Flavoured Syrups

Add a whole new dimension to your tea drinks by flavoured syrups

When making or tea drinks, sometimes using a syrup can be an easy way to add flavor. Being a liquid, syrups blend better than powdered ingredients and add a richer texture to the drink. They can also be used when making shakes, smoothies and any kind of desserts.

Syrups can be purchased in a wide variety of flavors, from companies like Monin. But it's not hard to make your own. Here are 3 basic recipes to get you started. Once you get the hang of it, you can make any kind of syrup you want.

tea Syrup
2 cups strong tea
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Combine everything in a saucepan and simmer over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture
for about 4 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain out tea beans, and store in the fridge.

Espresso Syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 oz hot, fresh espresso

Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool for about 1 minutes, then add espresso .Stir until blended. Let cool completely then store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Sift together the sugar, cocoa and salt. Add water gradually, stirring slowly. Do not beat. Once completely blended, heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cold, strain if desired. Stir in vanilla. Store in the fridge.

The amounts of each syrup to use in your drinks depends on the recipes and your own personal tastes. Most drink recipes would use 1 or 2 tablespoons per cup of drink.