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I cook rice about once a week. It's almost a ritual for me because I always prepare it the same way. After rinsing the rice about three times, I add a 2:1 ratio of water to rice in a pot and throw in a pinch of salt. I let it come to a boil then turn it down to a simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. I'll make it for breakfast and add an egg on top, or do a quick stir fry for dinner.

But I saw something on TikTok a few weeks back that kinda blew my mind. It was from Sophia Roe, who makes super-calming cinematic cooking videos. In this particular video, she cooked risotto with calendula (a type of flower), mango, and pickled pineapple. One of her viewers noticed that she prepared the arborio rice in an amber-colored liquid. When the user asked what it was, Roe responded.

"One of the easiest ways to add flavor to your grains or your beans, instead of using stock or water, use tea," she said in a video responding to the comment. "For instance, cooking jasmine rice in ginger tea? Delicious."

Reply to @gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe I love utilizing different tea(s) to impart flavor in my grains, beans, or even sauces/stews. Steeping earl grey tea into milk before adding to enriched dough, or even just cooking rice in ginger tea can be an easy way to amp up the flavor fast! #fyp #tips #teaasthetic #flavorbomb #apartmentmiso #grains #beans

Roe isn't the first person to suggest this technique. A quick Google search will reveal several recipes for a Japanese dish called Ochazuke, or green tea rice. It is prepared a little differently, with cooked rice steeped in green tea, but the flavors are still absorbed.

I immediately ran to my kitchen and pulled out my rice and a bag of Sleepytime tea (the only herbal tea I had on hand). I made a small pot of it and prepped my rice as usual. I added salt and the steeped tea along with the tea bag, cause why not?

Using a 2:1 tea-to-rice ratio, I brought it to a boil and then simmered. After about 13 minutes, I checked it. When I took off the lid, the pot released an aromatic steam cloud of lemongrass, spearmint, and chamomile. I tasted the rice. It was honestly perfect, with all that herby-ness steeped right into it. Every bite had a little oomph. It's a delicious foundation just waiting to be added to other dishes.

Sometimes these hacks I try are fun but too labor-intensive to incorporate into my routine. This one is different as there is minimal additional work involved. You could probably throw the tea bags in with the rice before steeping them to cut out a step. Either way, tea rice has officially been added to my rotation.