Tropical Zest Mocktail
It’s funny how a hot day out to the market became my inspiration for this drink! What better thirst quencher than coconut water, and what better way to flavour it than with some of our best local herbs. I paired it with Pukka’s Mint Matcha Green for the cooling effect from the spearmint, which I find is also a great decongestant.
I got to know of Pukka when I was working in the UK because a colleague of mine kept a stash of it in her office drawer and I was so drawn to how pretty the boxes were; and back then, I considered these teas a treat compared to the usual black tea I was drinking (and still love till today!!)
If you’re a tea drinker, you’d definitely want to check out Pukka’s new green tea range that uses matcha grown in #JejuDo, a World Heritage Site in South Korea. They’ve got really nice non-caffeinated options too (my favourite is anything that contains fennel!) and the combinations are really nice – they’ve got an in-house herbalist after all!
It’s important to me how a company functions, and I love that the brand uses their business as a force for good. They invest in environmental and social causes, and they are very careful of their farming practices. Their teabags don’t contain any kind of plastic, and everything is stitched together using organic cotton. Y’all know what this means!! THE ENTIRE BAG GOES INTO MY COMPOST BIN!!
In partnership with Pukka Herbs
THE RECIPE
SERVES 2
Ingredients
2 cups coconut water
3 Pukka Mint Matcha Green tea bags
Handful of mint leaves
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 slice ginger
1 lemongrass, bruised
1 lime wedge
Honey (optional)
Garnish
Lemongrass stalk
1 kaffir lime leaf
Crushed ice
Directions
In a small pot, heat the coconut water, lemongrass and 3 teabags over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and let the aromatics steep for 30 minutes while it cools down
Mash the mint leaves and ginger in a tall glass and add a torn kaffir lime leaf
Pour in the cooled down coconut-tea mixture and mix
Taste and add honey if needed
Strain the mixture over a glass of ice, add a spritz of lime juice and garnish with a lemongrass stalk, a sprig of mint and a kaffir lime leaf