To make strong spearmint tea with Spearmint Tea XTRAA, use 1 teaspoon (about 2 g) per 200 ml of water at 90–95°C, cover the cup, and steep for 4–5 minutes. Serve it hot, or pour it over ice for a spearmint cooler. Nepal Tea Exchange describes this blend as a 3X spearmint concentration, so the aim is a precise cup, not a heavier hand.

Below you will find a step-by-step hot method, a make-ahead iced spearmint cooler, a quick comparison table, fixes for common problems and a short safety section. If you would like the wider picture first, our strong spearmint tea guide covers what the pack is and how it sits beside the other spearmint teas in our range.

What “Strong” Spearmint Tea Really Means

Ask ten tea drinkers what “strong” means and you will hear ten answers. For black tea it usually means a darker, more astringent cup. For spearmint, which is an herb rather than a tea leaf, it means something different: a clearer, more pronounced cooling aroma and a mint-forward flavour that stays smooth instead of turning grassy or bitter.

Three things control that outcome: how much leaf goes into the cup, how hot the water is, and how long the leaf stays in the water. Change one of them and the cup changes. Change all three at once and it becomes hard to tell what went wrong.

Spearmint Tea XTRAA is built around the idea of a bolder cup. Nepal Tea Exchange describes it as a 3X spearmint concentration. The brand has not published what “3X” is measured against, so this guide treats it as the brand’s own description rather than a numeric comparison with other teas, and it never asks you to multiply or divide the recipe by any factor. Instead, it follows the preparation method printed on the product page.

That leads to the first rule of a strong cup: with a concentrated blend, precision beats quantity. Adding extra leaf or steeping well past the suggested time rarely improves the result. More often it makes the cup harsher. The most dependable route to “strong” is to hit the measure, the temperature and the timing exactly, then adjust one variable at a time.

Meet Spearmint Tea XTRAA and What You Need

Spearmint Tea XTRAA (Rs955) belongs to the Nepal Tea Exchange Souvenir Collection. According to its product page, it is a spearmint (Mentha spicata) infusion made from spearmint grown on Himalayan farms in Nepal, gently dried and minimally processed, hand-packed and presented in gift-ready packaging. The page links its sweet, cooling aroma to naturally occurring compounds such as carvone and limonene, and says the infusion can be served hot or over ice.

The XTRAA page measures by the teaspoon, so this guide does too. Here is everything you need for the hot and iced methods:

• Spearmint Tea XTRAA pack and a standard teaspoon (about 2 g per level teaspoon, as stated on the product page)
• Fresh water, measured at 200 ml (about 6.8 fl oz) per cup
• A kettle and, ideally, a thermometer; if you do not have one, let freshly boiled water rest for roughly a minute or two before pouring
• A cup or mug with a lid or saucer so you can cover it while it steeps
• A timer, because the difference between 4 and 7 minutes is easy to underestimate
• A fine strainer if you prefer a clear cup
• For the iced version: a jug, a tall glass, plenty of ice and any garnishes you like, such as lemon, lime, cucumber or fresh mint

Method 1: Hot Steeping, Step by Step

This is the method documented on the Spearmint Tea XTRAA product page. Use it as your baseline for every cup, hot or iced.

1. Measure your water. Pour 200 ml of fresh, cold water into the kettle for each cup. Fresh water has more dissolved oxygen than water that has been boiled several times, which generally gives a cleaner, brighter taste.
2. Heat to 90–95°C. A kettle boils at about 100°C, so let it rest for a minute or two after it clicks off. This takes the edge off the heat and helps protect the delicate, aromatic character of the herb.
3. Add 1 teaspoon (about 2 g) to your cup. Level the teaspoon rather than heaping it. A heaped spoon can hold noticeably more than 2 g, and with a concentrated blend that shows in the cup.
4. Pour and cover. Pour the water over the spearmint, then cover the cup with a lid or saucer straight away. Covering keeps the aroma in the cup instead of letting it drift off as steam.
5. Steep for 4–5 minutes. Start your timer as soon as the water goes in. Stop at 4 minutes for a lighter, fresher mint note, or at 5 minutes for a fuller, rounder cup. Stay inside this window.
6. Strain and taste. Remove or strain out the leaf, sip the tea plain first, and only then decide whether it needs a squeeze of lemon or a little honey.

Why 4–5 Minutes?

Herbs release their aromatic compounds quickly in hot water, and they continue to release other, more bitter-tasting compounds the longer they sit. The 4–5 minute window on the product page is the sweet spot the brand recommends. We do not suggest a second infusion for XTRAA, because the product page does not document one.

Making a Pot for Several People

The ratio scales simply: 1 teaspoon per 200 ml. That means 3 teaspoons for 600 ml, or 5 teaspoons for 1 litre. Keep the temperature and timing the same, and cover the pot while it steeps. Resist the temptation to add “one for the pot” on top, since the stronger cup already comes from the blend itself.

