Some of us may have encountered some party tricks among tea fans: what appears to be a dried-up light bulb, and its petals suddenly unfold when showered with mild boiling water, voila, voila! A whole “flower” blooms before our eyes.
These are called flowering teas (or kāihuā chá in Mandarin). It is also called “blooming tea” because its performance stops. These bunches are actually dried flowers wrapped in a layer of dried tea leaves.
Scented tea is really a sight worth seeing: from dry flower buds to magically unfolding petals. It is blooming flower power!
Allegedly from Yunnan Province, China, the popularity of flowering tea has spread to the West as the Asian counterpart of the classic French scented tea.
If you choose lavender, chamomile or rose in a tea house in Paris, the menu of a traditional Chinese tea house might offer osmanthus, jasmine or chrysanthemum.
And these are not the only scented tea culture in the world. Closer to home, Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand have their own scented tea traditions, which are infused with hibiscus, roselle and blue pea flowers.
What is more suitable for scented tea than some sweet berries? The berries are colorful, rich in antioxidants and other nutrients, and can be easily added to our scented tea in the form of a fruity homemade syrup.
Indeed, the only thing better than flower tea or fruit tea is fruit flower tea! So let’s call it our berry pollen tea.
To prevent it from tasting too greasy, some dry spices such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise can increase the depth of our healthy drinks. You must have a hard time finding a more healing and soothing beer, right?
Use any berry of your choice-strawberries or raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. I use berries instead of other fruits here because they match the taste and aroma of scented tea, but also because these small fruits break down faster when making syrups.
That being said, if you use fresh berries, it may be helpful to slice the berries before adding them to the pot. This will help them decompose faster. The frozen ones can be used whole without thawing; just throw them into the pot.
To brew scented tea, you can actually use a tea maker such as a stainless steel tea maker to simplify cleaning. Unlike loose tea leaves, there is less tea dust and scattering.
However, nothing is more appropriate than using a transparent glass teapot or even a large glass goblet. In this way, you can see the individual petals of the flower (if you use loose dried flowers such as rosebuds, chrysanthemums or blue pea flowers) or the wonder of “flowering” (if you use flowering tea).
The usual practice is to add some sugar or honey to the scented tea to get a sweet taste. There is no need here because we will add berry syrup.
When “preparing” your final berry pollen tea, you can adjust the strength of the tea by adding more or less berry syrup. It all depends on your taste.
Or simply add a little syrup at a time to enjoy different concentrations of tea. A cup is almost transparent, only the color of a drop or two of syrup. Another possibility is as dark as molasses and tastes almost as sweet.
Ingredients: Extra berry syrup 400g berries of your choice; fresh, frozen or a mixture of 150g caster sugar ½ stick of cinnamon 2 dried cloves 1 star anise 60ml water
Add all the berry syrup ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until the berries are soft and the natural pectin is released into the liquid.
Once the syrup has thickened and most of the berries have broken down, you can turn off the heat. Remove the cinnamon, cloves and star anise from the syrup.
Set the pot aside to cool, then transfer to a sterilized container. After cooling, cover with a sealed lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can keep some of this berry syrup for immediate use in scented tea. If you prepare it in advance, please take it out of the refrigerator at least 10 minutes before use to prevent the temperature of the hot tea from dropping too much.
To prepare scented tea, add dried flowers (or blooming tea bags, if used) to a glass teapot or large cup/goblet. Bring the water to a boil. Pour boiling water on the dried flowers and soak for 2-3 minutes.
At this point, you can filter the tea into another cup or leave the rehydrated flowers in the tea for a greater visual effect.
Please note that the flower buds will continue to soak in the tea, so the longer they are placed in the tea, the more bitter the tea will taste. (However, this will be balanced by the sweetness of the berry syrup.)
Add the required amount of berry syrup to your tea, one teaspoon at a time. Stir thoroughly with a spoon to completely dissolve the syrup. Taste and adjust accordingly, adding more syrup if necessary. Eat immediately while hot.
Post time: Jun-03-2021