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Cold Brew vs Hot brewed Iced-Teas

Now that summer is here, iced-tea season has arrived, but which style of brewing is better? Cold brew or Hot brewed iced-teas? In this topic, Lubna will explore the differences between the two, how it impacts the flavour profile and health benefits.

Traditional iced tea is made by steeping tea leaves in hot water first. Once the tea is brewed it is served over ice or chilled in the refrigerator and then served cold. With cold brew iced-teas you simply leave out the hot water part and steep leaves in cold water instead. The process requires a much longer brew and can be refrigerated overnight.

How to determine which is the best brewing method for you?

Well that all depends on what type of tea you want to brew and your tastebuds. I personally think a strong, bold and high flavoured tea achieves a well-balanced flavour profile when cold brewing. For example, teas from the Earl Grey family such as Extravagant Earl Grey and Green Earl Grey works very well for me. Mango Black Tea and Sweet Orange Tea make a delicious cold brew as well.  Other considerations, a dark roasted Formosa Oolong, floral Jasmin Pearls and a refreshing Green Mint all comes to mind.

Cold Brew Iced-Teas
Black Rose Cold Brew Iced-Tea

The result of a cold brew iced-teas is a sweet and smooth texture with a crisp and clean finish without the bitterness from the tannins. A cold brew tea won’t extract much body and depth but you will still enjoy the soft flavourful and aromatic notes. The cold brew method is hassle free because brewing is so simple. For 1 litre of water brew approximately 1 tablespoon of tea. If the leaves are light and large then you can increase the quantity of leaves. 

The traditional way of making ice-tea is ideal if you are in a hurry and don’t mind the bitterness and astringency in your cup but to be honest this really depends on how you brew your tea. Too little tea leaves result in a bland and watery brew, too much a bitter aftertaste. A hot brew requires the correct amount of tea leaves and water ratio, timing the brew so not to over or under steep and brewing under recommended water temperature guidelines for black, green or herbal teas.

Why does cold brew taste different to a hot brew?

Research claims that this is down to chemical kinetics. Tea leaves contain flavour compounds that are heat sensitive. When hot water is poured over the leaves, energy from the heat makes water molecules move a lot faster allowing flavour extraction to be quick. When cold water is applied, the water molecules are moving at a much slower pace and extracting less number of compounds over the same period of time. That’s why a longer period of time is needed for flavour extraction. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that compounds such as polyphenols which gives tea its astringency and bitterness from caffeine, is only extracted in fragments in a cold brew. For this reason, cold brew iced-teas can offer a smoother and more aromatic finish because it is not masked by the dry and bitterness of the tea compounds.

Are there any differences between Cold brew and Hot brewed iced-teas in health benefits?

It appears there is not much difference in health benefits although some may argue that you extract more antioxidants from a cold brew. I do prefer to cold brew black, green and white iced-teas but opt for hot brew when infusing herbal teas. This is because some herbs have their medicinal compounds buried deep within their structure which require a full goodness extraction using hot water. I also like the idea that hot water cleans out any bacteria from old herbs that have been sitting around for a while. But if you prefer to cold brew, then I recommend herbal teas which contain flower and leaves such as chamomile, rose, lemon verbena, peppermint etc. My favourite infusion for the summer is Toxin Killer, offering a smooth and clean texture followed by floral and earthy notes balanced beautifully together.

To get the best ice-tea recipes that contain both methods of brewing please read our blog “Guide For Best Summer Iced Drinks”

Tea of the month – July

MANGO BLACK TEA

With mango season in full swing, it only makes sense to pay tribute to our Indian roots and choose our black mango tea as one of our teas of the month. The bright yellow pulp, protected by a thick waxy skin, dark green with a rosy blush, is synonymous with summer desserts. Our black tea, which is scattered with sunflower blossoms, will bring this sunshine into your tea break, along with a little caffeine boost.

Whilst lovely as a hot brew, we’re really enjoying this tea blend as a cold brew drink at the moment. Given the recent heat wave, it made sense to us to develop a range of cold drinks, and this has proven to be one of the most popular choices with customers in the shop! Cold brewing means it tastes naturally smooth and sweet, so there is no need to add sugar, like you usually would with an iced tea. Without getting too scientific, this is because cold water extracts a different chemical balance from the tea than hot water, resulting in less of that black tea bitterness.

