Pandan Leaf Tea: Simmer vs Steep to Unlock Aroma

What makes pandan leaf tea special?

Pandan (often called screw pine leaf) is prized across Southeast Asia for its sweet, grassy, vanilla-like aroma that pairs well with rice, coconut milk, and desserts.

When you turn pandan into tea, you’re really making an herbal infusion: warm water draws out the leaf’s natural oils and aromatic compounds into a fragrant drink.

Because pandan is a leaf, not a true tea like green or black tea, you have more flexibility in how hot and how long you brew it. That’s where the simmer vs steep question comes in.

Simmer vs steep: what’s the real difference?

In a home kitchen, pandan leaf tea usually happens in two main ways:

• Simmer method: Leaves stay in a pot of water kept just under a boil for longer, then are strained.
• Steep method: Hot water is poured over leaves (or a tea bag) and left to sit off the heat for a shorter time.

Both approaches release aroma. The trade-off is how quickly and how intensely you extract flavor, and how much control you have over bitterness or “green” notes.

How to make pandan tea by simmering

Many cooks preparing pandan as a standalone tea or in mixed herbal drinks use a gentle simmer on the stovetop to coax out flavor.

One home-style approach is to tie or roll fresh pandan leaves into a bundle, add them to water, bring just to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low heat and let them infuse for an extended time before straining.Simply Suwanee – Pandan Tea

To try this at home, you may consider:

• Leaf prep: Rinse, then knot or roll the leaves to fit your pot; light bruising may help release oils.
• Water ratio: A common home ratio is a small handful of leaves for a medium pot of water; you can always dilute later.
• Heat level: Bring the water up until it just starts to bubble, then lower to a bare simmer. Avoid a rolling, aggressive boil, which may drive off aroma.
• Time: Many people simmer pandan and other herbs for around a half hour to develop a deeper color and fragrance.Simply Suwanee – Pandan Tea

After simmering, strain out the leaves. You can enjoy the tea warm, or let it cool and serve over ice as a refreshing drink.

How to make pandan tea by steeping

For a lighter, more delicate cup, you can treat pandan more like a conventional tea.

There are two common ways:

• Loose-leaf style: Tear or tie a pandan leaf, place it in a teapot with other tea (such as jasmine), pour over freshly boiled water, and let it steep briefly before serving.Pranee's Thai Kitchen – Pandan Jasmine Tea
• Tea bag style: Some commercial pandan teas recommend using a single tea bag per cup and steeping in water below boiling—often just off the boil—for around a minute for a mild flavor.Betoya – Pandan Tea

General steeping tips that many tea educators share include using hot but not wildly boiling water, and adjusting steep time to taste—shorter for a softer cup, longer for stronger flavor.Tea J Tea – How to Brew Tea Ette Tea – Brewing Tips

For a gentle pandan-forward cup, you may try:

• Pouring freshly boiled water over the pandan in a pot or mug.
• Steeping for around 3–5 minutes for a clean, aromatic taste before removing the leaf.
• Topping up with hot water again if you like a second, lighter infusion.

How simmering and steeping affect aroma

From a flavor perspective, the heart of the simmer vs steep debate is how temperature and time affect pandan’s aromatic compounds.

Research on herbal and plant infusions in general has found that:

• Higher temperatures can extract more phenolics and other plant compounds, which may deepen flavor and color but also increase bitterness or astringency.Moldovan et al. – NCBI
• Longer times often increase total extraction substantially—sometimes over half again as much—though taste may shift as more compounds dissolve.Zhang et al. – NCBI
• Volatile aroma molecules can be sensitive to prolonged, vigorous boiling, which may cause delicate top notes to dissipate more quickly into the air.

Translated into everyday kitchen terms:

• Simmering may pull more body and richness from pandan, with a stronger, slightly darker liquor.
• Steeping in hot water off the heat may highlight brighter, fresher aromas, with a lighter color and softer flavor.

Because there is limited pandan-specific brewing research available, many people experiment to find a balance that suits their preferences.

