Traditionally, tea leaves were steeped in hot water to the desired strength and then sipped hot, with honey or sugar added to sweeten, and sometimes milk or cream.  But lately, tea trends are popping up all over the place—who can forget, after all, the “bubble tea” trend of several years ago, a Taiwanese tea base shaken with fruit or milk with tapioca balls (pearls)?  Shaking the tea gives it the characteristic bubbles, and the tapioca balls give the tea a chewy texture.  Although the craze was recent, the style itself dates back to the 1980s.

Now, bubbly tea—not to be confused with bubble tea—is making headlines.  This cold-brewed, carbonated beverage isn’t “just a cold, bubbly brew,” according to Donna Fellman, online tea educator for World Tea Academy.  Rather, it can compare to champagne or a delicate beer.  The science is interesting, too, in that the “fizz” you feel in your mouth when you drink the bubbly brew is a reaction on your taste buds, more touch than taste, enhancing the flavor of the tea.  The tea trend ranges from high-art, elegant styles painstakingly created to achieve a complex sensory response to a recklessly creative approach that includes pairing flavors simply for the wow factor.  The first can be thought of as the champagne of teas—oolong or Chinese black teas combined with carbonation to create a “dancing” effect of complexity, the science of cold brewed teas properly matched with optimal carbonation amounts.  The second style “relies on a distinctly West Coast comfort of chucking flavors around with abandon.”  Apple habanero spiced bubbly tea, anyone?

Another tea innovation is kombucha, a fermented drink of tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast.  This beverage boasts live bacteria, and proponents of the vinegary, sour, somewhere-between-vinegar-and-apple-cider mixture claim probiotic qualities—which aid in digestion and may possibly strengthen the immune system (although this has yet to be confirmed by researchers).

Fads aside, though, there are teas, such as Chai, that have been favorites for ages and ages.  The flavor concoction has stood the test of time because it works.  People enjoy the spices, the complexities, the nuances of ginger and cardamom with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and others.  An Indian tradition, there is no exact “recipe,” although many Chai companies use recipes based on nostalgic recipes, such as the liquid concentrate of Maya Chai, whose owner sought to recreate his mother’s recipe and make the comforting brew available to the general public.

Maya Chai’s convenient 11:1 concentrate combines efficiency and economy with authenticity.  Simply measure out an ounce of their concentrate and combine with eleven ounce of milk and, voila, you have the perfect beverage.  Likewise, David Rio powdered Chai blends offer the same convenience—mix your favorite amount of the powder blend with milk or water for a decadent beverage to enjoy any time of the day.

What is your favorite way to enjoy a cup of tea?  Do you prefer hot or cold, bubbly or not?  Did you jump on the bubble tea band wagon or have you tried kombucha?  Tell us about your tea experience!

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