03 Dec The Best of Both Worlds: Tasty Ways to Mix Tea and Coffee
This might come as news to you, but people have been mixing tea and coffee into one drink for years. To some, this might be a horrifying thought. Tea and coffee are separate drinks and should always be enjoyed that way. To others, this is a chance to try something new and different— something you might find you absolutely love.
Take a look at a few popular tea and coffee drinks and see if there’s anything that is, well, your cup of tea!
5 Tea And Coffee Blends To Try
The idea of mixing tea and coffee has been around for a while, and it doesn’t seem to come from one particular place or time in the world. The first three options in this list all seem to have evolved on their own in their specific regions and are now growing in popularity internationally.
1. The Most Famous Blend – Yuenyeung
Yuenyeung comes from Hong Kong originally. There is a local tea house called Lan Fong Yuen in the city, and the owner claims to have created this drink in 1952. Although this claim has yet to be substantiated, the drink’s popularity is impossible to ignore. It’s served pretty much in every tea and coffee house in Hong Kong.
The drink came about in response to the city’s love of tea, but the truck drivers and labourers wanted more caffeine to get through their shifts. The popular milk tea drunk in Hong Kong is usually made with strong black tea and evaporated or condensed milk. A shot of concentrated coffee is then added to the tea. Yuenyeung is served hot or cold, depending on where it’s served and customer preference.
2. The Ethiopian Option – Spritz Or Spreeze
Over in Africa, the Ethiopians developed what’s known as spritz or spreeze. This drink is made from rich black tea steeped into a strong brew. Once steeped to perfection, a shot of espresso is poured in. Sugar is usually added to give the drink a sweet kick. The most popular coffee to use is a local dark roast brand with a heavy, oaky taste.
This drink is found all over the country, but it’s mostly enjoyed in big cities and resort towns. It’s through these places that the rest of the world has learnt about spritz or spreeze, as many travellers love it and end up taking the concept back home with them.
3. The Starbucks Secret Menu – Dirty Chai
The global coffee chain, Starbucks, has been reinventing coffee and how people drink it from the very beginning of the brand. They love to try new things and were possibly the first to put the dirty chai latte out to the world, albeit on their secret menu.
They took a traditional chai tea latte, added a shot of espresso to the drink and offered the beverage hot or cold. This drink has become really popular with Starbucks fans, even though it still officially lives on the coffee chain’s secret menu.
4. The Drink From Malaysia – Kopi Cham
Kopi cham is surprisingly similar to spritz or spreeze, but it comes from Malaysia and Singapore. The major difference is that evaporated milk is used in kopi cham, whereas spritz or spreeze is usually served black.
It’s once again made by steeping a dark tea in a cup, then adding a shot of concentrated coffee to the water. Then comes the evaporated milk and some sugar for sweetness. This drink can be drunk hot or cold and is usually served by the traditional coffee shops in the cities and the kiosks on the streets. A budding entrepreneur has even gone so far as to make an instant version of it, proving just how popular this drink is locally.
5. Herbal Infused Blends – Mint, Lemon Or Ginger
With the idea of blending coffee and tea becoming increasingly popular, many have started to play with the flavour combinations by adding some herbal-infused teas. The best options are ones with a strong taste and aroma so that they can compete with the strong coffee flavour. Mint tea, lemon and ginger have proven extremely popular because they can cut through the bitterness and challenge the flavour.
If you want to go this route, it’s often best to use a herbal-infused tea rather than substitute black or green tea for a straight herbal one. The flavour will be stronger this way and adds to the impact of the blended drink.
What To Consider When Mixing Tea and Coffee
Whether you’re making your “toffee”, “teafee” or “dirty tea” yourself or ordering it from a restaurant, there are a few factors you should always consider first:
Your Caffeine Intake
Combining tea and coffee can seriously increase your caffeine intake with just one drink. Remember, these blends are usually made using dark Ceylon tea and a shot of espresso or concentrated coffee. Both of these drinks come with a high caffeine level.
You could consider decaf options, but they still tend to have some caffeine in them. If you drink too many cups, you’ll still get caffeine into your system.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine, always bear this in mind when mixing your favourites. You could end up with a double case of caffeine jitters.
Getting The Balance Of Flavours Right
Even a strong Ceylon tea is usually more subtle in flavour than a shot of espresso. It’s important to get the balance of flavours right between the two drinks; otherwise, you can end up with quite a bitter aftertaste from the tea. This is often why more experienced baristas use sugar or condensed milk to bring some balance to the bitterness of the drink.
Try Something New With A Coffee Tea Blend
These blends have popped up all over the world and have grown in popularity in recent years. There has to be something to it, so why not give one a try?
You never know. You might find that, in this case, mixing your favourite drinks makes them even better than ever.
Teapro co-founder. Favourite tea - Long Jing Dragon Well Green Tea. Obsessed with film, photography and travelling.
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Tatjanahttps://teapro.co.uk/author/tatjanaapukhtina/
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Tatjanahttps://teapro.co.uk/author/tatjanaapukhtina/
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