by Tea Master DANIELA CUBELIC

Jasmine rice is renowned for a delicate floral aroma that is reminiscent of jasmine. You can take your jasmine rice to a heavenly level by cooking it with jasmine green tea.

Foodies in Asia seek out special varietals & fresh harvests of premium jasmine rice, which are more fragrant, to maximize their enjoyment of this wonderful scent. The scent comes from a naturally occurring compound in the rice (2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline), but it deteriorates quickly as the rice loses freshness.

I love freshly harvested jasmine rice, but it’s almost impossible to get in North America, so I invented this simple trick. I create a similar taste to the world’s best, fresh jasmine rice by cooking the rice in our high-quality JASMINE OASIS TEA. The tea is made by infusing fresh, premium, organic green tea many times with freshly picked, organically grown jasmine flowers. The more times the tea is infused with jasmine, the more fragrant it becomes & our JASMINE OASIS is superb—a perfect balance of intoxicating jasmine & delicate green tea.

The scent of this recipe while it is cooking is enchanting. The taste isn’t overpoweringly floral, in case you are worried your rice will taste too perfumey. It just has a more delicious, more compelling taste that tantalizes the taste buds.

Follow my recipe & see how you like it. If you love it & want to ramp up the jasmine notes from the tea even more, increase the proportion of dry loose tea. Start by using 1.5 times the quantity of tea leaves I recommend & adjust to your preference.

Traditionally, jasmine is associated with calming & uplifting benefits & it is also considered a creativity booster. When you are feeling you need a dose of any of these attributes, this might be just what you need.

You can enjoy this rice any way you like, but you can also use it in dessert recipes—it makes rice pudding taste that much more scrumptious!

Quality matters a lot to how things taste & our JASMINE OASIS TEA is a perfect example. Beware of low-quality jasmine teas—they won’t taste as good and they also may harbour hidden additives. Low-quality jasmine teas are made with leftover jasmine flowers past their prime, which means there isn’t much aroma left for them to release. The jasmine scent is boosted with artificial flavours & added to bitter, low-quality green tea.

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Get inspired with more tips, techniques & recipes - watch & learn directly from Tea Master Daniela Cubelic in this captivating VIDEO SERIES.

Learn how to make chai tea soup, tea hot chocolates, mulled cider teas, tea infused oatmeal, ice cream tea floats, tea lemonades, iced teas & more. You’ll also discover fascinating facts & info about the health benefits of tea, tea history & secrets for tea brewing.

 

NEXT-LEVEL JASMINE RICE

 dairy-free, gluten-free & vegan

INGREDIENTS
JASMINE OASIS GREEN TEA
jasmine rice
water

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS

1. This recipe is easy to adjust to whatever amount of rice you are making because it is based on ratios. Decide on the quantity of rice you are making to determine how much water & loose tea you’ll need.

For every cup of dry rice, you will need 1½ cups of water. (See note below about rice ratios & cooking times.)

For every cup of water that is used to make the rice, you will need 1 teaspoon of JASMINE OASIS TEA. If a recipe needs 1½ cups of water, you will brew 1½ teaspoons of tea in the 1½ cups of water.

When using tea for cooking, the proportion of tea to water often needs to be increased, as compared to when you’re making a cup of tea. This allows the flavor of the tea to come through better, while also providing added nutrients to the food.

2. Bring water to just before the boil & steep the tea for 3 minutes & then strain. 

Re-measure the brewed tea before adding it to the rice. I usually do this by straining the brewed tea back into the measuring cup that I used to originally measure the water. Brewing tea causes a small amount of water loss, so top up any missing liquid from the tea with cold water from the tap.

3.To prepare rice for cooking, it should always be rinsed. Rinsing results in better tasting rice, a nicer, less starchy texture & the removal of impurities. Measure your rice & then place it in a fine mesh strainer that is set inside a medium bowl. Cover with cold water & swirl the rice around with your hand. Remove the strainer from the bowl & let the rice drain. Repeat this step several times until the water runs clear. Strain the rice & discard any water from this step.

4. Pour the brewed JASMINE OASIS TEA over the rice in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low & simmer. Cover with a lid & cook for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the pot from the heat & let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Then gently fluff with a fork. If there is still a little bit of liquid at the bottom, cover again & allow to sit for a few more minutes until it is all absorbed.

RICE COOKER OR INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS

Follow the ratio of water to rice that is recommended by the type of cooker you are using to make rice. 

To decide on how much tea to use, the ratio is always the same. For every 1½ cups of water, use 1½ teaspoons of loose tea. 

Note: The ratio of rice to water can vary, depending on the specific brand/variety you are using. For example, if you are using brown jasmine rice, it may affect the ratio & also the cooking time. If you are not sure, check the package of rice you have & follow their rice to water ratio & cooking times.