WHB #78: Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is fantastic in many ways, but many people just don’t seem to know how many different varieties it’s possible to make at home.

My favourite device for making tea is this delightful Infuser, as pictured, and makes life so much easier – and as such I would recommend that any tea enthusiast buys one. 3 to 5 minutes (but no longer – to prevent toxin build up) is enough to create a delicious refreshing drink.

Most herbs can be made into delicious tea, each with their own health benefits. Here are some of my favourites – but how many more do you enjoy at home? Let me know via a comment on this article (which is incidentally also my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #78, which is being held over at Cook Almost Anything at Least Once).

Herbal Tea Recipes

Mint Tea. A few simple sprigs of mint (or a handful of leaves) can be left in hot water for a couple of minutes for a delicious drink which can be enjoyed hot or cold, with or without sugar. Moroccan Mint Tea is a standard green tea flavoured with spearmint leaves and lots of sugar.

Mint is famous for its health benefits, including the ability to settle a nervous stomach, halt bacterial / fungal growth, and fight cancer.

Rosemary Tea. Prepare with a few sprigs of rosemary steeped in hot water. The taste is better when you bruise the sprigs (i.e. bash them about a bit with the back of spoon), and add a slice of lemon.

Rosemary is also good for settling the stomach, and perhaps more interestingly, reducing flatulence.

Sage Tea. Sage tea is delicious both hot and cold, served with a touch of lemon and sugar. Prepare as as above with around 5 leaves per cup.

Sage has antiseptic properties and is great as a mouthwash. Care should be taken not to brew sage tea for too long, as toxins can form in the tea. Sage tea is not recommended for pregnant and / or lactating mothers, as it reduces the production of milk.

Parsley Tea. A few chopped leaves is enough to flavour this excellent and refreshing tea, which is great flavoured with honey.

Parsley is good for reducing flatulence, settling the stomach, and increasing circulation.

Marjoram Tea. Marjoram tea is generally prepared from dried leaves. It has excellent antiseptic qualities, and as such is also great (cooled) as a mouthwash.

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