Longtime friends of Canyon, Jeffrey Ozawa and Jaimie Lewis are the couple behind Tenzo, a kitchen and home goods supplier based here in Los Angeles. The duo recently shared some of their tips and recipes for adding herbs to their coffee...

COFFEE WITH HERBS

"The origin of this drink lies in our garden, with a Mexican tarragon plant bought on a whim. Ever in search of new herbs and ways to use them, one morning Jeff plucked a sprig and tossed it into our morning pour over as it was brewing. The heat drew out the delicate anise flavor of the tarragon and we knew we’d hit on something good.

Chocolate, spices, nuts — these flavors are no strangers to the coffee cup, adding a warmth and richness. But herbs, on the other hand, lend such a lovely fresh, floral note, and there are so many ways of pairing the two no matter how you like to enjoy your coffee."

HOW TO:

"The simplest method is the one we started with and still favor, simply adding a sprig of your herb of choice to the coffee as it brews.

That could mean putting it in the grounds of a French Press, into the cup or carafe under a pour over, or in the basket of your drip coffee machine."

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OTHER VARIATIONS:

"If you take your coffee with milk, trying steaming a bit of the milk of your choice with a sprig of herbs. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and herbs over low heat until it reaches 150 F, whisking to froth and to keep from scalding. Then garnish your latte with another small sprig.

Likewise, if you like a bit of sweetness in your cold brew, you can prepare a quick herb simple syrup to add to your coffee. In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and several sprigs of your herb. Warm gently over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn off the heat and let it steep until completely cooled, strain out the herb and refrigerate for up to a week."

"Any number of herbs pair beautifully with coffee, and we encourage you to experiment with your favorites. Besides our favorite tarragon (Mexican or French), you could try rosemary, mint, lavender, or one of our native California sages.

For a single cup, we find a small sprig, like a few leaves of tarragon or mint, or a 2” piece of rosemary, to be enough. If you’re preparing a larger batch, or for the steamed milk or simple syrup, you’ll want to use several larger sprigs. And don’t forget to save a pinch to garnish your cup."

Enjoy!