How to Make the Perfect Cup of Ceylon Tea: 5 Recipes to Try

Ceylon tea, also known as Sri Lankan tea, is a popular tea variety that is renowned for its rich flavor and aroma. It is a staple beverage in Sri Lanka and is enjoyed by tea lovers all over the world. Ceylon tea can be consumed in a variety of ways, from hot and cold beverages to desserts and alcoholic drinks. In this article, we present five Ceylon tea recipes that you can try at home.

Iced Tea Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1L of water
• 6 tbsp of Ceylon black tea leaves
• 3 cups of cold water
• ¾ cup of sugar made into a syrup with ¾ of cup water
• 1 cup of fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

• Bring the liter of water to a boil, remove from heat and add tea leaves. Keep for 3-5 minutes.
• Stir and strain into a container, add the cold water and the cooled sugar syrup.
• Pour in the lemon juice and mix well.
• To serve, pour over ice cubes.

Chocolate Tea

Ingredients:

• 1L of milk
• ½ cup of sugar
• 60g of bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of Ceylon black tea leaves
• 6 cardamom pods, crushed slightly
• 2 whole sticks of cinnamon
• 4 allspice berries, crushed
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• Garnish with 4 cinnamon sticks

Preparation:

• Place all the ingredients in a pan except the garnish and simmer until the chocolate is fully dissolved.
• Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow it to infuse for 10 minutes, then let it cool and strain.
• Freeze for one hour.
• Break up the frozen mixture and process in a blender until slushy.

Pineapple Tea Punch

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of water
• 1/3 cup of Ceylon black tea leaves or 15 tea bags
• ½ tsp of grated nutmeg
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 6 cups of pineapple juice
• 1 cup of lemon juice
• 1L of club soda, chilled

Preparation:

• Bring the water to a boil, add tea leaves and let it infuse, then add nutmeg and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir and strain into a punch bowl, add sugar and let it cool.
• Mix in the fruit juice.
• When ready to serve, mix with chilled soda and pour over ice cubes.

Lemongrass Tea Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 1L of water
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 12 stalks of lemongrass (white stalks only), slightly crushed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup of tea made with 2 tablespoons of Ceylon black tea leaves

Preparation:

• Bring water to boil, add sugar and lemongrass and let it infuse for 15 minutes.
• Add tea leaves and keep for 5 minutes.
• Strain through a fine meshed sieve and let it cool.
• Add lemon juice and place in freezer until frozen hard (about 8 hours).
• Process in small quantities in a blender until slushy and creamy.
• Place in cool goblets and serve immediately, garnished with fruits, mint leaves, etc.

Tea Wine

Ingredients:

• 4L of water
• 60g of Ceylon black tea leaves
• 250g of raisins
• 250g of dates, pitted and chopped
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 450g of sugar
• ¼ bottle of Ceylon Arrack (or brandy)

Preparation:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
• Add the Ceylon black tea leaves and let them brew for 10 minutes.
• Do not strain the tea leaves.
• Add all the other ingredients except for the arrack.
• Cover the pot and let it sit for 10 days.
• Stir the mixture well and let it sit for another 4 days.
• Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and filter out any solids.
• Keep the liquid in a clean, airtight container for another week.
• Add the arrack and let the mixture sit for 1 or 2 weeks before serving.