What is oolong tea?
Are you familiar with Camellia sinensis? It's a plant grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The leaves of this plant are partially oxidized without being crushed to make oolong tea. Instead, they are allowed to shrivel up in the sun.
(Fun fact: Green tea and black tea are also made from the same plant, prepared differently).
Here are some unique oolong tea recipes that will stimulate your taste buds and improve your health.
Here are original recipes for whole leaf tea blends created by Tea N Me.
Peach oolong iced tea recipe
This tea blend is great for mornings. It gives you the energy you need, and you'll be ready for the day in no time.
Tea Blend - Tea n Me's Morning Boost consists of Oolong Tea, Apple, Lemongrass, Lemon Peel, Almond, Cinnamon, Tulsi, White Sage, Ashwagandha, and Hibiscus.
Ingredients - 220g peach, 1 tsp Morning Boost tea, 1 cup plant milk, ice cubes.
How to make -
- Add chopped peach pieces, 1 tsp water, and ½ tbsp of honey to a saucepan.
- Let it cook for 5 minutes on a low flame
- Remove from the stove, strain it, and let it cool. Your peach syrup is ready!
- Steep the tea blend in 1 cup boiled water for 3-4 minutes. Strain the tea and let it cool.
- Pour your milk into a long glass. Mix the peach syrup with milk.
- Add ice cubes and pour the brewed tea.
- Finally, garnish it with some chopped peach pieces (for fun), and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions - Serve ice-cold.
Also Read: Potential Health Benefits of White Tea
Alternative Recipe -
Ingredients - 220g peach, 1 tsp Morning Boost tea, 1 cup plant milk, ice cubes.
How to make -
- Crush the peach into small pieces. Use a blender to make a smooth paste.
- Steep the tea in 1 cup boiled water for 5-9 minutes. Strain the tea and let it cool.
- Pour your plant milk into a long glass. Add the peach paste to plant milk and mix well.
- Add ice cubes and pour the brewed tea.
- Finally, garnish it with some chopped peach pieces (for fun), and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions - Serve ice-cold.
Tips and tricks of the trade -
- This recipe serves one person.
- Steeping oolong tea for longer than 10 minutes will make it bitter.
- If you like the intense flavor, you should go for iced teas with few dairy products.
You can also steep your tea blends for longer times.
- If you like a creamy texture, whisk milk before adding it.
Also Read: Top 5 Energizing Green Tea Recipes
Vanilla Chai tea recipe
Are you a fan of strong, nutty, a little bitter, and spicy tea? Then this is the recipe for you. The tea blend in this recipe is ideal for de-stressing and making you feel fresh.
Tea Blend - Tea N Me's Daily De-Stress consists of Oolong Tea, Hibiscus, Garcinia, Cambogia, Cinnamon, Tulsi, Valerian Root, Nettle, Anise Seed, Ginger, Turmeric, Senna Leaves, Arjun Bark, Star Anise, Coleus, Cardamom, Fenugreek.
Ingredients - Tea N Me's Daily De-Stress blend, milk, water, honey, vanilla extract, and whipping cream
How to make -
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat,
- Steep the Tea N Me's Daily De-Stress tea blend in boiled water for 3-4 minutes. Then strain the tea.
- In a separate pan, heat the milk of your choice (whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.).
- Mix the warm milk with the tea.
- Add 1 TSP vanilla extract.
- Mix in 2 TSP of honey.
- Top serving with whipped cream.
- Your Vanilla Chai teas is ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions - Vanilla Chai tea should be drunk warm to enjoy the flavors of the spices. For those who prefer a less spicy tea, let it cool. I would suggest refrigerating it for about 10 minutes but not adding ice as that might kill the flavor.
Tips and tricks of the trade -
- This recipe serves one person.
- Steeping oolong tea for longer than 10 minutes will make it bitter.
Iced raspberry oolong tea recipe
Tea Blend - Tea N Me's Daily Energy consists of Oolong Tea, Green tea, Mint, Cinnamon, Licorice, Rooibos, Tulsi, Ginger, Jasmine, Moringa, Gymnema Sylvester, Turmeric, Ashwagandha, Fennel, Lemongrass, Pipli, Cardamom.
Ingredients - Water, Tea N Me, Daily Energy tea blend, frozen raspberries, lemon juice, honey, and ice cubes.
How to make -
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
- Remove the water from the flame once it has boiled. Add 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 2 TSP of Tea n Me Daily Energy tea blend, and 1 TBSP lemon juice to it.
- Cover and let it soak for 3 minutes.
- Strain the blend and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Now add 1 TBSP of honey to the tea.
- Stir thoroughly while adding ice cubes.