Flavor comparison: simmer vs steep

While flavor is personal, you may notice these broad differences when you try both methods side by side:

• Color: Simmered pandan tea may look more intense, especially if combined with other herbs. Steeped-only pandan is often paler.
• Aroma: Simmered tea can smell rounder and sweeter; quick-steep tea may feel more “green” and freshly cut.
• Mouthfeel: Longer simmering may give a fuller, slightly thicker body. Short steeps tend to be lighter and crisper.
• Bitterness/grassiness: If leaves sit too long in very hot water, either method may bring out more grassy or bitter edges; this can sometimes be softened by diluting or adding a sweetener.

Cold and iced pandan leaf tea

Pandan leaf tea also works beautifully chilled.

Two approaches many tea drinkers use for iced or cold herbal teas are:

• Hot-brew then chill: Brew pandan using your preferred simmer or steep method, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate or serve over ice.Simply Suwanee – Pandan Tea My Blue Tea – Cold Brew
• Cold brew: Soak pandan and, if you like, other tea leaves in cold water in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Many people use a higher leaf-to-water ratio since cooler water extracts more slowly.My Blue Tea – Cold Brew

Cold brews often taste smoother and less bitter, with a different balance of aroma compared with hot methods.

Health, safety, and quality considerations

Pandan is widely used as a culinary herb. However, individual responses vary, and any herbal drink may not be suitable for everyone.

• If you have existing health conditions, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take regular medications, you may wish to consult a qualified health professional before adding large amounts of herbal teas to your routine.Tea Safety – FDA
• Use clean, food-grade leaves. If you grow pandan yourself, consider safe washing practices and avoid leaves exposed to possible contaminants.
• For food safety, cool any brewed tea promptly if you plan to refrigerate it, and aim to store it chilled and consume within a reasonable time frame to reduce microbial growth risk.Tea Safety – FDA

Many people enjoy pandan tea occasionally as part of a varied diet, focusing on its aromatic pleasure rather than any specific health claim.

Step-by-step: test simmer vs steep at home

To decide which method you prefer, you might try this simple kitchen test:

1. Prepare two equal bundles of pandan leaves.
2. For the simmer batch, place one bundle in a small pot of water, bring just to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and keep it at a bare simmer for around half an hour before straining.
3. For the steep batch, place the second bundle in a teapot, pour over freshly boiled water, and steep for around five minutes before removing the leaves.
4. Let both teas cool slightly to the same comfortable drinking temperature.
5. Smell and taste side by side, noticing color, aroma, sweetness, and aftertaste.

You may find you like the simmer method for iced drinks and desserts, and the steep method for a light, everyday cup.

Pairing pandan tea with other ingredients

Pandan plays well with many flavors, and the method you choose can shift the balance:

• With jasmine tea: A brief steep helps jasmine’s floral notes stay bright while pandan adds depth.Pranee's Thai Kitchen – Pandan Jasmine Tea
• With ginger or lemongrass: A gentle simmer may bring together warming spice notes and pandan’s sweetness into a comforting drink.Simply Suwanee – Pandan Tea
• With butterfly pea flower: Hot-brew or cold-brew methods both complement butterfly pea’s color and mild earthiness, while pandan lifts the aroma.My Blue Tea – Cold Brew

As you experiment, note which combinations taste best simmered versus gently steeped; different partners may shine with different techniques.

So, should you simmer or steep?

For most home brewers, both methods can be useful:

• Choose simmering when you want a stronger pandan base for iced drinks, desserts, or mixed herbal blends.
• Choose steeping when you want a quick, clean cup with fresher, greener aromatics and more control over strength.

Starting with small batches and adjusting leaf amount, time, and temperature gradually may help you find your own sweet spot, guided by your nose and taste buds.

About the author

The Rike writes about agritourism, farm-based experiences, and the quiet pleasures of ingredients grown close to home. Exploring how simple techniques—like simmering or steeping a handful of fresh leaves—can transform farm harvests into memorable cups is a favorite focus.