Usually when we think of nice cooling summer drinks, you'd probably think of a glass of Champagne or Pimm's before you think of tea, but maybe you should reconsider.
Tea is one of the oldest beverages in the world: not only is it an easily accessible gift from nature, but it also imparts a large range of health benefits. These benefits vary depending on the type of tea leave, and this summer, we have cooked up a pot of the best and healthiest summer selections for you.
Chrysanthemum Tea
Hailed in ancient Chinese medical documents, chrysanthemum tea is naturally cooling and offers a wide range of benefits to regular drinkers. The tea helps to lower body temperature, which is useful as the temperature reaches over 30 degrees most days here in Hong Kong. It is also recommended for those with fever, sore throat and other ailments that are categorised as "hot" in Chinese medicine.
Chrysanthemum tea is widely available in Hong Kong but one of our favourite places to have a cup is at the historical Peninsula Hotel. There is nothing quite like relaxing in The Lobby, sipping a cup of chrysanthemum to cool down from your Tsim Sha Tsui shopping excursion.
The Lobby, Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2920-2888.
Oolong Tea
Next on our list is oolong tea. Oolong teas are diverse in tastes and aromas depending on their varieties. One of our favourites is the iron Buddha variety from Fujian province (where it is known as ti kuan yin) is renowned for its sweet aroma and pleasant aftertaste finish, which is can add a sweet touch to our summer. It is also said to contain antioxidants, improve digestion and reduces cholesterol. You can find iron Buddha oolong tea at MO Bar at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. Their iron Buddha tea selection from Jing Tea (run by Edward Eisler and his teams in London and Hong Kong) has an intensely floral taste with mineral complexities complete with a crisp and tart finish. For afterhours, we would recommend MO Bar's tea cocktails as well. Even though it is not on their current cocktail menu, their oolong tea punch (Jing tea oolong tea infused vodka, Tiffin tea liqueurs, lemon juice, orange juice) are often requested by loyal customers.
MO Bar, G/F, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central. Tel: +852 2132-0077
Rooibos Tea
Originating from South Africa, rooibos tea is ideal for the health-conscious. With a high level of antioxidants and caffeine-free, rooibos tea is believed to have a soothing effect on the central nervous system as well as relieving stomach and digestive problems. Apart from its health benefits, it is also an all-day drink. It is a superb thirst-quencher during the day and helps you relax and sleep well during the night.
Tiffin at the Grand Hyatt offers a wonderful selection of speciality teas from the renowned German tea producer Ronnefeldts , including their roibosh lemon tea – a rooibos tea blend with a zesty and delicate lemon note.
Tiffin, Mezzanine Floor, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel +852 2584 7722.
Fruit Teas
If you are looking something slightly sweeter, fruits teas are a good choice. Served hot or cold, they come in a variety of flavours, such as strawberry, apple, peach, blueberry and lemon, which can also be mix-and-matched to create your own personal blend. Fruit teas are essentially black tea in which fruit essences have been distilled. Fruit teas have the added health benefit of containing some of the vitamins of the fruits that were used.
One of our favourite fruit teas can be enjoyed at The Lounge at the new Ritz-Carlton in Kowloon: their apple fantastic tea – a delicious tea blend of fresh fruity apples with lemon grass - which gives out a wonderful aroma, while the hint of lemongrass is reminiscent of tropical holidays.
The Lounge and Bar, 102/F, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2263 2270
How to brew the perfect pot of tea
In order to help you make your own summer teas, we have asked Dorlco Ip, who has 14 years of tea brewing experience at The Lobby at the Peninsula, to give us some tips.
Asia Tatler Dining: What are the steps of brewing a good pot of tea?
Dorlco Ip: First, you need to add your choice of tea leaves into a clean tea pot, (approximately four tea spoons of leaves for a 550 ml tea pot). Then add hot water into the teapot and drain it out immediately to cleanse and rinse the leaves, while also warming up the teapot at the same time. After that, add in the hot water a second time to allow the tea to brew. For green teas, you would need to set it for around two to four minutes, while for black teas around one minute would be enough.
ATD: How many times can we refill a brew?
DI: For black teas it can be brewed up to six or seven times, while other teas can be brewed up to five times. Thereafter, the tea leaves will lose their flavours and aroma.
ATD: What is your recommendation of a summer tea?
DI: I will definitely recommend green tea and peppermint tea for its cooling effect and refreshing aftertaste; and also chrysanthemum which helps release body heat.
