Stuck at home? Four speciality teas you can brew for yourself

Celebrate International Tea Day with expert recipes for stress relief, immunity, and hydration.

Metrolife asked city-based tea sommeliers to share specialty tea recipes that offer health benefits on International Tea Day (May 21).

Susmita Das Gupta, tea artist and founder of Indian School of Tea, Yelahanka, shares two of her favourite cold brew drinks. 

The oolong zest 

The calming, feel-good drink is “ideal for hot days or a mid-day reset”, she says. The cold brew is rich in antioxidants, gentle on the stomach, and perfect for reducing  stress.

Ingredients

Darjeeling oolong tea: 1 tbsp   

Dried orange: 2–3 pieces 

Water (room temperature): 500 ml 

Equipment needed 

Glass or steel container with lid  

Method

Place the dried orange pieces and Darjeeling oolong leaves into a clean glass or steel container.  

Pour in the room temperature water. Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours (or overnight for a deeper flavour).  

Strain and serve chilled. No sweetener needed because the natural citrus notes and smooth oolong make it perfectly balanced. 

Romance tea 

Perfect for cosy evenings, Susmita explains the floral and spicy cold brew’s benefits. “Jasmine promotes relaxation, rose soothes the heart and uplifts one’s mood, and black pepper adds warmth, aids digestion, and stimulates circulation,” she says.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)  

Jasmine tea (loose leaf or pearls): 2 tsp   

Dried rose petals: 1 tsp 

Black peppercorns: 5 whole 

Water (room temperature): 3 cups 

Equipment needed 

A glass or steel container with a lid  

Method

To prep botanicals: In your container, add the jasmine tea, dried rose petals, and black peppercorns.  

To make cold brew: Pour 3 cups of room temperature water over the mix. Cover the container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator.  

Let it steep for 4 to 6 hours. Avoid brewing for more than eight hours as it may become too intense.  

Strain the tea and pour into a glass. Serve chilled, with or without a few edible petals for garnish. 

Gaurav Saria, tea master at Infinitea Kitchen and Tea Room, shares two of his specialty recipes. 

Kesar kullad chai  

Gaurav says the drink is best for colder weather, as its ingredients can “help heat the body and provide warmth”. Add black pepper for colds.

Ingredients 

Assam CTC chai: 5 gm

Saffron: ½ gm

Sugar: 10 gm

Cardamom: 10 gm

Ginger: 10 gm

Whole milk: 150 ml

Equipment needed 

Saucepan, two kullads to serve in

Method

Add half the dry saffron to the 2 kullads and reserve the balance for making the chai.

Prepare masala tea in your usual manner and sprinkle the remaining saffron at the end, while boiling the tea.

Once ready, pour the tea into the kullads over the dry saffron.

Cold salted matcha greenita 

A drink for the summer season, Saria says “it is an electrolyte replenisher”. Saria discovered this tea during his “gym days”, and says it can be a pre-workout drink. 

Ingredients

Matcha powder: 2 grams

Juice of a lemon

Ice cubes: 100 gm

Rock salt: 1 tsp 

Chilled water: 200 ml

Equipment needed 

Any blender or milk-frothing machine and a glass to serve in.

Method

Add half the ice cubes into your serving glass. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Pulse 2-3 times for 5 seconds each. 

Taste for salt and pour over ice.