Tea's Got a Brand New Bag

"Our business is changing completely as cooks and foodies stop seeing tea simply as tea, and understand it as an ingredient," says Rodrick Markus, owner of Rare Tea Cellars in Chicago. Earlier this year, Mr. Markus collaborated with Goose Island Brewery to create a saison farmhouse ale brewed with his Meritage lemon tea that went on to garner accolades at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. At Locanda Verde in Manhattan, pastry chef Karen Demasco plays up the soft herbal flavors of chamomile in a granita paired with honeyed blueberry cake. And in Chapel Hill, N.C., Chef Andrea Reusing has gained a cult following for her succulent, anise-scented tea-smoked chicken.

Once armed with an arsenal of fresh, whole leaf teas, it's just as easy to experiment at home. Here's a sampling of varieties to stock your spice rack.

Genmaicha

Kitchen trick: Grind with a pinch of sea salt to create an unexpected and adaptable seasoning for grilled vegetables and meats, says Melanie Franks, tea-chef and instructor at the French Culinary Institute.

Pantry pick: In Pursuit of Tea Genmaicha, $28 per ? lb, inpursuitoftea.com

Etc: Made from a blend of Japanese green tea and roasted, puffed brown rice, genmaicha is sometimes called "popcorn tea" thanks to its unusual appearance.

Sencha

Tasting notes: Well balanced and bright, with a woodsy astringency.

Kitchen trick: At cocktail bar PDT in New York, bartender Jim Meehan steeps sencha in cacha?a to create the base for a tart, floral Brazilian tea punch spiked with lemongrass syrup and lime.

Pantry pick: In Pursuit of Tea Sencha Green Tea, $39 per ? lb, inpursuitoftea.com

Etc: In Japan, where sencha accounts for 75 percent of all tea consumed, it's common to reuse steeped leaves by stirring them into green salads and rice bowls.

Lapsang Souchong

Tasting notes: Dark, bold and smoky, with undertones of pine and wheat.

Kitchen trick: Cook rice in it. Chef Ming Tsai uses lapsang souchong at home and in the kitchen of his Wellesley, Mass. restaurant, Blue Ginger, as a stock for rice, a fuel for wok-smoked poussin and in a versatile chipotle-inspired tea-and-chile spice rub.

Pantry pick: Seven Cups Lapsang Souchong Strong Smoke Black Tea, $8 per 3? oz., sevencups.com

Etc: Sherlock Holmes was one of lapsang souchong's most loyal fans.

Earl Grey

Tasting notes: Smooth, fragrant and feminine, with vivid floral and citrus notes.

Kitchen trick: It's a friend of fish. While most often found in confections like truffles, ice cream and tea cakes, Earl Grey's bright bergamot kick also pairs surprisingly well with seafood. At Chicago's Michelin-starred L20, the tea is incorporated in an elegant, citrus-scented cure for cold smoked wild salmon.

Pantry pick: Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme, $8 per 4 oz., harney.com

Etc: Earl Grey takes its name from the second Earl Grey, British prime minister in the 1830s and a well-known fan of the brew.

Assam

Tasting notes: Malty, savory and strong: the classic "breakfast" tea.

Kitchen trick: Pair it with poultry. Fried chicken brined in lemony sweet tea—a play on two beloved Southern staples—stands among the all-time-most-requested dishes in the dining room of the luxurious Blackberry Farm resort in Walland, Tenn.

Pantry pick: Steven Smith Teamaker Assam, $9 per 4 oz., smithtea.com

Etc: The Assam region of India is the largest tea-growing area in the world.

Pu'er

Tasting notes: Intense, earthy, with a hints of moss and dried seaweed.

Kitchen trick: Use with Asian food. For comfort on cold winter nights, Cynthia Gold, author of "Culinary Tea," recommends a luscious slow-cooked Chinese pork shoulder braised in Pu'er, molasses, star anise, brown sugar and soy.

Pantry pick: In Pursuit of Tea Pu'er Tuocha, $24 for ? lb., inpursuitoftea.com

Etc: Though most teas are best consumed shortly after production, Pu'er tea responds well to aging—some of today's most prized Pu'ers date back to the first years of the 20th century.