Cold brewing is something you can easily try at home. All you need is a large bottle, a few scoops of tea, and a space in the fridge! We usually brew ours overnight, but it needs a minimum of 4-6 hours. The sunflower petals and mango cubes make this a really pretty blend to have brewing.

HAPPINESS INFUSION

Our happiness infusion has this name for a reason! A cheerful blend of lemon verbena, rose buds, fennel and rosehips, this is an uplifting infusion which helps to clear the senses and revitalise the spirit. Winner of a Great Taste Award, this blend harks back to the age of foraging and preserving plants and herbs for medicinal purposes.

Lemon verbena has a number of health benefits, primarily decreasing inflammation, thereby protecting muscles and boosting the immune system. It can also clear up congestion and reduce fevers. When paired with rosehip, a seed famous for its high vitamin C content, it is great for preventing and treating colds and flus. The delicate rose buds add a gentle floral flavour, as well as some colour.

As this is a wellness infusion it won’t over brew like a regular tea would. We usually recommend leaving for around 5 minutes before enjoying. If you leave the tea for longer however, you will notice that the brew, initially a light green, will darken to a russet red as the rose hips come into play and it will taste more tangy. This is a truly versatile tea as it can adapt to different taste preferences, without getting bitter.

Summer Sun Iced Teas

Are you prepared for the summer?

Despite the recent wet weather that the UK is so famous for, it seems that things are about to change. It’s reported that Britain is in for the hottest summer and only weeks away from a flaming 100F/37C with tropical heatwaves driven by the “Spanish Pluming”. Before the panic sets in and people rush to buy electrical fans and other cooling mechanisms, we suggest that you stock up on plenty of tea leaves and ice and be prepared to be taken on an iced tea journey around the world. We believe there can be no better way to keep cool then drinking healthy and tasty iced teas.

Historically iced tea has not been widely consumed in the UK as the rest of Europe and the USA. In the UK it started to become more popular in recent years especially for those seeking healthier choices to carbonated cold beverages.

Tea drinking traditions was brought to the US in colonial times by British settlers. Afternoon tea became a weekly practice but rather than drinking hot tea Southerners preferred it cool to keep themselves refreshed in the hot piping heat. In the US iced tea makes up about 85% of all tea consumed and mainly consumed in Southern America. Apparently iced tea recipes go back to the 1870s when it was on sale mainly in hotels and railroad stations.

Iced tea is versatile and can be drunk sweetened or unsweetened, carbonated or non carbonated, blended with fruit and combined with alcohol to produce delicious cocktails. The ideas are endless and consumed worldwide according to the cultural traditions. For example in Brazil Mate is the most popular beverage and is drunk iced and sweetened with occasional flavouring. In Hong Kong strong black tea is brewed and served with simple syrup and lemon. India prefers iced tea with lemon and ginger whilst in Japan, green and oolong iced teas are more common. This usually comes unflavoured and unsweetened.

Health benefits of iced teas

The health benefit really depends on whether you prefer to have it sweetened or unsweetened. Having it slightly sweetened with honey or agave might be the best option if you have a sweet tooth. Iced teas offer a crisp, slightly astringent flavour which helps you to keep cool whilst replenishing your body’s fluid levels. Unsweetened iced tea contains a good source of manganese, helps increase your fluoride intake and provides beneficial flavonoids (which are antioxidants).   The body incorporates fluoride into the bones and teeth, and consuming fluoride fights tooth decay.   Antioxidants help against free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease and clogged arteries.

To get you ready for the summer we have shared some our favourite simple iced tea recipes with you. Despite the predicted scorching sunny summer, we hope you keep cool and refreshed by trying out our recipes below.

 White Apricot Iced Tea

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons of  White Apricot loose leaf tea

5 mugs of 80 degrees hot water (before the boil)

Ice

Simple syrup or honey (optional)

Method:

Place the loose leaf tea in filter bags or a large stainless steel infuser. Place the infuser in a large heatproof glass pitcher. Pour hot water into the pitcher and let it steep for at least 8 minutes. Remove the infuser or filter bag (if using a filter bag then give it a good squeeze till the bag is drained of tea).

Refrigerate the tea until cool. To serve, fill iced tea glasses with ice and pour the tea over the ice. Sweeten with simple syrup or honey if desired.

Any teas can be used for this simple and basic recipe. Teas loved best from our collection are Lung Ching green tea, Chamomile tea, Cherry Blossom tea, Extravagant Earl Grey, Green Mint tea, Lemon Verbena tea, Mango tea, Rose Bud tea, Turkish Apple tea, Very Berry tea and Zest tea.

