Name: Cacao, Cardamom, Rose Herbal Tea Blend
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 10 green cardamom pods; ¾ cup cacao nibs; 3 tablespoons dried rose petals

Why This Recipe Works

Inspired by a black tea blend at a local café, we wanted to make a tisane that combined a rich chocolate flavor with the fragrance of rose petals. Tisanes, often referred to as herbal teas, are infusions made from dried ingredients. We started with dried rose petals, then found our cacao component in the form of whole nibs, which won tasters over—tasting almost of milk chocolate—but the flavor was still a little weaker than we wanted. We tried toasting the nibs, but this made them bitter, so we chose to simply pulse them in a spice grinder to create extra surface area to extract a richer chocolate flavor. With the grinder in use, we took the opportunity to crack some whole cardamom pods, as their aromatic character mimicked that of roses while giving the chocolate a fuller, more spiced expression.

Before You Begin

If you have one, a mortar and pestle can be used to crush the spices.

Instructions

Pulse cardamom in spice grinder until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses. Add cacao nibs and pulse until cacao nibs are coarsely ground, about 10 pulses. Transfer to small bowl and stir in rose petals. (Tea blend can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.)

to make one cup tea

Add 1 tablespoon tea blend to tea infuser or tea sachet. Steep tea mixture with 1 cup boiling water in teacup, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove tea infuser and serve immediately.