- Finally, garnish it with some lemon slices (for fun), and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions - Serve ice-cold.
Tips and tricks of the trade -
- This recipe serves one person.
- Steeping oolong tea for longer than 10 minutes will make it bitter.
- If you like the intense flavor, you should steep your tea blends for longer than mentioned in the recipe.
Also Read: Potential Health Benefits of Black Tea
Oolong milk tea recipe
This is a humble oolong milk tea- the most commonly consumed recipe.
Ingredients - Oolong tea leaves, milk, brown sugar (or honey), water.
How to make -
- Pour 1 and ½ cups of water into the saucepan.
- Boil the water and then simmer it down.
- Now add 2-3 teaspoons of tea leaves; cook them for about 10 minutes.
- While the leaves are cooking, pour ½ cup of milk in another saucepan.
- Let the milk heat, but make sure not to boil it.
- Add brown sugar into it. (If you are using honey, do not add it while the milk is heating. Wait till it cools down).
- Switch off the flame. Now, use a whisker or a blender to make froth
- Strain the tea leaves into a cup. Add foam to it.
- To spice up the milk tea, you can add cinnamon or star anise to it.
How to serve - Can be served either way: hot or chilled.
Oolong Boba Iced Tea recipe
Oolong Boba Iced Tea is the second most common and the best of all oolong tea recipes.
Ingredients - Water, Whole Milk (or Condensed Milk), Oolong tea, Black Tapioca Pearls, Ice cubes.
How to make -
- Soak 3-4 teaspoons of oolong tea leaves in 1 cup boiled water for 10 minutes.
- Bring 1L of water to boil. Add 1 cup of tapioca pearls and let them cook on high heat for 3 minutes straight. Stir well.
- Simmer the flame and cook for another 12 minutes.
- Once tapioca pearls start floating, strain them. Keep them under cold running water.
- Pour 1-2 cups of whole milk, 2-3 spoons of honey, and ice cubes in a jar.
- Strain the tea leaves into the jar.
How to serve - This is an iced tea, so it tastes best when chilled.
Rose oolong milk tea recipe
Ingredients - Dried rose petals, water, oolong tea leaves, milk, honey
How to make -
- To make rose milk tea, first, you have to prepare the rose syrup.
- Add some dried rose petals and oolong tea leaves to a saucepan.
- Pour 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of sugar into it.
- Put the saucepan on a medium flame.
- Keep heating it until the mixture thickens,
- Strain the mixture into a glass.
- Now add 1 and ½ cups of warm milk to the mixture.
- Enjoy your tea while it's hot!
How to serve - You can also make a chilled version of rose tea. For cold tea, let the rose+oolong syrup cool for a while. Then, instead of warm milk, add crushed ice and lemon juice to it. You can also add a pinch of rock salt to enhance the taste.
Creamy coconut almond oolong iced tea recipe
Ingredients - Coconut extract, vanilla extract, mineral salt (optional), almond milk, honey, oolong tea leaves
How to make -
- Brew the oolong tea leaves in warm water.
- Add 1 tbsp of coconut extract, 1 tbsp of vanilla extract, 1 cup almond milk, and 1 teaspoon honey in a jar.
- Add a pinch of mineral salt (Optional)
- Mix everything well.
- Pour brewed tea into the mixture.
How to serve - It can be served hot as well as chilled. If you want to make hot tea, use lukewarm almond milk. If you like it cold, add some ice cubes before pouring steeped tea.
Word of caution - Use coconut extract only. Do not use coconut milk with ice cubes to avoid clumping.
Jasmine brown sugar oolong milk tea recipe
Jasmine and oolong tea blend is a great combination. This recipe has an intoxicating scent that'll make you feel good even before taking a sip.
Ingredients - Water, oolong tea leaves, jasmine tea leaves, brown sugar, whole milk (or almond milk)
How to make -
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil.
- Soak the tea (both jasmine and oolong) leaves in boiled water for 4-5 minutes.
- Do not strain the tea until it has cooled off.
- In a saucepan, boil some water. Add 1 cup brown sugar into the water.
- Let the mixture heat on a low flame.
- Let it heat until sugar turns into caramel.
- (Alternatively, you can also use brown sugar syrup instead of creating it from scratch).
- Take a glass and empty the tea into it.
- Add caramel and a cup of whole (or almond) milk into the glass.
- Sprinkle some crushed ice over it.
- Enjoy chilled!
Some points to remember
- All these recipes serve one person.
- Steeping oolong tea for longer than 10 minutes will make it bitter.
- If you like the strong flavor, you should go for iced teas with few dairy products.
- If you like a creamy texture, whisk milk before adding it.