We think its safe to say everyone loves a sweet bite of something after dinner. Matcha is known for its distinctive aroma and flavour. So we brought our love for matcha and white chocolate and made our version of matcha truffles. You can never go wrong with a truffle or two - or an entire box. We are not judging. 

Ingredients (aprx. 20-25 serves)

• 100ml heavy cream
• 2 tbsp Tea Drop Matcha Powder
• 250g white chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Topping Ideas (optional)

• Chocolate coating white/dark/milk
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Chopped nuts
• Coconut flakes

How to make

In a heat-proof bowl add heavy cream, vanilla extract and matcha powder and whip together.

note : add matcha powder using a fine mesh strainer to make sure there are no clumps.

Add the chopped chocolate to the bowl and melt over simmering hot water at very low heat. Stir to become a uniform colour.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Use an ice cream scoop and portion out truffle onto parchment paper.
Roll each truffle between your palms till you create a perfect ball, don’t worry our hands got messy too.
If the truffles get too soft don’t worry, place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Coat truffle with preferred topping (this is optional).

Enjoy!

• 2 cups of milk of your choice
• 40g Tea Drop Artisan Drinking Chocolate
• 1/2 cup of carrot juice ,
• 2 tbs of Tea Drop chai concentrate
• Whipped cream (optional)

How to make: 

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it starts to steam.
2. Add the chocolate, carrot juice, and chai concentrate and stir and combine with the milk.
3. Remove from heat and pour into mugs. 
4. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!

Marshmallow Hot Chocolate

What you need:

• 2 cups of milk of your choice
• 40g of Tea Drop Artisan Drinking chocolate
• 4 marshmallow squares
• Whipped cream (optional)

How to make: 

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it starts to steam.  Add the chocolate and marshmallow and stir until they're melted and combined with the milk.
• Remove from heat and pour into mugs.
• Top with whipped cream and more marshmallows and enjoy!

Try out one of the above drinking chocolate recipes and let us know which one is your favourite!

Our peppermint tea is a premium hand-crafted blend using only the freshest peppermint leaves. It has been packed in small batches to maintain superior flavour and freshness. Taste the difference with Tea Drop today!

In this post, we’re going to take you on a journey into the wonderful world of ice teas and explain how you can get your fix now or save it till later with our easy-to-follow recipes.

More about chilled tea

Chilled tea or iced tea has been a beverage enjoyed since the 1870s when it was first consumed in the southern United States. Perfect for the region’s hot and steamy climate, it soon became a popular choice for its thirst-quenching properties.

The perfect alternative to alcohol or fizzy drinks on a hot summer’s day, not only is iced tea refreshing, thanks to its high water content, but it also contains antioxidants that help fight disease.

Individual tea blends will contain their own health benefits too, so our Lemongrass Ginger blend – perfect for ice tea – offers the detoxifying benefits of lemongrass, while ginger provides protective anti-inflammatory properties.

And last but not least, ice tea can be made in a whole spectrum of exciting flavours to suit every taste. A great iced tea makes you pause and take notice. It's flavour profiles are different from hot tea, but done right, is just as worthy of savoring.

Making iced tea is so easy

Not only is cold tea thirst-quenching and delicious, but making iced tea is also so much easier than you think. The two methods best known for making iced tea are cold brew and flash chilled.

The question you need to ask yourself to find out which process will work best for you is: when do you want to drink your iced tea?

To make flash chilled iced tea

If the answer is now, then flash chilled is the way to go. This process will take no more than five minutes to complete.

Step 1. Select your preferred tea. Try Lemongrass Ginger or Fruits of Eden.

Step 2. Put tea in our Tea Drop tea maker. Double the weight of your tea and halve the volume of water. For example, if you normally use 3 grams (1 teaspoon) of Lemongrass Ginger for a hot tea, use 6 grams (2 teaspoons) for your cold tea. And if you use a standard 230 ml of hot water, drop that down to 150 ml of hot water.

Step 3. Let brew for 3 minutes.

Step 4. Place the tea maker over the serving glass filled with ice and watch the tea fill the glass in seconds. Stir and garnish with fruit.

Step 5. Put your feet up, and drink like you’re a Hollywood star!

To make cold brew iced tea

If you know that some warm weather is coming and you want to make some cold infused tea for the weekend, then cold brew tea is possibly a better option.

