Hello fan-TEAstic readers! In this issue:

• Pro tips and a tea primer

• New cocktail ideas

• 20+ great recipes using tea

• Throwing a tea party for grandkids

• The unknown comforts of tea

• A $15,000 tea bag???

Cooking with Tea: Something Big is Brewing

Genius (and delicious) hacks for those extra tea bags

Throughout the world, steeping a perfect cup of tea is one of life's most relaxing rituals. In the summer heat, drinking it iced quenches our thirst and cools us down. And later in the day, hosting an afternoon tea at home is a delightful excuse to spend time with friends. 

Yet unbeknownst to many, this beloved brew and its leaves can add a bewitching depth to many recipes. So, sit down with a cuppa and read on.

Pro Tips

First, we visited Meghan Telpner's website to look for advice. As the founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition in Toronto, Ontario, she offers these insights:

• If a recipe calls for water, brew up some tea instead. Make tea in large batches and freeze in either jars or ice cube trays (smaller cubes are great for smoothies).

• If a recipe calls for broth or milk, you can infuse the liquid with tea to add flavor and nutritional benefits. Heat the liquid, infuse the tea, and use it as required in the recipe.

• When incorporating tea into recipes, use a stronger brew to add flavor. Use two or three times the amount of tea you would usually use for drinking and keep the exact brewing time. If you try to make stronger tea by steeping it longer, you might have bitter-tasting tea.

• You must make about ¼ cup more tea than necessary to absorb the liquid from the tea leaves. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of liquid, brew 1-1/4 cups of tea.

• For best results, use quality plain teas with stronger flavors or naturally flavored with jasmine or spices. Avoid teas filled with artificial ingredients or extra flavoring.

A tea primer

Telpner recommends the following teas for cooking:

Green tea can be used instead of water when making rice or quinoa as a base for soup instead of broth. Make extra green tea to add to smoothies in place of water.

Matcha is powdered tea used in cookie and cake batters, whisked into frostings and icings, and added to ice cream. It pairs well with white chocolate items or in smoothies and dairy-free elixirs. 

(We like whipping up a matcha cheesecake, which is delicately scented and a lovely shade of spring green.) 

Earl Grey is excellent in milk-based desserts, such as rice pudding, ice cream, crème brulee, cookies, chocolate truffles, and cakes.

Chai is an aromatic tea warmed by Indian spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black peppercorns. It’s best in Chai lattes, as a base for sweet potato or squash soups, and in creamy desserts, cookies, cakes, oatmeal, or banana bread.

Lapsang Souchong: This full-bodied tea adds a smokiness to dishes like potato soup, sauces, and marinades. It can also be ground in a spice blender and added to other spices to make a smoky spice mix. It is excellent as a rub on chicken or salmon, a seasoning in chicken or turkey burgers, or ground beef. It is also exceptional in nut spreads or hummus. You can also use it in homemade BBQ sauces.

A toast to tea

Tea can be used to create imaginative, sophisticated cocktails. Sip one of these to elevate your next cocktail hour.

Tea Recipes

There’s no shortage of tea-based recipes online, from matcha pancakes for breakfast to satisfying entrees and side dishes. We’ve selected a few to whet your appetite. 

Try any of these recipes, or have some of your own to share? We’d love to hear from you on Facebook or simply reply to this newsletter.

Another mushroom festival!

Remember our excitement over mushrooms last week? It turns out the Atlanta festival isn’t the only one.

Wendy from the LA area let us know that her daughter recently attended the Los Angeles Arboretum mushroom fair. We might have to take a trip for the next one.

Keep reading

How to Cook With Tea: 6 Ways to Cook With Tea - 2025

Baking and Cooking With Tea, Plus Tea-Infused Recipes

Tea-Soaked Drunken Chicken With Cilantro-Scallion Oil* 

12 Tips You Need When Cooking with Tea

And for the kiddies in your life

How to Host a Tea Party for Your Grandkids

Camp Grandma #2 How to Make Fascinators

Camp Grandma #3 How to Host a Kids Tea Party!

It’s not just for cooking!

Tea bags are incredibly versatile. For instance, if you bite your tongue or the inside of your mouth, a tea bag filled with black tea can be used as a compress to stop the bleeding. Peppermint tea bags can help reduce dental pain. Here are more miraculous ways to use tea.

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Trending in designer bags

In 2005, Boodles, the famed London jeweler, created the world's most expensive tea bag. Valued at USD $15,000, this diamond-studded creation was designed to mark the 75th anniversary of the PG Tips tea company. We can hardly wait to see what they’ll do to celebrate their 100th!

Remember you are steeped in wisdom.