The winter season is a time of rest and reflection for many of us. It’s also the perfect time of year to get cozy with a good book and a hot cup of herbal tea. For me, winter is the season of tea. Whether I’m in need of a nourishing brew to help keep my body healthy or am just looking for something to cut through the chill of winter’s air, a flavorful cup of tea is just what I need. Here are some of my favorite winter tea blends.
These recipes will be measured in parts as opposed to specific measurements. This way, whether you want to make a pot of tea or just one cup, you can scale the recipe. I prefer to blend my teas in advance so they’re ready to go whenever I’m in the mood to enjoy a steamy cup of herbal goodness. After measuring out the herbs, I thoroughly mix them in a bowl until they are well blended. My herbal teas are stored in glass jars in the cupboard to maintain optimal freshness and potency. I often use pint-sized jars since that seems to be a good quantity of tea to last me throughout the season. If not, I can always blend a fresh batch anytime I need!
When I need a little pick me up, and I’m craving some classic winter flavors, I like to blend green tea with the warming spice of cinnamon. For tea blending, I like to use cinnamon chips as they are easier to work with. However, if you have cinnamon sticks, you can crush them into smaller pieces using a mortar and pestle. Try to avoid using a food processor or coffee grinder since this will powder the cinnamon which isn’t ideal if you plan to use a mesh tea infuser. I then like to balance the warmth of the cinnamon with the mild, bitter-sweet flavor of orange peel.
I also sometimes substitute the green tea in this blend with genmaicha. This special tea is a mixture of green sencha leaves combined with roasted brown rice. Sipping this sweet and toasty tea is as soothing as snuggling next to the fireplace on a cold winter evening.
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Directions
I enjoy a diverse selection of herbal teas throughout the year, but as I spend more time at home in the winter, I have more time to experiment with flavor. I spend more time with each cup of tea, immersing myself in everything that it offers my senses.
This drink is one that was born in the cold winter months. It’s bittersweet with a complex, rich flavor - a great alternative to that morning cup of coffee. I also enjoy this tasty tea in the evening. With a splash of almond milk, it’s like a fancy hot cocoa, perfect after a snowy hike in the woods, some cross-country skiing, or a rowdy snowball fight with friends.
For this brew, we’ll be working with cacao nibs, chicory root, and carob. Since our ingredients are seeds and roots, we will need to decoct (or boil) the herbs instead of simply steeping them in hot water. This will ensure a strong extraction and a flavorful, full-bodied drink. Cacao nibs are crumbled bits of cacao beans, which are used to make chocolate candy. They add a pleasant and familiar bitterness to our tea. The chicory roots are roasted, which brings out their robust flavor and the carob, which is the crumbled seed pod of a Mediterranean evergreen tree, adds a delicate sweetness to the blend.
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