It's that time of year, Teahearts!
The coffee shops here in Seattle are bragging about their cold brews again, and we refuse to sit out on the fun. Did you know you can cold brew your tea for the same smooth, delicious, lightly sweet results that have people obsessing over their summer coffees? Totally true, and totally easy.
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Cold brewing is dead easy: simply throw 2-3 tablespoons of loose leaf (or a few teabags) into a pitcher/teapot/fancy carafe/whatever, fill with cool water, and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, strain the liquid off the spent leaves (or just remove your teabags) and enjoy your tea!
There's a super cool trend from Japan which has made its way out into the global tea experience in recent years which takes cold brewing to a whole new level. Have you heard of kōridashi (aka ice steeping)? This is my new obsession for deep steamed green teas in particular. Sencha, Genmaicha, even the delicate and beautiful Enshi Yu Lu can turn on you and develop bitter edges in a snap if you don't brew them just so. Personally, finicky teas stress me out. I love them, but the pressure to get the perfect infusion with such a delicate leaf is weighty. Since I encountered ice steeping, I'm totally not even worried about it! I put a couple teaspoons of leaf into my 12 oz. french press atop as much ice as my press will hold. Just leave it alone until the ice melts and your tea will be perfectly infused with all the complex sweet notes we love and none of the bitterness we fear. Just beautiful!
In addition to the ease and tastiness cold brewing adds to your routine, the health benefits are pretty great! This method eases the acidity in both coffee and tea, which is a definite plus for those who struggle with acid reflux/indigestion. You'll also get fewer tannins, which can hamper your iron absorption and are the reason tea is sometimes recommended against for anemic folks.
tldr: cold brew is the jam and I highly recommend you try it out during the hotter times of year! Happy cold-steeping!
xoxo, Friday
