I love tea and training to become a tea sommelier has opened up a completely new world of discovery for me. From learning about tea’s history and origins, to training my palette to distinguish between a high grown Ceylon and an Assam, to trying to keep up with “tea trends,” it’s been quite the adventure so far! My friend Dixya and I have decided to start a tea series of sorts to challenge our learning and creativity along this journey. We’ve been studying tea together since January and the more we learn, the more we realize all the things we don’t know. At times it’s a bit intimidating to listen to podcasts or read papers about very detailed aspects of tea when we’re still trying to learn how to distinguish different black teas by blind tasting. Movies like “Uncorked” and “Somm” are speaking my language right now. Wine and tea have a lot more in common than I ever thought, and both beverages have had quite the stamp on history and influence on religion, ritual and culture.

We are both also very creative in the kitchen, and I’m excited to see what recipes we come up with this year incorporating tea. Dixya turned me onto cold brewing tea and I will admit I’ve become a little obsessed. I love the smooth mouthfeel and texture I get in comparison to brewing tea hot. Iced cold brew tea is the perfect summer treat and is a smooth compliment to your summer iced drinks and cocktails. Just brew a large bottle and you’ve got a base for all kinds of drinks all week.

Dixya and I will be sharing delicious tea recipes every month. We’ll also be hosting live tea chats on social media so you can learn with us. Check out the video of her recipe this week above, an easy two-ingredient Matcha Soda! You can get more information about this recipe on her blog, Food Pleasure Health.

Peaches + Milk Oolong are a decadent combo

The recipes I’m sharing today (yes there’s two!) were inspired by replies to a question I posted on social media about what kind of blend I should try to make next. Peaches & Cream was suggested, and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. The flavor profile below combines the sweet floral peach with the creamy, buttery milk oolong. I like to top mine with some barista-style creamy oat milk for a decadent treat. 

What is milk oolong?

This delicious style of tea is from Taiwan, and “spoiler” if you’re drinking the real deal there’s no actual milk involved in its production. Its lightly roasted and rolled tea leaves are known for their sweet, buttery taste and aroma. It’s a decadent tea for sure, and production is limited so there are many fakes out there. Climate, elevation, and processing all impact the flavor and depth of this tea. There’s a huge difference between low grown and high grown oolong teas in terms of creaminess and aroma. If you’re getting milk oolong from a really tall mountain in Taiwan, and its specifically listed as Jin Xuan tea, you’ve probably got yourself something special. To spot fakes, pay attention to where you’re getting your tea from and look out for any extra ingredients because there shouldn’t be any.

These recipes require a little bit of overnight prep, but they’re well worth it to easily be able to mix up your peaches and cream iced tea or steep your delicious creamy peach blend when you’re ready to treat yourself to some deliciousness. The best part is you pretty much use the same ingredients for both recipes - even using the discard for the peach simple syrup to make your own blend!

What you’ll need:

Makes 5-6 servings

Cold Brew

10 grams milk oolong tea leaves

32 oz filtered water

1 cup preferred milk (I like Oatly barista style oat milk)

Peach simple syrup

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced

1 cup filtered water

1 cup raw sugar

1 cinnamon stick, crushed into pieces

Peaches & Cream Tea Blend

30 grams milk oolong tea leaves

1 large cinnamon stick, crushed

*diced peach discard from simple syrup (see details below to dehydrate)

Peaches & Cream Cold Brew

Overnight prep:

Cold Brew

Place 10 grams of milk oolong tea leaves into a clean 32 oz jar and fill with water. Cover and leave on the counter overnight for 8-12 hours. Strain in a clean jar and keep covered in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Peach Simple Syrup

Place diced peaches, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a sauce pan. Add a cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Strain into a jar, let cool and store in the fridge for 7-10 days. Save leftover diced peaches for your tea blend.

To assemble your drink:

Place 3-4 ice cubes (optional) in an 8 oz jar and add 1 oz of peach simple syrup + 1/2 cup milk oolong cold brew. Top with milk of choice and stir.

Optional: Use a milk frother to create cold foam with your milk of choice. Top with cold foam before serving.

Peaches & Cream Tea Blend

Take the diced candied peaches discarded from your simple syrup and spread each piece out on parchment paper.

Dehydrate the Candied Peaches

Dehydrator:

Set dehydrator to 140 degrees and place peach pieces in dehydrator on parchment paper. Dehydrate for 12-16 hours or until completely dry to the touch but still pliable. A little stickiness is normal from the sugar. Let cool for 20-30 minutes, then test a peach piece by breaking it or slicing it down the middle with a knife. Check for moisture at the center of the piece. If any moisture is detected, dehydrate further.

note: It’s very important for your peaches to be fully dehydrated so that they last and don’t develop any kind of mold. The Spruce Eats has tips to further ensure this by conditioning the peaches.

Oven:

Heat oven to 200 degrees and place peach pieces in a pan on parchment paper. Rotate pan every two hours until peach peaces are dry to the touch but pliable, about 4 hours.

Assemble your blend:

Mix together 30 grams of milk oolong, one crushed cinnamon stick and the dehydrated peaches until well combined. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place for up to one month.

To steep:

Steep 2 heaping teaspoons of your blend with 8 oz of hot water (185 degrees F) for 3 minutes. Enjoy with a splash of your milk of choice.