Saturday, December 5, 2009

Apple-Cinnamon Kukicha Tea--A Warming "Simple Saturday Sipper"

I have been drinking a lot of kukicha tea lately--kukicha tea, also called "twig tea" is a Japanese tea blend where the twigs, stems and stalks of the green tea plant are slow roasted repeatedly which gives it a slightly "roasty" and nutty flavor. It is considered to be high in antioxidants and be a healthy tea that is very balancing to the system. Although kukicha tastes great plain, and iced with spices and juice (see that post here), I thought it would be good mixed with apple cider, orange juice and cinnamon for a cooler weather "Simple Saturday Sipper."


Apple-Cinnamon Kukicha Tea
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 2-3 servings)

3 cups unsweetened apple cider or juice
juice of 1 orange
2 cinnamon sticks
2 kukicha tea bags
orange or lemon slices to garnish

Place apple juice, orange juice and cinnamon sticks in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add kukicha tea bags and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into tea cups or mugs and serve garnished with a cinnamon stick and orange or lemon slice.

Notes/Results: Very good! The natural sweetness of the apple cider and orange juice combine well with the roasted flavor of the tea and the cinnamon adds a nice touch. A perfect warming cup for a cold, blustery afternoon. A nice alternative to mulled cider, I will make this throughout the season.

What is your favorite cold, blustery day drink?

9 comments:

  1. earl grey, chai or coffee :) this tea combo sounds really good!

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  2. I love the fall flavours of the apple cider steeped tea and the spices. I read recently that cinnamon also contains anti-oxidant properties.
    Delicious! Great to keep warm in a slow cooker while people play outside in the cold.
    What warms me up? I have a good selection of herbal teas, or tisanes to keep me warm, but I like to do steeped concoctions for cold-weather guests.

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  3. I'm pretty sure everything tastes better with apple cider and cinnamon. This looks delicious.

    My favorite blustery cold drink is a nice cup of chai tea. Love that stuff.

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  4. Deb, this sounds like the perfect sipper for the cool rainy days that have been forecasted for the weekend. Thanks...

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  5. I love the taste of cinnamon in a hot drink like this one!

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  6. I always add some cinnamon stick and a few cloves in regular tea. This one sounds even better.

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  7. I feel warmer just looking at it! I would adore it, I just know :D

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  8. Tea at this time of year is so warming. This looks wonderful.

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  9. i love how you introduce me to some really awesome new things! I love tea...especially flavored ones. this sounds fantastic

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