Dining In 1 minute 21 June 2018

Cold Brew Tea’s Time Has Come

Making a refreshing drink doesn’t get any simpler than adding cold water to tea leaves, and it’s all the rage at the moment.

The concept of cold brew tea is just as refreshing as its flavour. It has rapidly caught on among those looking for new experiences in tea drinking. The no-fuss approach simply calls for seeping the tea in cold water, no special technique or choices of tea required. With a bit of patience, anyone can pull off a good cuppa. Another upside of cold brew tea is that it contains less caffeine, which means less impact on your stomach and sleep. Just remember to not let the tea sit in the water for too long.

Varieties of Tea for Cold Brewing

The majority of teas are fit for the cold brew method. Unfermented green tea is an ideal option not just because of its milder flavour profile. Cold brewing also preserves its rich vitamin C content, which could be destroyed by heat. Varieties with a low fermentation level, such as white tea and oolong tea, works equally well with this method to extract their scent and sweetness. Highly fermented pu’er is the least compatible with cold-brewing with regards to the taste.

In addition, you should consider the quality and cleanliness of the tea leaves. The low temperature of water in the cold brew method makes it harder to kill the bacteria.

How Is Cold-Brewing Done?

There’s virtually no skill involved in the cold brew. You only need to pay attention to the proportion of tea and water. Other than that, a light and soothing drink is just moments away.

  1. Add tea leaves to an empty bottle. The proportion is generally 100ml water to 1g tea leaves.
  2. Pour in cold water and store in the fridge. Remember to cover the bottle to avoid it absorbing foreign flavours.
  3. The cold brew tea with the right strength should be ready in four to eight hours.


Tips

  1. Tea brewed for more than 24 hours shouldn’t be consumed. It could have a change in properties or developed too much bacteria.
  2. Drink the tea as soon as it’s taken out from the fridge when it’s the safest.
  3. The people with a weak stomach or cold body type are not recommended to drink cold brew tea.

This article was written by Lin Zhen and translated by Vincent Leung. Click here to read the original version of this story.

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