And while we love sipping our tea, this ingredient is vastly under-recognized for its use in cooking. Tea—especially one as fragrant as Earl Grey or as complex as matcha—can elevate a dish more than you’d think. Its rich, herbal taste makes it the perfect “secret ingredient” in baked goods like cakes and cookies, marinades, glazes, and so much more. Try infusing tea with fresh herbs to yield a flavor-packed cooking liquid for fish, or adding chai to a hot toddy for a sweet-and-spicy aromatic cocktail. These seven recipes are all delicious ways to use up a tin of tea leaves (or better yet, an excuse to go buy one).
