If you enjoy taking coffee from coffee shops, you’ve probably bought some from The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

The popular group of coffee shops are well-known for their unique beverages, such as freshly brewed tea.

Tea Latte from The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is especially delicious. It’s a low-calorie healthy drink, made with frothed milk that’s a pleasure to drink.

You may be surprised to find that a tea latte is a popular beverage because most people like to drink coffee. That wouldn’t be the case if you knew the history of tea.

Where did Tea Come From?

Tea leaves are produced from the Camellia Sinensis tree. It first became a valuable commodity in the 2nd century when it was discovered in China, where it was widely used as a medicinal ingredient.

People started using tea in beverages during the 3rd century. The demand for tea encouraged farmers to grow it on a large scale and ship it worldwide.

By the late 19th century, tea was a favorite beverage among the Dutch, British, and Africans.

These days tea is widely cultivated all over the world. It is grown in countries such as England,  Russia, Iran, Brazil, Australia, and Kenya.

That’s why there are so many different types of tea named according to their country of origin. Some examples are Ceylon tea and Darjeeling tea.

Tea is also classified according to how it’s processed. There is semi-fermented tea, such as oolong tea; fermented tea, such as black tea; and unfermented tea, such as green tea.

The color of a tea beverage depends on the types of tea leaves used to make it. For example, black tea produces a red-copperish beverage, while green tea produces a pale green drink.

These teas can either be taken in their plain form or with milk. An excellent example of a milky tea beverage is a tea latte.

 

What is Tea Latte?

A tea latte is similar to a coffee latte but made with tea. Instead of the traditional double shot of espresso used in Coffee lattes, those made with tea are prepared with tea concentrate.

There are also those that are prepared by steeping tea leaves or tea bags in hot water and adding a small amount of milk.

Tea lattes are usually spicy, fragrant, and flavorful. You can have them in place of coffee whenever you need a beverage change.

Cinnamon, ginger, mint, star anise, flavored syrup, and flavored powders are examples of ingredients added to tea lattes to improve their taste.

Apart from flavor, tea is also taken for its caffeine content (which is about 60-90milligrams a cup).

 

Benefits of Taking a Coffee Bean Tea Latte

A factor that encouraged people to take tea when it was first discovered was its health benefits.

As mentioned, tea is associated with Ayurvedic remedies and is often included in Indian medicinal therapies.

You can benefit from tea’s therapeutic properties whether you take it in plain form or with milk, as in a latte. It contains lots of antioxidants and amino acids that can;

• Boost heart health
• Lower blood sugar levels
• Improve digestion
• Increase metabolism
• Reduce weight gain

Now that you know the benefits of tea, why don’t you make a cup of tea latte at home? Here’s how.

 

How to Make a Tea Latte

Since a tea latte is made with milk, you may wonder how it differs from milky tea. Is the term “tea latte” simply another word used to refer to milk tea?

No. Tea lattes contain more tea than milk. And while milk teas are usually taken hot, tea lattes can be taken hot or cold.

Although some people add rich ingredients such as creamer to tea lattes, it is supposed to be a low-calorie beverage. It’s one of the reasons tea lattes are among the most popular beverages in coffee shops like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

While the tea lattes at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf are great, we don’t always have time or money to go to the coffee shop. The craving for tea can hit you anywhere, especially when you are at home.

At such times you can always make a tea latte in your kitchen. The ingredients you need to make it are right there. It also takes minutes to make.

You can use any kind of tea leaves to make a tea latte. The most popular options are masala chai, green tea, or Earl grey teas. You can also use flavored tea leaves, such as those with blueberry flavor.

There are also herbal teas like Rooibos tea that are used by people who prefer low – caffeinated teas. Although you can make a latte with any type of tea, it will taste better if you use your favorite tea bags.

Lattes taste great when prepared with dairy milk or milk alternatives such as cashew nut milk, almond milk, or soy milk.

You can also thicken your tea latte by adding healthy thickening ingredients such as matcha powder.

 

Coffee Bean Tea Latte Recipe

 

Ingredients

2 small pots

3 cups of water

1/2 a cup of milk

2 Tbsp of loose-leaf tea

2 Tsp of brown sugar

A tea filter

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (optional)

Procedure

1. Heat the water in the pot on high heat.
2. Put off the heat, and steep the loose tea leaves in hot water for 4 minutes.
3. Pour the tea into a teapot by passing it through a filter to sieve the tea leaves. Set it aside.
4. Gently steam milk on low heat in a separate pot until hot. Use a milk frother to create smoothly textured foamy milk.
5. Pour hot tea into a teacup, add some splashes of frothy milk, and sprinkle some cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger on top.
6. Enjoy your tea latte with a slice of cake.

That’s a recipe for preparing a hot cup of tea latte. You can also make an iced tea latte during summer or hot days when you can’t bear to drink anything hot. Here’s how.

 

Iced Tea Latte Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups cold tea concentrate

1 cup whole steamed milk

1 Tbsp of sugar

A cup of ice

Procedure

1. Mix the tea concentrate and milk in a jar.
2. Sweeten the tea latte with sugar.
3. Put the tea in the fridge to chill for a few hours.
4. Pour the cold tea latte and ice cubes into a blender and blend it to a smooth consistency.
5. Serve the tea latte in a tall glass, add some ice cubes, and garnish it with mint leaves.

 

Conclusion

Now you know a little bit about tea and how to make a Coffee Bean Tea Latte. If you are a coffee enthusiast, you may consider taking up tea drinking.

Tea is a great alternative beverage to have on days when you just need to relax and can’t afford to take a highly caffeinated cup of coffee.

Taking tea lattes often will improve your health significantly. It will also allow you to explore the various types of tea available in grocery stores.

And if you are already a tea lover, learning to make it at home using recipes such as the one we’ve given you will save you money. You won’t have to run to the cafe whenever you need a hot tea mug.

Try a tea latte today!

 

Also read: Which Coffee Beans are Best for a Latte?