Tea-Infused Foods

Here is a unique way of using tea to highlight various ingredients and create fantastic fare. Chef Nimish Bhatia brews his culinary talent to bring to UpperCrust readers rather unusual recipes

Creating a high in F&B is not just a sequence of events and ingredients, but it is putting together an experience, the razzmatazz to dazzle the diners. Weaving new recipes gives you that high.
From thousands of years, as a key to good health, happiness, and wisdom, tea is the second most popular beverage in the world after water, but when it comes to cooking, I have not seen it used as an ingredient.
Tea has wonderful flavours, some floral like jasmine and chamomile, some soft brews like green tea, black tea, white tea, some like Darjeeling and Assam, some mystical – changing colours – like the Oolong, the flower of blue butterfly pea and so on.
I always believe in the element of surprise. I believe, the ultimate creative act is to express what is most authentic and individual about you, so the chef in me was curious to use the flavours of tea to be absorbed and infused in the culinary process. I simmered the prawns in tea, steamed and infused the chicken breast ravioli, smoked the cheesecake with tea, created a mousse, used the matcha green tea salt and noodles, even whipped a mayo and tea extract to create all these recipes. So, I stand by my opinion; tea is both a soothing beverage and a dynamic cooking ingredient.
From jasmine to Assam, incorporating tea into baked foods, broths, and marinades is a great way to add flavour and fragrance into a variety of gastronomic delights. There are so many ways to make an ingredient of tea, to impart flavour in your cooking. The tasting notes of your tea help to understand how to build balancing flavours around it. Take a look:
Brews or infusions: We can brew floral or aromatic teas like jasmine, Oolong, lavender, chamomile or Hojicha to infuse the richer component of a dish.
Bouillon/soups and poaching liquids: Pasta, Dim sums, dumpling soup, ravioili or tortellini are perfect prospects to experiment with concentrated blends of tea. Aromatic jasmine tea or white tea make good stocks for soups and to poach seafood.
 Marinades and rubs: powdered as a dry rub, the dusky smokiness of smoked tea works well with marinated seafood, meats and vegetables. It is far more delicate than a dose of liquid smoke.
Pan-searing or stir-fry: Strong teas add good flavour and taste. Genmaicha (brown rice tea) doubles up on its high notes when heated in a wok. Darjeeling tea with a touch of ginger is also a great enhancer.
Ice-creams & milkshakes: Green tea, chamomile tea, Earl Grey with lemon-honey, or such, make fantastic ice-creams and even milkshakes.
Alcoholic drinks: I have personally seen a lot of cocktails get a boost by adding tea. Looks very inviting due to its colour and aroma. Smoked tea like Lapsang Souchong, jasmine tea, Oolong create wonderful cocktails giving it a good aftertaste.
Biscuits, cakes and cookies: Nutty cakes with tea flavours, matcha cookies, tea souffle, muffins with lemon rind and floral teas can be fantastic.
If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then the proof of the recipe is in its making. So, go ahead, be brave and try out all these tea-based recipes.