What do you put in green tea to make it better?
Is it honey, peppermint, or ginger?
I’ve heard this question so many times. So, today I get to let you know all the additives you can put in your cup of green tea.
Different additives have different results on green tea. Some will have health benefits, while others will enhance the taste. Still, others will give it a sweet aroma. The following are some of the additives that you can put in your tea, cold or hot.
1. Honey
Some people love the bitter taste of green tea while others don’t. If you belong to the latter, then you can consider adding honey to your cup of tea.
Apart from sweetness, honey also has other health benefits. It is known to have antibacterial properties that boost the health benefits in green tea.
As you add the honey, you should ensure that your tea is warm instead of hot. If the tea is hot, then the honey will lose its health properties.
So, if you’ve been wondering what to put in your tea to make it taste better, honey could be your solution.
2. Lemon
If you have steeped your tea for too long and you want to get rid of the bitter taste, you can do so by adding some lemon slices.
The best thing would be to twist a slice of lemon. As you twist it, it will release some lemon oil that will help deal with the harsh green tea. Lemon juice can increase acidity in the stomach, which may not be best, especially for people with ulcers or acid reflux.
If you wish to get the best flavour, you can combine honey and lemon. The resulting taste will be so refreshing that you won’t get enough of it.
3. Flower petals
If you wish to try something new apart from lemon and honey, then you can try out flower petals. However, note that not all flower petals can be used to lift the taste of green tea.
For example, you can use Chamomile flower, which will not only give an enjoyable flavour, but it also has stress releasing and relaxation effects. Chamomile will, therefore, work well with L-theanine in green tea which also has calming effects.
You can also use Lavender and Rosebuds and petals, which will also give you a strong aroma.
4. Peppermint
Adding peppermint is a classic way of adding flavor to green tea. Moroccan Mint is the most used type of mint.
Apart from adding flavour, peppermint also helps to reduce inflammation and it also improves your focus. On the other hand, green tea contains caffeine and L-theanine. Caffeine keeps you alert and focused while L-theanine enables you to relax.
Therefore, peppermint and green tea combination makes you more focused and alert.
5. Ginger
People in Southeast Asia use ginger because of its medicinal purposes. When you add ginger into your cup of tea, it gives the green tea a wonderful scent.
Ginger also adds to the health benefits that you get when you take your tea.
To get the best results, your tea should not steep for more than three minutes. On the other hand, three minutes are not enough for ginger to get its entire flavor.
As such, you should add ginger to the water as it boils before steeping your tea.
6. Dried fruits
You can also add flavor to your cup of tea by adding dried fruits.
You can choose whichever fruit you wish to use though some will work better than others. Fruits such as mangoes, papaya, pineapple, and so on will give you a flavor that will distract you from the bitter taste of green tea.
Additionally, fruits such as strawberry, blackberry, and so on will make your tea smell wonderful.
You can also add fruit peels such as orange peels, citrus peels, lemon peels, etc. to your cup of tea to help enhance the taste.
7. Almond or coconut milk
The flavor by almond or coconut milk will make your tea easier to drink. They will also make your tea creamier.
8. Ice cream
When you add ice cream into your green tea, it will melt to offer you a yummy rich taste.
Green tea is one of the teas that has undergone the least processing. As such, it still has most of its natural compounds such as tannin.
Tannin is responsible for the bitter taste in your cup of tea. If you brew your tea with water, tannin will be extracted. The more time you steep your tea, the more the tannin and bitter taste.
If you wish to lift the taste of your green tea so that you can enjoy it more, there are several techniques that you can apply including adding lemon, dried fruits, honey, and other sweeteners. You can choose any of the additives above and continue to enjoy your cup of tea.
