There are people who love to bask in the warmth of a hot drink; others favour chilled brews on hectic days; and then there are few who don’t pick sides when it comes to hot tea vs. iced tea, and savour the benefits of both! So, how are iced tea and hot tea similar? Both bring tea connoisseurs absolute bliss with their delectable flavours! How are they different? Both bring us different health benefits. Let’s find out which serve us better in terms of wellness-
Hot Tea vs. Iced Tea: Benefits & Recipes
To make the most of each tea brew, hot or cold, it’s important to understand their primary benefits and follow a precise brewing process. To make matters easier for you, here are the key health benefits of both kinds of tea that set them apart, along with some simple tea recipes to help you get it right, every single time-
Top 3 Hot Tea Benefits
1. Strengthens The Immune System:
Unwarranted viruses looming in the air? Fear not! Simply brew a cup of warm tea. The antioxidants present in it can help strengthen your body’s natural defences against multiple, recurring illnesses like the cold, flu, and such.
2. Improves Digestion:
We have all been victims of indigestion after having chewed more than we could digest! Teas like Mint, Rosemary, and Lavender, can improve your digestive health. The herbs present can be an all-natural treatment for gas, indigestion, constipation, and other digestive symptoms.
3. Reduces Stress and Anxiety:
The ultimate way to sail through the waves of anxiety are warm brews of tea that have a naturally calming effect. Brew yourself a cup after a long, busy day; sip on the soulful flavors and allow each sip to soothe your senses! To shoo the stress away, teas with low caffeine content, like Chamomile tea and Rooibos tea, are the ideal choice!
Hot Tea Recipes
1. Decaf Green Tea (Recipe for 1 cup)-
- Scoop 1 teaspoon of the tea leaves into a teapot.
- Pour 200ml of water freshly boiled at 80°C over the leaves.
- Let the infusion steep for 3 minutes.
- Pour the mild tea into a cup, add honey, lemon or sugar.
- Enjoy a soothing nightcap before a refreshing night’s sleep.
2. Decaf Black Tea (Recipe for 1 cup)-
- Scoop 1 teaspoon of the leaves into a teapot.
- Pour 200ml of water freshly boiled at 100°C over the black tea leaves.
- Let the infusion steep for 4 minutes.
- Pour the fresh tea into a cup.
- Enjoy a soothing cup at night, with milk and sugar or honey, if required.
Top 3 Iced Tea Benefits
1. Brings Summer Bliss:
First and foremost, iced teas are your saviour on sunny summer days. They allow you to stay true to your love for tea, especially when you've had enough of the warmth. Iced teas keep you well-hydrated even if you are out wandering all day under the sun. They bring you the almost same benefits as water, but with more flavor!
2. Increases Bone Density:
Studies have shown that drinking iced tea, especially Green tea, can contribute to increasing your bone density, keeping the chances of attracting osteoporosis at bay. Coffee and Caffeinated soda pops can negatively affect your bone density; here is where iced tea comes to the rescue, with its inviting flavors and obvious health benefits.
3. Protects Against Heart Disease:
Keep your heart happy and healthy with a tall, cool glass of iced tea! Drinking iced Green tea can lower LDL cholesterol (the bad boys) as well as minimize the presence of triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood. The antioxidants present in the tea can prevent diseases associated with the heart.
Iced Tea Recipes
1. Iced Latte-
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups water
- ¼ Cup Darjeeling Tea Leaves / 5 tea bags
- 1 Cup milk
- 1 Cup low fat cream
- ¼ tsp Ground cardamom
- 3 Cloves, crushed
- 2 Black peppercorns, crushed
- 1/8 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Ground ginger
- ¼ Cup sweetened condensed milk
Preparation:
- In a medium sized saucepan, bring the water to a gentle boil.
- Stir the tea leaves into the water.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the milk, cream, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Increase the heat and bring to a full boil, being careful not to let the milk boil over.
- Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heat-proof container.
- Stir in the condensed milk. Let cool, then chill and serve over ice.
2. Mint Iced Tea
Ingredients:
- 3 tea bags of Moroccan Mint Tea
- 2 cups / 475ml Water
- 4 Mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus leaves for garnish
- ½ cup / 120ml Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp / 30ml Sugar syrup
- Ice cubes
Preparation:
- Bring 2 cups of water just to a boil, turn off the heat.
- Add the tea bags and chopped mint leaves, and infuse for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the bags to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Cool the tea to lukewarm and strain into 2 glasses.
- Stir ¼ cup of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sugar syrup into each glass.
- Add ice cubes, garnish with mint leaves, and serve.
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