STRONG TEA RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine the rice, tea and brown sugar in a bowl. Take a 12- to 14-inch wok and line the inside and the lid with aluminum foil, allowing about 4 inches of overhang. Put the smoking mixture in the bottom of the wok. Set a 10-inch cake rack about 3 inches about the smoking mixture, pinching the foil around the rack if necessary to secure it.
• Set the wok over moderate heat, in its bottom ring for gas stoves, until thin streams of smoke begin to rise, 8 to 10 minutes. Arrange the ingredients to be smoked in a single layer on the rack and quickly cover with the lid. Wearing oven mitts, crimp the overhanging foil all around the lid to completely seal the wok. keep the burner on moderate heat and smoke according to the individual recipes.

Steps:

• Hot-Brewed:
• Bring 8 cups water to a simmer; remove from the heat and add 3 tablespoons loose tea or 6 tea bags. Let steep about 4 minutes, until it's the strength you like. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags. Let cool, then transfer to a pitcher, cover and refrigerate.
• Cold-Brewed:
• Combine 8 cups cold water and 6 tablespoons loose tea or 10 tea bags in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 15 to 36 hours, until it's the strength you like. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags.
• Sweet Teas:
• Combine 3/4 cup each sugar and water in a saucepan and add 1 infuser, if desired. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the infused syrup through a fine-mesh sieve (you'll get about 1 cup).
• Orange Add 6 strips zest
• Blackberries 1 cup
• Cinnamon 2 sticks
• Lavender 3 tablespoons dried
• Vanilla 1 halved bean
• Mint 3 sprigs
• Ginger 1 cup sliced
• Lemon 8 strips zest
• Nectarine 1 cup chopped
• Cucumber 2 cups chopped