Recipes for Darjeeling Tea

You can enjoy it hot or cold, iced or spiced; you can even eat it... It is sheer astonishing what you can do with the so-called “ champagne of teas.” Here is a selection of tempting possibilities:



Hot Darjeeling – Basic Method
  • Take fresh water – preferably spring water – and boil it
  • Pre-warm teapot by rinsing it with hot water
  • Put one teaspoon of tea leaves for each cup into the teapot, plus an additional teaspoon “for the teapot”
  • Pour boiling water into the teapot
  • Cover the teapot and wait for three minutes
  • Strain the liquid from the pot into the cups
  • Add milk and sugar to taste.

Hot Spiced Afternoon Darjeeling

You need (serves 10 people):
  • 4 pints water
  • 1 oz. Darjeeling
  • 4 oz. sugar
  • ½ level teaspoon whole cloves
  • ¼ pint orange juice (or, alternatively, squash)
  • lemon juice (of approx. two lemons)
  • cinnamon sticks
Add the spices to the water and bring to a boil. Pour the liquid on the tea and brew for 5 minutes. Strain onto the sugar, and stir until it is dissolved. Add the fruit juices. Serve with cinnamon sticks.


Iced Darjeeling
  • Take fresh water – preferably spring water
  • Put two teaspoons of tea into the teapot for each person
  • Pour in boiling water
  • Cover the teapot and wait for at least five minutes
  • Fill ¾ of a glass tumbler with ice cubes
  • Pour tea and add syrup and sliced lemon to taste.
  • Suck through a straw.

Lemon Darjeeling
Add a few drops of lemon and sugar to your cup of tea. Stir well and sip.


Darjeeling Fruit Cup

You need (serves 10 people):
  • 4 oz. sugar
  • 2 pints water
  • ¼ pint strong fresh Darjeeling, strained
  • ¼ pint fruit syrup
  • ¼ pint orange squash
  • ¼ pint lemon squash
  • ¼ pint pineapple squash
  • 1 bottle lemonade
  • cherries
  • 2 bananas
  • ice
Boil the sugar and ¼ pint water together for 5 minutes. Add the cooled tea, the rest of the water, fruit syrup and fruit squashes. Chill and add all the other incredients.


Darjeeling Punch

You need (serves 10 people):
  • ½ pint Darjeeling
  • 6 oz. sugar
  • ½ pint orange squash
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 bottles ginger ale
  • 1 bottle lemonade
  • 1 sliced orange
Put the tea in a bowl. Add sugar and stir well. Add the orange squash and lemon juice. Strain. Chill. Mix in the ginger ale, lemonade, and sliced orange.


Darjeeling Ice Cream

For making 2 lbs. of ice cream, you need:
  • 2 oz. dry Darjeeling
  • 1 lb. refined sugar
  • 1 oz. corn flour
  • 2 lbs. milk
  • 10 oz. water
Boil water. Rinse the teapot with hot water and put in the tea leaf. Pour boiling water into the teapot. Infuse for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain. Boil milk. Blend sugar with corn flour, and add to boiled milk. Let the mix simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the tea infusion, stir and freeze.


Darjeeling Jelly

You need:
  • 2 lemons
  • lemon jelly
  • ¾ pint brewed Darjeeling
  • whipped cream
Grate the skins of the lemon. Place the jelly in a measure and make up to 1 pint with brewed tea. Stir until dissolved. Cool. When it is thickened, stir in the grated lemon peel and pour into 1 pint mold. Decorate with whipped cream.



Darjeeling Cake

For the Cake:
  • Cooking spray
  • 6 tablespoons Darjeeling tea
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup boiling water
  • 2/3 cup cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
For the Icing:
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 5 tablespoons loose Darjeeling tea
  • 2/3 cup (6 ounces)
  • 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
Other ingredients:
  • chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350º.

To prepare the cake:
Coat 2 (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper.
Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.
Pour 2/3 cup of boiling water over 6 tablespoons tea leaves in a bowl; steep 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sifter into a bowl; cool to room temperature.
Spoon flour into measuring cups; sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Combine 2/3 cup cocoa and 2/3 cup boiling water; stir; cool in freezer for 10 minutes, and stir in brewed tea, yogurt, and vanilla.
Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer until well blended; add egg whites and egg, 1 at a time; beat well; add flour and brewed tea mixture alternately to sugar mixture.
Pour butter into cake pans; bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans; remove and discard wax paper; cool.

To prepare the icing:
Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over 5 tablespoons tea leaves; steep for 5 minutes; strain; cool to room temperature.
Place cream cheese in a bowl, and beat with a mixer until fluffy.
Sift together powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa.
Add cocoa mixture and 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons brewed tea. Beat until smooth.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup icing; top with another cake layer; spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake; sprinkle with hazelnut.