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Herb
Tea Blends
I like to make my own herb tea
blends, starting from discovering that I liked a blend of 1 bag of
Celestial seasonings chamomile with 1 bag berry zinger. Then I
started reading the ingredients lists, and made a few trips to the
co-op with a nice dried her section, and some ethnic markets, and
started experimenting. These are a couple of those that I have
liked well enough to remember and write down here.
Peppermint-Chamomile
about 1 teaspoon
chamomile flowers
about 1 teaspoon peppermint leaf
per 8 oz boiling water
Chamomile-Hibiscus Zinger
about 2
tablespoons chamomile flowers
1 dried hibiscus flower
1-3 pieces of dried orange peel
pinch of dried licorice root
per 8 oz boiling water
Chamomile-Spice
about 2 teaspoon
chamomile flowers
pinch of chipped cinnamon, or 1/4 inch of a cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon dried rose hips
2-4 threads of saffron (optional)
1-2 dried hydrangea leaves
per 8 oz boiling water
Chamomile-Hibiscus-Hydrangea-Tulsi
about 2 teaspoons chamomile
1-2 dried hibiscus flowers
pinch of lemon grass
1 tulsi tea bag (about 1 teaspoon of plain tulsi aka holy basil leaf)
2 hydrangea leaves
Ingredients
glossary
Chamomile--my favorite grassy
base for mixed teas, a teaspoon or two of the dried flowers per 8
ounces of water gives a nice cup
Hibiscus flower--adds a strong
fruity tartness to the mix
Peppermint leaf--I prefer it to
spearmint, but both are nice mints to perk up teas
Dried orange peel--adds fruity
flavor without sweetness, and used in moderation, without bitterness
Licoric root--adds sweetness,
and a very little goes a long way. Caveat: true licorice
can raise your blood pressure, so avoid this if you're hypertensive.
Hydrangea leaf (H. serrata)--I
discovered this in a korean tea shop: it makes a stunningly sweet
(and a little spicy) tea, a nice change from the licorice root as a
sweetener.
Lemon grass--just a pinch of
the dried chopped stem/leaf adds a subtle lemon note to your tisane; a
big scoop gets ovewhelming quickly.
Tulsi (aka Holy Basil)--I was
quite surprised by how well this basil holds up in the dried form,
having been properly discouraged by the sadness of dried culinary
basil, which is so flat and lifeless. Tulsi retains a wonderful
spicy pepperiness that is a delightful addition to tisanes.
I've picked up some other interesting things here and there but not yet
really figured out how to use them: linden leaf, raspberry leaf,
chicory, and my next time at the right asian grocery I'm going to pick
up a sack of toasted barley.
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