Sunday, June 10, 2018

Grenadian Chocolate Iced Tea #NationalIcedTeaDay


Last month we went to Grenada for a Scuba Diving trip.  One of the activities offered at our resort was a chocolate and rum tasting.



We started out with the chocolate tasting.  One of the items they showed us piqued my interest right away.  As soon as the representative told us what this item was used for, I immediately remembered that I had signed up to celebrate National Iced Tea Day.
My friend, Heather of Hezzi D's Books and Cooks, is hosting this party to celebrate one of the all time favorite summertime drinks.


These cocoa balls, the representative explained, are made for making chocolate tea. 


She said that even though the cocoa balls are already spiced, they add more spices to the steeping water to make the tea.  I picked up a variety of spices while touring the spice house later in the week. Grenada isn't known as the Spice Island for nothing.


For each cocoa ball, she told me, you use 3 cups of water and whatever spices you like.  I added a piece of cinnamon bark, a bay leaf and the remainder of a nutmeg seed that I had in my cupboard.  Do you know that the Grenadians use every part of the nutmeg fruit.  The flesh makes jams, jellies and syrups, the outer covering of the seed (what we call nutmeg) is the mace and used for spicing savory dishes and then there is the seed itself.  It was a very interesting tour.


Once the water comes to a boil, you remove it from the heat and allow it to steep for 15 minutes.  If you are drinking it hot, you now would strain it, add sweetener of your choice and milk.  Grenadians always put milk in their chocolate tea.


Since I was going to serve my chocolate tea iced, I placed some simple syrup into a mason jar and then strained the tea directly into the jar.  I allowed this to come to room temperature and then added some milk before placing the tea into the refrigerator.



The following day, I filled a glass with ice and poured in the tea.  I took a sip.  It was good.  It was kind of like drinking a watery chocolate milk but with spices.  It reminded me very much of the chocolate mocha smoothie I enjoyed while visiting the Chocolate Factory while in Grenada.  I took my glass out to the pool, got into my lounge chair with my tea and floated in the water pretending I was back on vacation once again.


Check out all the other delicious recipes for National Iced Tea Day! 



#icedtea, #chocolate, #spice, #drinks,
Drinks, Chocolate
Grenadian, Caribbean
Yield: 4Pin it

Grenadian Chocolate Iced Tea

Made with spiced chocolate balls from the Grenada this is an interesting, unusual and refreshing treat.

ingredients:

1 Cocoa Ball
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 small nutmeg
3 c. water
1/2 c. simple syrup
1/2 c. milk

instructions

Place the water, cocoa ball, bay leaf, cinnamon and nutmeg into a pan and heat over high heat until it comes to a boil.  Stir and remove from heat.  Let steep for 15 minutes.

Place the simple syrup in a pitcher or quart mason jar.  Pour the tea, through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth, into the container with the simple syrup.  Allow to come to room temperature.  Add 1/2 c. milk, stir or shake to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fill 4 glasses with ice, stir or shake the tea and then divide evenly between the glasses.
Created using The Recipes Generator

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