We love drinking different types of hot and cold teas at Tiikat HQ! Tiikat also writes about exploring new tea flavours in his Imagination journal Post.
Trying out new fruit and herbal tea combinations is a great way to use your imagination, and make something delicious and nutritious at the same time!
Here are some recipes and ideas for different flavoured teas, both hot and cold. Why not try some of them and then explore your own flavours? We would love to hear what you have tried.
Difficulty Level:
Herb and spice tea flavours
Mint Tea
Ingredients per pot: Large handful of mint. Honey to taste (optional)
Method: Take a large handful of fresh mint, give them it one very quick rub and drop in a teapot. Boil the kettle and pour the hot water over the leaves to release their flavour. Leave for 5 minutes to steep. Sweeten with honey to taste if wanted.
Lemongrass and Ginger
Ingredients per pot: 1 stick of lemongrass. 3-4 cm chunk of ginger. Honey to taste (optional)
Method: Peel your ginger (optional) and then cut both it and your lemongrass into smaller chunks. Put your lemongrass and ginger into a teapot. Boil the kettle and pour the hot water over the ingredients to release their flavour. Leave for 5-10 minutes to steep. Sweeten with honey to taste if wanted.
Chai
Ingredients per pot: 2 star anise, 1-2 cinnamon sticks, ½ teaspoon ginger
Method: Put your ingredients into a teapot. Boil the kettle and pour the hot water over the ingredients to release their flavour. Leave for 5-10 minutes to steep. Sweeten with honey to taste if wanted.
Tip: If you want stronger flavours, let your ingredients steep in the water for longer before serving. You can always reheat the water in a saucepan or in a mug in the microwave if it gets cold.
Fruit tea flavours
Lemon and Honey (fabulous if you have a cold!)
Ingredients per mug: 2-3 tsp honey. Juice of ¼ lemon
Method: Mix honey and lemon in a cup. Boil the kettle and pour the hot water over honey and lemon mixture and stir.
Tips: Add some ginger or cayenne pepper for a bit of spice.
Pear and Cinnamon
Ingredients: 1-2 pears. 1-2 cinnamon sticks. 1 rooibos (redbush) teabag
Method:
- Slice the pears
- Keep a few pear slices for decoration later if you wish. Then add the rest with the cinnamon sticks to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cook the pear slices for 5-7 mins until softening.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the rooibos teabag and leave to steep for 3 minutes.
- Strain the water into a teapot ready for serving with the fresh pear slices for garnish.
Tip: For a stronger pear flavour, once the rooibos has steeped remove the teabag and leave the pear in the water for an extra half an hour, before removing and reheating.
Hint: The removed cooked pears can make a delicious breakfast with yoghurt and honey.
Further suggestions:
You could try making teas using all sorts of different herbs and fruit infusions. Experiment by leaving different flavours to steep in boiling water. What is your favourite!
You could try adding different tea bags to your infusions to add some extra flavour. Green tea, for example, works very well with fresh mint.
Try letting your tea cool down and then putting it in the fridge or adding ice cubes to make an ice tea. Purrfect on a hot sunny day!
Fruity Ice Teas
These fabulous fruity ice teas are perfect for a picnic, or just for keeping cool on a hot day.
Blueberry & Mint Iced Tea
Ingredients:
150g blueberries
Handful mint leaves
3 peppermint tea bags
2 tbsp caster sugar
Ice
Method:
- Boil the kettle and put the tea bags in a measuring jug. Pour over 500ml boiling water and leave to steep for 5 minutes.
- Put 100g blueberries into the jug you will be serving your tea in. Add the sugar and lightly crush with the end of a rolling pin, fork or potato masher.
- When the tea bags have steeped long enough, remove them and pour the tea over the blueberries. Top up with another 300ml of cold water. Chill in the fridge.
- Remove the jug from the fridge. Add ice and and mint.
- Serve, adding lemon slices for garnish if you wish!
Mint, Mango & Lime Ice Tea
Ingredients:
1 mango
Handful mint leaves
1 green tea bag
3 tablespoons honey
Ice
Method:
- Pour 500ml boiling water in a measuring jug and add the teabag. Leave to steep for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea bag, add 300ml cold water and chill in the fridge.
- Chop up the mango and put half in a saucepan with the honey and 100ml water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Once the mango syrup has cooled, strain the cooked mango out, reserving the liquid (don’t throw the mango out as it makes a delicious sweet treat!).
- Add the strained mang syrup to the chilled tea in a jug.
- Add the fresh mango, mint and slices of lime to your tea. Fill up with ice.
- Stir and serve!
Further suggestions:
You could try making teas using all sorts of different herbs and fruit infusions. Experiment by leaving different flavours to steep in boiling water. What is your favourite!
You could try adding different tea bags to your infusions to add some extra flavour. Green tea, for example, works very well with fresh mint.
Try letting your tea cool down and then putting it in the fridge or adding ice cubes to make an ice tea. Purrfect on a hot sunny day!