For a slight twist to the tea, fill ¾ glass with the ice tea and top up with lemonade.

Camellia’s Arabian Nights

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons of  loose leaf Rose Tea

Mixed berries (optional)

5 mugs of hot boiling water

Ice

For the syrup:

7 teaspoons of Very Berry Tea

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

Method:

Place the Rose tea in a filter bag or a large stainless steel infuser. Place the infuser in a large heatproof glass pitcher. Pour hot water into the pitcher and let it steep for at least 8 minutes. Remove the infuser or filter bag (if using a filter bag then give it a good squeeze till the bag is drained of tea). Refrigerate the tea until cool.

To make the syrup, place Very Berry tea in a paper filter tea bag and put in a small cooking pan. Add the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer till the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Leave to cool. Once cooled discard the tea bag.

Fill half a glass with ice. Throw in a few mixed berries if desired. Pour in the rose tea and top with the syrup to taste.

Summer Iced Tea – Green Mint & Ginger

Here, at Camellia’s Tea House, we have created a series of delicious summer iced drinks, using our hand-blended teas, which we will be sharing with you over the course of the next few weeks. You will also be able to find all of the recipes later on our Tea Journal pages, including last week’s Very Berry Iced Tea.

This week we are featuring a superbly refreshing and cooling drink, cold brewed with a bit of a twist:

Green Mint & Ginger Iced Tea 

  1. Put about 5-6 generously heaped teaspoons of our Green Mint tea directly into a large jar or bottle and pour in about a litre of fresh cool water.
  2. Grab a knob of ginger, peel it and chop finely. Add to the brewing tea.
  3. Let the tea brew for at least 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in a fridge, until you have a nice and strong brew.
  4. Strain the tea leaves and ginger and fill a tall glass about 3/4 full. Add a couple small mint leaves, a bit of freshly grated ginger and transfer it all into a blender.
  5. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, feel free to add a little sugar, and blend everything for 10 seconds.
  6. Pour the drink back into the tall glass, add one or two ice cubes, and if you’re feeling fancy, garnish with mint leaves.
  7. Grab a straw, kick back and enjoy!.

Additional tips:

  • To prevent the iced tea from getting too diluted, instead of using regular ice, make some Green Mint ice cubes beforehand. Just brew a strong mug of the minty tea, pour it into an ice cube tray and pop it into your freezer.
  • If you’re in a hurry, you can brew the tea the more traditional way. Use 80°C hot water instead and brew for about 8-10 minutes. Just make sure to strain the tea leaves before you pop it into the fridge to prevent over-brewing!
  • For those especially hot days, blend the tea with some ice for a truly cold and refreshing drink.

Summer Iced Teas – Very Berry

We have some great news for you – summer has officially began!

With the 20th of June marking the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, we can finally say goodbye to spring and welcome all of the wonderful things that this season has in store – plenty of sunshine, sunbathing, flipflops, holidays, picnics, ice creams, barbecues, lazying on the beach and of course, refreshing cold drinks when the temperatures start to spike.

Here, at Camellia’s Tea House, we have created a series of delicious summer iced drinks, using our hand-blended teas, which we will be sharing with you over the course of the next few weeks.

This week we are featuring a fruity flavour burst and everyone’s favourtie:

Very Berry Iced Tea

  1. Put about 7-8 heaped teaspoons of our Very Berry directly into a large jar or bottle and pour in about a litre of freshly boiled hot water. Do not use any filters or strainers and just let those yummy fruit pieces float about freely.
  2. Let the tea brew for at least 10-15 minutes before you start cooling it.
  3. Cool the tea, preferably in a fridge.
  4. Once the tea has cooled, strain it and fill a tall glass about 1/3rd full. Add a few slices of fresh strawberries and transfer it all to a blender.
  5. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, feel free to add a little sugar, and blend everything for 10 seconds.
  6. Pour the drink back into a tall glass, add ice, grab a straw and enjoy!

Additional tips:

  • To prevent the iced tea from getting too diluted, instead of using regular ice, make some very berry ice cubes beforehand. Just brew a strong mug of the fruity tea, pour it into an ice cube tray and pop it into your freezer.
  • Experiment by adding other fruits or even a splash of pure fruit juice to create different fruity variations.
  • For those especially hot days, blend the tea with the ice for a truly cold and refreshing drink.

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