Method 2: The Iced Spearmint Cooler

The product page tells us XTRAA can be served over ice, but it does not list a separate iced recipe. So the sensible approach is to brew the tea exactly as in Method 1 and then cool it. Cold-water steeping is not covered by the pack’s instructions, so we have left it out of this guide.

Route A: Quick Flash-Chilled Glass (About 10 Minutes)

1. Steep 1 teaspoon (about 2 g) in 200 ml of water at 90–95°C for 4–5 minutes, covered, exactly as above.
2. Strain the tea into a heat-safe jug and let it cool for a few minutes on the counter.
3. Fill a tall glass to the top with ice and pour the tea over it.
4. Stir for a few seconds and taste. Ice melts and dilutes the tea slightly, which is normal and is why we keep the original measure rather than adding more leaf.

Route B: Make-Ahead Pitcher

1. Scale the recipe at 1 teaspoon per 200 ml and steep for 4–5 minutes, covered.
2. Strain into a clean jug and leave to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
3. Cover and refrigerate until cold, typically around 2 hours.
4. Serve over fresh ice. Keep any leftover tea covered in the refrigerator and enjoy it within about 24 hours.

The Spearmint Cooler (One Glass)

Once you have your chilled tea, this is the easy way to turn it into a proper summer drink:

• 200 ml chilled, steeped Spearmint Tea XTRAA
• A full glass of ice
• 2 slices of lemon or lime
• 3–4 fresh mint leaves, gently clapped between your palms to release their aroma
• Optional: 1 teaspoon honey or sugar, stirred in while the tea is still warm so it dissolves
• Optional: a splash (about 50 ml) of sparkling water for a lighter, fizzy finish

Press the lemon slices lightly against the side of the glass, add the ice, pour in the tea and top with the mint leaves. For variations, swap the citrus for a few cucumber ribbons for a spa-style cooler, or freeze some of the brewed tea in an ice-cube tray so your glass never waters down as it melts.

Honey is a lovely addition, but it should not be given to babies under one year old.

Hot vs. Iced at a Glance

Other Spearmint Teas Have Their Own Timings

Nepal Tea Exchange offers more than one spearmint tea, and each listing gives its own brewing guidance. Because the bases differ, the numbers should never be blended into one “spearmint timing.” Here is what each listing states, kept separate:

• Spearmint Tea XTRAA: 1 teaspoon (about 2 g) per 200 ml, water at 90–95°C, steep 4–5 minutes, covered.
• 45° Spearmint Tea (black tea and spearmint): 10 oz (about 300 ml) of water at 93°C, steep 4 minutes, with a second infusion adding 1 minute.
• Spearmint Tea, 50-bag pack (black tea and spearmint): 1 bag per 200 ml, water at 93°C, steep 3–4 minutes.
• 46° Spearmint Green Tea: water at 80–85°C, steep 2 minutes.

If you are choosing between them, our spearmint tea XTRAA guide explains how the listings differ, and each product page is the final word on its own preparation.

Troubleshooting Your Cup

My tea tastes bitter or grassy

This usually points to steeping beyond 5 minutes or to water that was too hot. Shorten the steep toward 4 minutes, let the kettle rest for a minute or two before pouring, and make sure you strain the leaf out as soon as the timer rings.

My tea tastes weak

Check that you are measuring a level teaspoon, that the cup is covered, and that you gave it the full 4 minutes. If it still tastes lighter than you would like, try the 5-minute end of the window before changing anything else. We do not recommend going beyond the suggested serving, since this is a stronger cup by design.

My iced tea tastes watered down

Chill the tea before it meets the ice, use larger ice cubes (they melt more slowly), or make ice cubes from brewed tea. Using less ice and drinking it a little sooner also helps.

My chilled tea looks a little hazy

Some haze can appear as brewed tea cools, and it is usually cosmetic. Straining through a fine strainer before chilling gives the clearest glass.

It tastes too minty or too sharp

Dilute it with a little hot water, add a slice of lemon or a small amount of honey, or choose the shorter 4-minute steep next time.

Enjoying Spearmint Tea Responsibly

Spearmint is traditionally valued in many food cultures as a refreshing herb for its cooling aroma and clean finish, and many people simply enjoy a cup after a meal or on a warm afternoon. Individual experiences vary, and no tea is a substitute for a balanced diet, a healthy lifestyle or professional medical advice.

A few sensible precautions apply to any herbal infusion, including this one:

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: speak with a qualified healthcare professional before adding herbal teas to your routine.
• Medication or a medical condition: check with your doctor or pharmacist first if you take regular medication or are under medical care.
• Sensitive stomachs: some people find mint teas uncomfortable, especially if they are prone to heartburn. If a cup does not agree with you, stop drinking it.
• A stronger cup: follow the suggested serving on the product page rather than increasing the amount.
• Children: ask a paediatrician before offering herbal teas to young children.
• Allergies: stop use and seek advice if you notice any reaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

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