In Asia, the use of tea in cooking is as old as the discovery of Camellia Sinensis itself. For centuries now the Chinese have enjoyed tea eggs or marble eggs as a snack, the Japanese have used tea to give aroma to their broth, the Tibetans won't make a move without their butter tea, while the Burmese accompany their meals with their favourite lahpet, a plate of pickled tea leaves. Thus, we take our lead from the kitchens of those people's of the East and explore how we can add tea to cookery and confectionery, opening new vistas in the kitchen and onto our taste buds. 



All tea categories and types, be they plain or aromatic, can be used in the kitchen. In any case the spectrum of flavours and aromas tea varieties present, from sweet, floral, grassy and marine to earthy, woody, malty, smoked and many more besides, offer a whole new cupboard of undiscovered ingredients to your kitchen. There are also many ways to use tea, the most popular of which we’ll be presenting to you below, and don't forget, when you let your imagination loose, the sky's the limit! 

Whenever a recipe asks for tea liquor, we follow the preparation parameters recommended. For that reason, we bear in mind our rephrased wine rule which says that ‘we don't cook tea we don’t drink’.  In other words, the quality of tea leaves is vital to make the most of and bring out the qualities both of the tea and of the food. As with every ingredient whose use we are not so acquainted with, we act in moderation. 



 

 

Marinating

One of the easiest and most effective ways to add tea to our kitchen is to crush the tea leaves in a mortar, either on their own or mixed in with other ingredients such as spices, herbs or olive oil and to use them as a marinade in meat, poultry, fish or roast vegetables. For example, chicken in the oven marinated with Green Fragrant Garden or salmon marinated with Lapsang Souchong. And then there’s the green tea, such as Myrtle and Lemon or Matcha Uji bio, with which we can add aroma to the salt to be served with roast fish or meat. 

With tea liquor 

Whether it be diluted normally or concentrated, tea liquor can easily mingle in with salty and sweet recipes, simply by replacing the liquid part of the recipe or a part of it with the tea. Thus, we impart intensity and depth to pasta and rice dishes. For example, noodles which have been cooked in an earthy Pu’Er Emperor tea and rice served in the liquor of Gyokuro Saemidori. Tea liquor can also be directly added to soups, stews and sauces or can be used to moisten dried fruit or mushrooms to be used in another creation.


To make concentrated tea, use twice or three times the number of tea leaves, following the seeping time and the temperature recommended for the specific tea. Do not leave it to soak for longer; the liquor will become bitter and acrid, and the taste will carry over into your food. 

Tea leaves can be immersed in other liquids such as milk, thick cream, fruit juice or alcohol. But take care! Different liquids have different rates of solubility and the immersion time will be different from that of water. For instance, almond milk will need a different time to aromatize compared with a thick cream. Experiment and give it a try often until you get the desired result. For immersion in fruit juices or alcohol, the cold brew method is recommended, the one we use when making iced tea. 

In confectionery, it is especially common to use tea liquor to flavour preparations that have a creamy or jelly texture. What's better than chocolate truffles with the rousing, cool aroma of Earl Grey Lord Byron or a white pastry cream, perfumed with the subtle fragrance of a green tea with jasmine or floral, velvety Tie Guan Yin?

Poaching

Another popular means of bringing out our basic ingredient with the discreet notes of tea is to poach it in its liquor. This method is perfectly achieved with fruit, fish and poultry. For example, poached pears in a dark oolong, such as Evening Maple, with maple syrup and whole walnuts or Aged Oolong with its profound woody notes. Or chicken breast poached in black Grand Yunnan Imperial organic served accompanied by a cool green salad. 

Addition to pastry doughs

The well-crushed leaves of a tea, such as Chai bio or Cretan Chai bio, can impart warm aromas of spices in pastries and biscuits, while adding matcha, ground in the form of green tea powder, will bestow umami notes and a marvellous lime-green colour to pastries, scones, cakes, pancakes, crepes and biscuits. With matcha we can even enhance the colour and taste of ice cream and frostings for cupcakes and cakes.

Recipes:

 

Feta cheese marinated in Green Monkey

 

Ingredients:

250g feta
2 tbsp Green Monkey green tea or another green tea of your choice
1l water.
extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
chilli and salt, as preferred


 

Instructions:

Pour boiling water over the leaves and allow to soak until all the leaves are completely open. Throw away the liquor and place the leaves in a wide bowl and allow to cool and dry slightly. Meanwhile, make a garlic and chilli paste (optional) using a mortar. Add approximately half the leaves and continue to crush in the mortar until you have a smooth paste. Dice the feta and mix it in carefully with the paste and the rest of the tea leaves. Place the feta mixture in a glass bowl and add olive oil until the ingredients are covered. Allow the feta to marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours and serve on bread of your choice.
 

Matcha cake

 

Ingredients:

90g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp matcha Shizuoka
100g unsalted butter at room temperature
100g icing sugar 
2 large eggs at room temperature, slightly beaten
30g melted white chocolate at luke-warm temperature

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. Line a loaf tin with grease-proof paper.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and matcha into a medium-sized bowl.
3. Cream butter and half of the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and white. Add the rest of the icing sugar and stir well.
4. Add eggs and beat lightly, until the mixture has fluffed up.
5. Gradually fold in dry ingredients.
6. Add melted white chocolate and homogenise.
7. Place dough in tin and bake for 50-60’ or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Take the cake out of the oven and leave for a short while to cool. After a short time remove from the tin and allow to cool completely. 
 

Bon appetit!