Here's your cup of tea

Say cheers with these interesting and tasty brews

A refreshing cup of tea with some melodious music and a book to read... sounds enticing? For some, tea means the world.

International Tea Day was on May 21. Metrolife lists out some tasty tea concoctions, some served hot and others cold.

Raining outside and you’re craving a hot, spicy cup of tea? Here’s how to make one.

Masala chai

Ingredients

½ inch cinnamon

2 to 3 green cardamoms

2 cloves

1-inch ginger

4 tsp sugar

A mortar-pestle to crush.

2 to 3 Assam tea

1/4 cup or 60 ml milk

Method

Take cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves and an inch of ginger. Crush it in a mortar-pestle and set it aside.

In a saucepan, heat around 500 ml of water.

After the water boils, add the crushed spices. Add a pinch of nutmeg powder also.

Boil the mix for around 3 minutes. Add sugar according to taste.

Add 2 to 3 tsp of Assam tea. Boil the mixture for a minute, and simmer for a few more minutes.

Add milk. You can use soy or almond milk, according to preference.

If you’ve added hot milk, add and stir and switch off flame. If you’ve added cold milk, boil the mix for 3 minutes.

Pour tea through a strainer into a serving cup.

Add star anise for flavour.

Want to try a new hot drink? Go green with Matcha tea.

Matcha Tea

Ingredients

1 tsp Matcha green tea powder

2 tsp sugar

3 tbsp warm water

300 ml hot milk

Method

Put a tsp of matcha tea powder into a cup and add 2 tsp of sugar.

Add warm water and mix with a spoon or whisk till the mix is a smooth green paste.

Ensure there are no lumps.

Warm milk in a saucepan and pour into the mug. If you want to make an iced latte, pour cold milk and add ice cubes if needed.

Mix the paste and milk until it is light green and smooth.

Garnish with a sprinkle of matcha green tea powder on the top.

For those who like it chilled, here’s a sweet twist — Iced Thai tea, better known as Cha Yen.

Iced Thai tea

Ingredients

For making

4 cups water

2-3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp red Thai tea mix (available online), or loose black tea

2 star anise

2 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 green cardamom pods

For serving:

Ice cubes

1/4 cup sweet condensed milk

Method

Pour water in a saucepan. Add tea leaves, sugar and all the spices.

Still well and let the water boil.

For 3-4 minutes, let it boil over medium heat.

After boiling, turn off the heat and place a lid on top of the saucepan. Let the tea steep for more than 30 minutes.

Strain the tea after it is cool. You can refrigerate this mix for a week or use it immediately.

To serve, fill a tall glass with ice cubes.

Pour in the mix till each glass is 3/4 full.

Pour in condensed milk. Stir well and serve.