 |
| image credit: evert-jan |
There is a wide array of teas available out there, including ones like Tulsi tea that are highly utilized and revered in the Indian culture. Then there are the wildly popular and sold ones, like green tea. Made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, green tea undergoes minimal oxidation during processing.
Read more about green tea – and another great tea brew you can explore – in this article.
Harvesting, Brewing, and Serving Green Tea
Originating in China, green tea has been linked to many cultures throughout Asia. It has also penetrated the West, where black tea is traditionally drank. Green tea has become the raw material for extracts used in various health foods and supplements, beverages, and cosmetics. Remember, though, that processed green tea-based products will mostly not offer the health benefits anymore.
Its history is a colorful one: green tea has been used as both a drink and traditional medicine in many parts of Asia. The book Tea Classic or Cha Jing – written by Lu Yu between 600 and 900 AD – is considered among the most important in the history of green tea. It told of how and where you could enjoy a fine cup of green tea.
There is a variety of ways to process and grow green tea, depending on the type desired. There are those grown in the sun, while there are others grown under the shade. It is the first flush in the spring that brings the best-quality leaves.
There is also a whole art to steeping or brewing green tea. Generally, two grams of tea per 100 milliliters of water will be used (or about a teaspoon of green tea per five-ounce cup). Steeping time and temperature vary – for example, the longest steeping times are two to three minutes. Steeping green tea too hot or too long will result in a bitter, undesirable brew, no matter what the initial quality of the leaves is.
 |
| image credit: swanksalot |
How About a Cup of Tulsi Tea?
If you are seeking some form of adventure in your tea, why not explore other less common types, such as Tulsi tea?
Tulsi tea has been popular in India for over 5,000 years now. It is also known as “Holy Basil,” a principal herbs of Ayurveda or the country’s ancient holistic health system. Ayurveda literally means “knowledge of life,” and it has herbs lying at the center of its rich practice.
Tulsi is integrated by ancient rishis (sage) into daily life, from religious rituals done at home to bigger ones done in temples. All levels of Indian society experience Tulsi, routinely consuming the herb and even worshipping it as a sacred plant, usually growing it earthen pots in gardens or homes.
It is simple to prepare Tulsi Tea. Below are two recipes you may use and enjoy.
Basic Tulsi Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh or 1/2 tablespoon dried Tulsi seeds and leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh or 1/4 tablespoon dried orange peel
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 cups water
- Boil the Tulsi and orange peel in the water. Allow the mixture to stand for five minutes.
- Strain, add honey, and serve either hot or cold.
- Tulsi can be boiled with regular tea and strained as black tea, or consumed with milk. This adds flavor and satisfies like a regular cup of tea that you are probably used to.
Tulsi Mint Sun Tea
Ingredients
- Tulsi tea
- 1 to 2 bags of spearmint tea
- Cold water
- In a two-quart glass jar, put three bags of Tulsi tea along with 1 to 2 bags of spearmint tea. Fill with cold water.
- Cover and place in direct sun, preferably outside. Let sit for three to five hours, and move as needed to keep jar in sunlight.
- Remove bags and sweeten with stevia. Refrigerate right away.
- Sun tea is mellower than tea made with boiled water. It will not keep as long, so drink within a day or two at most.
About The Author:
Joanne Cooper is a food and drink enthusiast who shares her unique recipes and concoctions on her blog. A long-time green tea fan, she has also recently discovered Tulsi tea, which she loves for its slightly spicy taste.
0 comments:
Post a Comment