Tea Tips

For this post I thought I'd share with you some "tea tips" from my book..

• For the sake of simplicity I suggest using tea bags, but if you prefer loose tea that is great too. If you want to use loose tea here is the formula. Use 1 tablespoon dry herbs or 2 tablespoons fresh herbs for each cup of hot water. Steep 3-5 minutes. Strain and enjoy.
• Most teas steep from 3-5 minutes. An infusion is a tea that steeps from 5-10 minutes. A decoction is from the roots, bark, or stems of a plant and has to be simmered for at least 20 minutes. Infusions and decoctions are mostly used for medicinal purposes.
• Some people are worried about the caffeine content of green and black teas. One trick to limit the caffeine is to throw out the first cup and drink the second cup. Most of the caffeine is extracted in the first cup. You can also purchase decaffeinated versions of green and black tea.
• Many people dislike the "grassy" taste of green tea. One way to overcome that is to add raspberry, ginger, or  lemon to give it a better taste.
• People often do not think of raspberries and lemons as herbs, but an herb can be any plant. Very often, weeds turn out to be valuable herbs. Actually, a weed is any plant that is in a place where a person does not want it!
• An alternative sweetener that tastes really good and does not raise blood sugar is agave syrup. You can purchase it in most health food stores. More and more supermarkets are starting to carry it too.
• Many herbal teas can now be purchased as instant tea. Try doing a search of instant tea on the internet. You'll be surprised at how many different flavors of instant tea come up!
• If you  have a blood sugar problem or just want to stay away from sugar, stevia is a good choice. You can now get stevia that does not leave an aftertaste.

Now, if you'd like you can sit back with a cup of tea and relax. Happy tea drinking!

-- Val