One of my favorite moments on cold mornings is when I pour my cup of hot tea to start the day. Preparing the water, choosing a mug, and selecting my flavor is settling, calming, and my boys have started to participate in the tradition. We each choose a tea bag and steep it in hot water for a few minutes while preparing breakfast, then enjoy the fragrant vapors as we let the tea cool just enough to keep from burning our mouths as we take a first sip.
My collection of teas takes up more shelf space than it probably should, but my enjoyment of tea began as a child, and became a passion when living and traveling abroad. I grew up only knowing one kind of tea, then began drinking herbal teas in college, and later tasted my first oolong and Pu-erh teas in Hong Kong. In Colombia I purchased the local herbal teas, and my favorite was yerbabuena. In Istanbul, I sipped my first apple tea while negotiating rug prices.
But my ultimate tea experience was the Japanese tea ceremony, one on one, with students who were studying the Urasenke tradition of chado, The Way of Tea. The ceremony was led by SEN Soshitsu XV, a fifteenth-generation Grand Master who shared with us the teachings and ideals of chado: Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility. It was a beautiful way to experience a piece of Japanese culture, and truly unforgettable. And each time I sip a cup of tea, I feel as if I am bringing part of that experience to my day.
The tea I grew up with was black, the common type found in tea bags in the supermarket. I remember reading the package and wondering what orange pekoe meant, and I just assumed it was the type of tea. Many years later I learned orange pekoe refers to the grade of the tea, mostly for teas from Sri Lanka, India, and countries other than China. There are about 30 different grades of tea in four categories (whole leaf, broken leaf, fannings, dust) and some jargon used to describe the consistency of the leaf.
That common black orange pekoe tea forms the base of this cranberry-infused mixture. Combine all the ingredients in a pot on the stove and simmer, then let it rest. Your home will fill with the scent of tea and cranberries, making a welcoming aroma to share with family and friends during the holidays. The flavor is full and on the tart side, but you can add a couple drops of stevia to your cup if desired.
[Update: Thanks to Foodista for featuring this post as Drink Blog of the Day for December 8, 2014!]
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange pekoe tea leaves
- 2 (3 x 1-inch) strips orange rind
- 4-1/4 cups water
- OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
- cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange pekoe tea, and orange rind strips in the stainless steel saucepan. Add water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Strain the mixture over the liquid measuring cup, and discard the solids. Serve hot.
3-quart heavy stainless steel saucepan
fine mesh strainer
heat-resistant large liquid measuring cup
Recipe Notes
Look for loose leaf tea, but you can use bagged tea if necessary.
For more orange flavor, substitute the juice of one orange for some of the water.
More Festive Holiday Drinks
More Festive Tea Drinks From Other Blogs
- One Martini – Divination (Matcha Green Tea Martini)
- Farm Fresh Feasts – Slow Cooker Apple Chai
- Maebells – Cranberry Pineapple Spice Tea
- Three Little Halves – Caramelized Slivovitz (Serbian Tea)
[Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection.]
[Disclosure: This blog earns a small commission through affiliate links.]
Okay so this is a “fancy” tea I can wrap my hands around!
I’m intrigued by your tea ritual because my tea choice is totally boring — Canadian Red Rose, yes it’s orange pekoe and yes I was much disappointed once to learn that orange pekoe isn’t so special — but it’s all I drink, in memory of my mom whose day was filled with multiple cups of tea, all properly brewed, all Red Rose. A cup of tea was her “smoke” — if something bad happened, she’d ask, Who’s making tea? When something good happened, she’d say, I’ll put the kettle on. PS Lipton has acquired Red Rose and the tea you buy in Canada that bears the Lipton label is different from the Red Rose tea purchased in the US. Thanks for broadening my horizons, Andrea!
Hi Alanna, good to hear from you! That’s a neat story about your mom and her tea. I was introduced to Red Rose tea by some Canadian friends, and could get it at the commissary in Saudi Arabia. Red Rose and Twinings Earl Grey were my regular teas for a while.
I only drink Green tea because I really the smell and the taste. But I want to try that Cranberry tea. Is it sweet?
Hi Georgia. The tea is a little bit tart, not very sweet at all.