catechins in as many dishes as you can. My favorite tea to use when cooking is called astea, a new tea to the American market. Find it at www.SipYourselfSlim.com

References:
Cason, Chris. "Think Outside the Cup: Cooking With Tea." Tea Muse: Monthly Newsletter.