At the suggestion of Steepster user Derk, I’ve brewed this Georgia 1847 Classic Black tea with a spiking of Spanish saffron threads from a reputable supplier. Derk reported that she used “a few” saffron threads. Indeed, the resulting infusion was sweeter and more rounded in flavor, with a surprise! .
I carefully weighed 1.0 g of loose leaf tea and used a pinch of saffron threads (I count 16 threads) and infused three successive 100 ml cups of alpine spring water at the boiling point. 1st infusion 60 sec. 2nd infusion 90 sec. 3rd infusion 3 min. Each brew that resulted was a deep yellow-brown liquid, and the aroma was just of tea. The flavor was fuller, rounded and quite nice! As the first infusion cooled, I discovered a buttery aftertaste on the back roof of my mouth with each sip that was terrific! No more does the tea seem like toasted-grass water, but now a more complex, aromatic beverage, worthy of a separate review so it can be rated higher. The second infusion was the same shade, but softer in flavor, and without the buttery surprise. The third infusion was a deeper yellow shade, but no stronger in flavor.
Overall, the tea is nicely changed, but at the price of using up saffron. What I would really like to try is spiking with pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius) which is said to contain the same substance that gives basmati rice its characteristic aroma. I have not yet obtained pandan leaves but will now seek them out. Thanks Derk for the saffron suggestion!
Flavors: Buttery, Tea
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
What a fun experiment, and with good success!
Now I wish I try it with saffron. Sad face
Glad the addition of saffron transformed the brew into something more pleasant. I used only 3 threads of Greek saffron in my experiment. Now that I’m out of the Greek saffron, I’ll try some Turkish threads with a Persian black tea from What-Cha. Somewhere in my tea cabinet is a jar with maybe a dozen threads I picked from our saffron crocuses last fall. If only I could find that jar!
What a fun experiment, and with good success!
Now I wish I try it with saffron. Sad face
Glad the addition of saffron transformed the brew into something more pleasant. I used only 3 threads of Greek saffron in my experiment. Now that I’m out of the Greek saffron, I’ll try some Turkish threads with a Persian black tea from What-Cha. Somewhere in my tea cabinet is a jar with maybe a dozen threads I picked from our saffron crocuses last fall. If only I could find that jar!