Green tea pesto-style: why not eating the tea leaves?

Why not try an unusual type of pesto made with infused tea leaves, Les Jardins de Gaïa style, as an aperitif, snack or starter!

An essential zero-waste cuisine, cooking with tea leaves is common in Japan as a way of enjoying the most prestigious teas in different ways, right down to the very last leaf: infused then chewed.

The recipe

1. Once your tea has been brewed once, twice, or even more if the quality allows, collect the leaves.
2. Put them in a bowl and add a good olive oil or organic grape seed oil and fleur de sel (sea salt) or gomasio (a mixture of toasted sesame and salt).
3. Serve this “pesto” on crackers or slices of toast!

This basic version can be adjusted according to taste: replace the salt with soya sauce, or make the pesto in a more traditional way adding pine or other nuts, grated parmesan and a touch of garlic …

Which tea to choose?

Japanese whole leaf steamed teas are good for this recipe because the steaming process preserves their freshness and elasticity.

The fine needles of Sencha Basho’s Daydream, the shiny leaves of the legendary Gyokuro premium or even the nutty flavour of Genmaicha (rosted rice and sencha) all lend themselves particularly well to this recipe!

But if there was only one infused tea leaf you could snack on, it would have to be that of the first harvest of the year, the Shincha!

What about other dishes?

Why not try infused tea leaves on other dishes? They are also delicious on a bowl of steamed rice or added to an omelette!