Tea Bags Are Actually Perfect Flavor Enhancers For Food

If you're a tea lover who typically has a cupboard full of different flavored tea bags, this trick might be just perfect for you. See, tea bags containing dried herbs, spices, and fruits can add flavor to a variety of foods, from pastry creams, oatmeal, and rice to eggs, pasta, and fish. They can really come in handy if you don't have fresh herbs or spices on hand. 

Common teas you might use to boost flavor include Earl Gray, which contains tart, citrusy bergamot, and chamomile or lavender for sweetness and floral notes. Mint, thyme, and lemongrass are other excellent choices. You can even use an oregano tea bag when making pasta to give it an earthy, peppery taste before you actually add any sauce. Star anise, which has a bold licorice-like flavor and is often use in Asian cooking, is another option that you could use to jazz up dishes like ginger chicken or Vietnamese noodle soup. It's among the uncommon spices you should really start cooking with. 

There are a few ways you can use this cool, little-known hack. One method is to cut the tea bag open and blend its contents directly into your food. Doesn't get much easier than that, does it? You can do this when making a homemade pasta sauce, a stir-fry with vegetables, or a rub for flavoring meat. You might use tea leaves or, alternatively, pre-steeped tea when making a brine or marinade.

When you're making anything that involves boiling, simmering, or poaching, you can infuse the water with flavor by simply dropping a tea bag into it like you would to make a cuppa. If you're making a pot of rice, whether in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, just add a tea bag to the water to infuse it with flavor. The same goes for cooking pasta, as well as poaching eggs or fish.