Recipes: Pu’er Tea Ice Cream and Whipped Cream

This was the most extraordinary ice cream I have ever tried! Ripe Pu'er tea has an earthy and much more full-bodied taste than other teas, and makes for the perfect flavor added to ice cream. It also has some incredible health benefits (helping to break down fat) that make it ideal for adding into ice cream. We made this using a Pacojet machine, but you can use a regular ice cream maker, or even a blender or food processor.

Ripe Pu’er supports the breakdown of fat via several mechanisms, backed by clinical studies. The fermentation process creates bioactive compounds that help regulate lipid metabolism. A study in Food & Function (2019) found Pu’er tea extract lowered triglyceride levels by activating AMPK, an enzyme involved in fat breakdown. Another study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2011) showed Pu’er tea’s polyphenols inhibit pancreatic lipase, reducing dietary fat absorption.

In Tibetan and Mongolian culture, Pu’er tea is used to make butter tea by brewing it with yak butter. This nutritious beverage provides essential energy in high-altitude regions, while playing a vital role in aiding digestion, much needed due to the region’s low fiber diets. A 2015 study suggests Pu’er’s fermentation benefits gut bacteria, helping digest high-fat diets more effectively. The tea’s natural properties complement rich fats, which is why it is often consumed with dim sum in Hong Kong.

Pu'er Ice Cream

Tea:

• 30g ripe Pu’er tea: you can use 6 Iceland ripe dragon pearls or 7 of these Bulang Mountain Pu'er tea resins

Base

• 480g whole milk--we used Ronnybrook
• 280g heavy cream (36%)
• 100g sugar
• 1.6g salt

Optional for improved texture:

• 35g skim milk powder
• 25g glucose powder
  

Instructions:

Heat up milk over medium-high heat, then add in tea. Turn off heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to fridge to cold steep overnight (you can steep for 1-2 days to make the flavor more potent).

After the cold steeping is complete, strain out the tea leaves and add the other ingredients, stirring until sugar is dissolved. You can then proceed to make this using an ice cream maker, or if you don't have one, you can use ice cube trays and a blender or food processor. Simply freeze the tea cream mixture in ice cube trays overnight, then blend on the ice cream (or crushed ice) setting on your blender until you reach an ice cream texture. You can serve as-is, or top with the whipped cream recipe below.

Lapsang Souchang and Peppercorn Whipped Cream

• 300g heavy whipping cream
• 30g sugar
• 3g green peppercorns- steep like in instructions above
• 20g Lapsang Souchong tea - steep like in instructions above

Strain tea and peppercorns, then add in sugar. Using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer with a whisk attachment), whip the mixture on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until medium peaks form. Serve immediately.