tea granita: jasmine pearls, lavender honey & spearmint

As cooler breezes tangle with the warm air, I am beginning to feel hints of fall drawing near on a summer evening. Although as the sunshine is slipping, I am treating my taste buds to a refreshing treat that celebrates everything that is sweet in summer, a spoonful of my tea granita.

Earlier this morning I soaked up the sun while walking over to my my favorite local market in Philadelphia, Headhouse Farmers' Market, to purchase the last ingredient for my tea granita, fresh mint. Although the aromas of summer's bounties lured me in for a much longer stay, as I left with the spearmint and another bag filled with sweet corn, eggplant and peaches.

When I returned home, I gathered the three local ingredients needed for my summer tea granita, the spearmint from Weaver's Way Farm , a bottle of lavender honey from Busy Bee farm (purchased at last week's farmers' market), along with jasmine pearl green tea from my favorite teashop in Philly, TBar.

For those of you not familiar with this summer treat, granita is a partially frozen dessert that is usually made with sugar, water and other flavorings. I've added a bit of a twist to this traditional treat by infusing tea and using local ingredients. Jasmine Tea Granita With Lavender Honey and Spearmint:

• 5 cups of water
• 4 teaspoons of lavender honey
• 7 teaspoons of  jasmine pearls
• 2 handfuls of spearmint leaves
• teapot
• kettle
• blender
• 2 ice cube trays

Fill your tea kettle with cool water and heat it on the stove until the water begins to steam from the spout. Place 7 teaspoons of the Jasmine Pearls (hand rolled green tea that has been scented with fresh jasmine) into the tea infuser in your teapot. Pour 5 cups of the steaming water over the Jasmine Pearls (watch them delicately unfold as they release their fragrant aroma), and steep them in the teapot for 3 minutes. 

After the 3 minutes have passed, remove the infuser from the teapot (place it to the side so that you can resteep it for a second pot of jasmine to enjoy after making the granita). Add 4 teaspoons of the Lavender Honey (and don’t forget to lick the spoon to give your taste buds a sneak peek of its earthy and floral flavors). Stir the tea to help the honey blend with the tea. Add a handful of spearmint leaves to the steaming tea. Let the flavors mesh with one another as the temperature cools (approx 5 minutes).

Pour the cooled tea into two ice cube trays and place them in the freezer. You’ll notice that you’ll still have about two cups of the tea with honey and spearmint. That was done purposely so that you could sip the tea while you wait for the rest to freeze.

As I patiently waited for the freezer to play its part in my tea granita creation, I sipped the comforting tea bursting with rich flavor and an intoxicating aroma. The spearmint adds a bright and refreshing sweet note that lingers, while the honey adds a deeper sweet note this is decadent and soothing. The jasmine and lavender add a nice bouquet of floral aroma and flavor. The green tea  plays a more subtle role in this blend, proving to be a sturdy base for all of the unique flavors. Overall, the tea is sweet and comforting. Just imagine eating spearmint and honey while smelling a bouquet of jasmine and lavender. That encapsulates that flavor experience.

I digress….So when the liquid has frozen, remove the ice cube trays from the freezer and let them thaw for a minute or two before popping the tea cubes into the blender. Pulse the cubes into a shaved ice mixture (similar to that of a slushie), scoop the icy goodness into two bowls and pop them back into the freezer for 1 minute. While the granita quickly chills, finely chop the second handful of spearmint leaves. Before serving the granita, drizzle a dab of honey over for extra richness and sprinkle the chopped spearmint leaves to add a burst of vibrant green. Voila, jasmine tea granita. Keep cool during the last few weeks of summer and enjoy your tea treat!

....and I'll leave you with a haiku inspired by today's sweet creation:

savoring sweetness

summer lingers on my lips

jasmine tea blossoms

Comments

[acai]

Jasmine Tea Granita with Lavender Honey and Spearmint!
It makes me go crazy even as I speak it. It would be an amazing tea. I am eager to try it out.

[Jason Witt]

I like your haiku. And the recipe has taught me a little more about making these granitas. I'm not sure I could handle all the powerful floral flavors and scents in this concoction but it's making me think about using the freezer and blender for creations of my own. --Spirituality of Tea

[The Daily Reviewer]

Hi!

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[Chrisy]

Sounds delicious and refreshing...just perfect for sipping from a haiku cup!

[Jennifer]

Oh wow, I think I'm going to love your blog. I've always wanted to experiment with tea!