It’s World Tea Day, so take a sip and enjoy your favourite brew.
Tea is an emotionally territorial beverage, and the way you brew and drink your tea is a personal preference that might not be shared.
In South Africa, it was the British who influenced our tea culture but we also have the humble rooibos tea which has a real Mzansi flavour.
In celebration of the special day, Libstar has shared four delicious trends for tea enthusiasts, demonstrating how versatile and innovative tea continues to be.
Interestingly, a recent trend feature, by World Tea News, highlights how more consumers are seeking functional teas that do more for the mind and body. Consumers are also interested in experimenting with teas that have natural botanical blends that include antioxidant superfoods like matcha and rooibos.
Libstar suggests you try one of these four tea trends to celebrate World Tea Day.
Tea it up in the kitchen
If you're only drinking your tea, you're missing out on a world of delicious culinary opportunities, from risotto to soup; from smoothies to even ice cream toppings.
Tea is classified as a superfood that is finding its way into kitchens for purposes other than drinking – people are enjoying cooking with it too.
Swapping water for tea when boiling foods such as pasta, rice, risotto, oats, quinoa, grains or legumes is an exciting way to experiment with various tea-flavour profiles to suit the dish.
Try a tea cocktail
From sweet teas to tea martinis, restaurants and bars are using tea to create speciality cocktails and culinary delights, which creates unique food flavours and offers health benefits.
The Khoisan Gourmet Organic Honeybush, from the Organic Classic tea range, has a natural aromatic herbal infusion with fynbos floral notes and hints of honey-sweet, for a tasty cocktail option to explore.
Rooibos herbal infusions as a form of therapy
Teas are being infused with ingredients that are essential to their differentiation: flower buds and petals, spices, herbs, fruit leaves and peel, scents, extracts, and oil essences can infuse with tea to create products for healing and self-care.
Cold brewing
Avid tea experts say this year’s tea trend sees tea-lovers opting for a cold cup of tea, over the traditional hot drink with milk and honey or sugar. Cold-brew tea is made by infusion only. It can be garnished with mint leaves and fresh cuts of fruits such as lemons and pomegranates.
Cold brews are easier on the stomach and have a cleaner and less bitter flavour than the hot variety. Among the teas Libstar produces for Woolworths, is the cold brew fruit infusion range that includes delicious flavours such as blood orange and watermelon.
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