The Ideal Flavors To Add To Iced White Tea

As the lightest of all the different types of teas, it's hard to imagine something that white tea doesn't pair well with. From being a great addition to herbal infusions or fruity mixes to even serving as a brilliant upgrade to cooking steamed dishes, white tea is one of the most versatile team players you can have in your kitchen and an excellent base for your homemade iced tea. Its mellowness makes it a perfect backdrop for just about any kind of addition. But if you really want to upgrade your iced tea game, it's fresh and light flavors like watermelon, herbs, and blueberries that best complement and bring out the delicate aromas unique to white tea.

Ironically, the softness that makes white tea so versatile also makes it easy to overpower with other flavors — especially after the taste has been toned down with ice. Using low-key, refreshing additions will help accentuate the intricate notes you might not otherwise notice and add a whole new dimension to your iced white tea. Take the watermelon and basil infusion recommended by Go Dairy Free, for example: By layering the laid-back sweetness of watermelon with the airy aroma of fresh basil, you'll get a wonderfully refreshing mixture that highlights the white tea instead of using it as a muted backdrop.

While refreshing flavors make for the best additions if you don't want to overpower the tea, you don't have to limit yourself to light and summery tastes to get the most out of your iced white tea. The surprisingly complex flavor profile also pairs well with more unorthodox ingredients to create uniquely tasty combinations. Try using elderberries instead of the more conventional raspberries or blackberries to add an earthy taste to the tart sweetness. Alternatively, juniper berries or a bit of rosemary also work as sophisticated complements to the naturally fresh aroma. If you're still craving something on the sweeter side, swapping out the usual peach or apple with white nectarines or Asian pears introduces an intricacy you probably never expected from iced white tea.

See a pattern here? The key word is "complexity" — white tea's greatest strength is its compatibility with flavors that are otherwise trickier to work with. Despite seeming like the mildest of all teas, white tea has an entire world of complexity to explore and experiment with. Just make sure you're using loose leaf and brewing at the right temperatures to really experience all that iced white tea has to offer.