So how do you make tea?
Simple, boil a kettle and pour water into a cup and add some milk. Or controversial way, first add milk, then tea and water…
I used to worked with an Egyptian man, Mr Al-Ghafari. Lovely old little man. So shy and nice. This man beamed with good energy. I watched him every morning making tea. He would always wash the tea bag under the running water. Apparently this method would wash away any unwanted dirt and dust. I dont know how does this really work but the tea does actually do taste different when you do that. YES I tried it and it does taste different.
Now, we all know that extreme heat kills, so imagine if you pour hot boiling water (which is 100°C) over your tea – my understanding is that this will most certainly kill most of minerals and vitamins you want to keep. Some people even boil it for minutes.
You know when you get sick and you make yourself this nice hot tea with a slice of lemon and honey… sorry to break to you but as soon as you put hot boiling water over your lemon, most of the vitamin C gets killed. So how come we feel so much better? Its all about that nice hot drink, that keeps you hydrated and of course relaxes you, which helps your body heal quicker. So don’t worry, you still get your zen out of your tea time.
Every ingredient has a different property so before you make your tea think about what do you want from your tea? Is it for taste, is it for smell or is it to help you with some health issue you might have.
Best is to pick your own ingredients. Think about it, If you like mint tea just grow mint! Yeah its that simple. I usually harvest my tea ingredients through out spring and summer. Best days to do that is on a dry day, probably early afternoon when the flowers are fully open.
Dandelion – Spring or Summer but younger flowers give sweeter taste
Chamomile – Spring and Summer
Mint – Summer
All berries – at their pick time, which usually is through out the Summer.
All other ingredients I like to add to my teas are: ginger, turmeric, lemon and berries. Because these are available through out the year (shops) I just buy them in the shops but do chose organic option if there is one. You do not need much and if you go through all that effort of making your own, you might as well get the healthiest.
How strong? Its up to you, how do you like your tea strong or weak? I am bang in the middle kind of person, not too strong and not too weak. I like a tea spoon and an half for one LARGE cup of tea. if you have a nice posh china cup – use one spoon for one cup.
How long to brew it for? Not too long. I leave mine for few minutes. If you want strong taste leave it for longer.
If I make a tea where I want to keep goodies in – use 80°C water.
If you make a tea just for taste and smell, just use boiling water straight from the kettle – 100°C, there is nothing wrong with that. You taking the time to make the tea is already a winner, leave it for a bit and all the goodies you want will be absorbed.
Make your tea fresh every time you fancy one. Use fresh water each time.
Have fun and ENJOY
