Herbal Teas and a DIY Home Recipe

People often get confused about what is actually tea and what is not. If it doesn’t contain tea leaves, then it is considered to be an herbal “tisane”. The Tea Association of the United States of America defines a tisane as “an herbal infusion” that does not contain any leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. These herbal blends are naturally caffeine free and contain ingredients such as peppermint, chamomile, lemongrass, cinnamon, or fruit pieces. They still have wonderful benefits and are often referred to as “teas” because of how they are packaged and how they also undergo a steeping process. You can use boiling water and steep tisanes much longer for a bolder flavor without affecting the quality of the brew. Herbal blends are safe for any age to drink at any time of the day, and you can make anything you have on hand into a brew!

A cup of a spiced herbal blend on a cool fall or winter evening is the perfect thing to help warm you up. Below, I have included a quick recipe which uses ingredients you most likely have on hand in your own pantry.

-Start by heating four cups of water over medium-high heat, add a ¼ tsp. of cinnamon and a couple cinnamon sticks if you have them, a pinch of both ground allspice and cloves (you can use a couple whole cloves instead if that’s what you have), one orange slice, and about half of an apple sliced into pieces.

-Add honey to sweeten (optional) and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and strain into a teapot or cups. If you don’t have a strainer, tie all smaller ingredients into muslin or cheese cloth and steep like a tea bag. You can also make this iced by doubling all of ingredients except for the water and then pouring the brew over ice. This recipe serves four.

If you enjoy apples and spice, try Do You Tea’s fall blend, Apple Pie a la Mode, which contains oolong tea leaves, dried apple pieces, cinnamon, almonds, and vanilla. You can find this tea and many other delicious seasonal blends at www.doyoutea.com.

Kelley Scruby is the owner of Do You Tea? in Hoboken, New Jersey. As the owner of a small, loose leaf tea business, Kelley is passionate about educating her customers on the benefits that come from drinking loose leaf tea. With a background at a major tea company, she was able to become an expert on the versatility of the beverage and is inspired in her own creations by the changing of the seasons and also desserts. Kelley created Do You Tea? with the confidence that she can help find a tea blend that works for any of her customers’ lifestyle and palate. As Do You Tea? continues to grow, Kelley hosts events and tastings that add a more interactive approach to the expansive world of loose leaf teas. Do You Tea? hopes to have a truck out on the streets of the NYC metro area soon! You are able to purchase her seasonal blends and gift sets online at www.doyoutea.com and follow her on instagram and twitter @doyoutea for updates on tastings and new blends. Please email requests and questions to doyoutea@gmail.com.

Source: http://www.teausa.org//index.cfm/14656/glossary-of-terms/#T

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.