The cold brew iced tea method is literally putting the tea in a fridge with cold water and steeping overnight. The colder temperature doesn’t steep out the tannins the way hot water does, so cold brewed tea is actually less astringent and less caffeinated. This process is even easier but will take 10-12 hours until the tea is ready to drink. You also get to enjoy and savour the different flavour profiles of the tea - sweet, refreshing, and full of great body and an aftertaste that cools the throat. It stays fresh tasting for days.

Step 1. Select your tea and measure out 10 grams into a 1.2litre jug. For this, we recommend trying Sweet Peach, or why not try African Sunset to capture that summer floral vibe?

Step 2. Add 1 litre of cold water. There’s no need for a specific temperature –cold filtered water from the tap will be just fine.

Step 3. Place in the fridge for 10-12 hours.

Step 4. After 12 hours, strain off and store in a bottle for up to seven days. The drinks are on you at your next BBQ!

Simple, sweet and creative

Drinking tea all year round is so easy with these simple recipes. Enjoy the fresh flavours of Tea Drop teas as they come or add some natural sweetness with a little treacle, honey or sugar. For a finishing flourish, add some juicy fresh fruit to garnish.

We would love to see your different creations – share them on our social pipelines @teadroptea.

Tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. And no matter the season we can always enjoy a cup of warm or iced tea any time of the day.  Tea leaves are made from the plant Camellia sinensis. Black tea, Green tea, White tea, Oolong tea and Pu Erh tea comes from this same plant. The distinctive flavour profiles and colours that come from these tea types are due to the way the plant is processed.

Different types of tea leaves

Green tea leaves and white tea leaves are the least processed and not oxidized and therefore regarded the healthiest. Black tea leaves are fully oxidized, and oolong tea leaves are only partially oxidized. Pu Erh tea leaves are aged and considered a post oxidized tea. These tea types offer a host of health benefits. The caffeine content will vary between these teas depending on the process.

Herbal tea is not officially a tea, as it does not come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but is instead an infusion of leaves, fruits, bark, roots, or flowers of almost any edible, non-tea plant. The most common herbal teas are chamomile tea, hibiscus tea, peppermint tea, ginger, and rooibos tea. Herbal teas have been around for a long time, with our ancestors’ making infusions of the plants, roots, and herbs they saw around them for medicinal use. This practice continues today with the use of herbal teas to support a healthy mind and body.

Why is tea healthy?

Potential health benefits of tea are due to the polyphenol or flavonoids content in the tea leaves. These chemical compounds act as antioxidants, which control the damaging effects of free radicals in the body. The more tea leaves are processed, usually the less polyphenol content. But their antioxidizing power will still be high.

Health benefits of tea

No matter the season, we recommend getting into the natural, immune-boosting habit of drinking tea every day as tea has a myriad of health benefits.

• Keeps You Hydrated - Did you know that drinking 4-6 cups of tea a day is as good for keeping you hydrated as a litre of water. Whether enjoyed as a delicious hot cuppa or served on ice stay hydrated with tea.
• Great Coffee Alternative – Herbal teas are caffeine free, while traditional teas have less amounts of caffeine than typically found in coffee. Therefore, it will help boost energy and you can consume it without the jittery side effects when the caffeine wears off.
• High in Antioxidants – Tea is loaded with antioxidants that help protect your body from free radicals, keeping you healthy mentally and physically.
• May aid in weight loss – The jury is still out on this, but studies have shown that the caffeine and catechins in tea may aid with weight loss. Green tea is a popular choice for weight loss, as it contains amino acids that signal the body to burn stored fat. The caffeine in tea also helps boost energy and is ideal as a pre-workout drink. Teas are calorie free and the ideal drink to have guilt free.
• Aids in digestion – Tea aids with digestion and can treat issues from nausea to an upset stomach. It also contains tannins which has shown to reduce intestinal inflammation, which can help soothe stomach cramps and irritable bowel syndrome. Teas with ginger are a popular choice.
• Boost your mood – Drinking tea is always connected with calming and soothing effects and linked to decreased stress levels and help you unwind after a tough day.
• Boost your immune system - Tea is great for your immune system. Many types of teas have antiviral and antibacterial properties that can aid to prevent you from getting sick. Whether you’re worried about flu season, or just want to improve your overall health, a daily tea schedule will benefit you.

By incorporating tea into your lifestyle, not only is it a refreshing & aromatic treat, but there is also a myriad of benefits designed to elevate your life. So, get ready to enjoy a flavoursome and sensorial tea experience from the very first sip.