Tea concentrates are generally stronger than tea brewed through a more ordinary process, even when diluted. Typically, the desired variety of tea is steeped in boiling water, and then re-boiled with additional ingredients needed to create the flavor desired. The higher level of intensity makes it easier to produce large quantities of finished beverages.
Since tea concentrates are more controlled than brewed tea, they can dependably be used to mix with a range of other drinks. They are also used in baking as a wet ingredient in breads or sweets, or as a glaze.
Tea concentrates are useful in making a variety of different products:
- Carbonated drinks
- Alcoholic mixers
- Hot or cold milk or water
- Bread
- Brownies
- Frosting
The growing popularity of tea flavors in the food and beverage industry means that the potential applications for their use are broader than ever. There is much room to explore with tea concentrates in flavor creation.