Herbal teas-melding together tea and herbs-nature's two powerhouses

The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea

Herbal Teas - The Marriage of Herbs & Tea
Two of Nature's Powerhouses

Tea is an easy, natural, and flavorful way to introduce the healing power of herbs into your
everyday diet. Tea is extremely healthy by itself, but by adding various herbs to it you can
knock out pretty much any ailment.

We have all seen the disastrous effects of over
prescribing antibiotics. These synthetic drugs are
now proving to be ineffectual in fighting off bacter-
ial infections because of their massive overuse.

But if you investigate, you will find that like tea,
various herbs kill bacteria, viruses, fungus, and
microorganisms, effectively fighting off cold and flu
viruses, infections, and many other common
ailments that crop up in our everyday life.

Tea and herbs share a very long and interesting
history. Herbs predate tea to the time of early
man, when whatever was found in the forest or
on the ground was the only means of preventing
starvation.

The first recorded history of tea dates back to China (2737 AD), discovered by Shen Nung, a
Chinese emperor and scholar, who ironically was also the first person to identify herbs. Shen
Nung wrote the first history of herbs in his book, Pen T'sao Ching (The Classic of Herbs), written
around 3000 AD, and listing over 300 different plants and their medicinal value.

There are many prepackaged herbal teas to choose from, such as
camomile or mint. You have to be careful to read the ingredients label,
though, because it is only herbal tea if tea is present. It may say
"herbal tea" on the package, but it may only contain the herb with no
tea.

For example, I buy a popular brand of prepackaged peppermint tea
that says "100% natural herb tea" on the package. But reading the
ingredients label, it contains only peppermint leaves - no tea. So it's
up to you to carefully read the ingredients label so you always know
exactly what you are getting.

Rather than buying prepackaged herbal teas, you may enjoy making your own, blending favorite
flavors, or maybe there is a specific nutritional or health issue you would like to address.

You can design your own recipes with hundreds, if not thousands of combinations, to address
everything from an upset stomach, to warding off a cold or
case of the flu.

There are three ways in which to prepare herbal teas:

infusion
straining
and decoction

Infusion is the same method you use when preparing tea. You place the herbal tea into a cup or
teapot, add boiling water and allow the mixture to steep for the alloted amount of time, until the
flavors are completely infused with the water. Simple.

The second method-straining, is also an easy process. Many teapots and teacups already come
with built-in strainers, or just use a regular strainer. You place the appropriate amount of herbal
tea into the strainer, place the strainer over the cup or pot, pour the boiling water over and let
the liquid seep through the strainer into the teacup or teapot.

Finally there is decoction. This method takes a bit more time as you are extracting the flavor and
medicinal characteristics from twigs, barks, stems, and roots. Cooking times vary depending on
the kind and quantity of plants being used.

Also, if the type of tea you are using is one with multiple infusions, this process extracts all the
flavor and important ingredients from the leaves during the cooking so it cannot be reinfused.

For decoction, you place the herbs and tea into a pot, add water, and bring to a boil, then reduce
heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the volume of liquid is reduced to 1/3 of the beginning
amount. Strain and drink while hot.

If making your own herbal tea blends, you can use either fresh, powdered, or dried herbs. In
fact, there may be some common herbs found right in your cupboard, such as sage, mint, rose-
mary, and thyme, as well as spices such as ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

If using fresh herbs, you can find most of the ones you might try using in herbal tea recipes at
your local supermarket or health food store.

When brewing, remember that one teaspoon of fresh, chopped herbs (including the leaf, stem,
or flower), is equal to approximately 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs or 1/4 teaspoon powdered herbs.
This is an approximation as all herbs vary from one plant to another.

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Just as I advise when creating your own blended tea recipes, you need to experiment to find the flavors and strength
that is right for you. Enjoy.

NOTE: A word of caution if gathering wild herbs or plants. You need to be extremely careful and NEVER use wild
herbs or plants you are unfamiliar with or have not been able to properly identify. Buy a good medicinal herb book
with clear color pictures to help you properly identify a plant, or ask advice about it at your local plant nursery.

You should also consult with your health care provider before starting any new treatments or that could interact
adversely with current medications or any ongoing care.

For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages:

Make your own blended tea recipes.
Can't find a favorite flavor of tea to your liking? Make your own. Get tips and learn how to create your
own unique blended and flavored tea recipes. (Try Rooibos Herbal Earl Grey Tea from Silver Leaf Tea Co.)

What's the difference between China's pan-fired green tea and basket-fired green tea?
Learn how the processing method for China's artisan style basket fired and pan fired green teas differ,
and the secret to their unique qualities and flavor profiles.

Is each type of tea brewed differently? How long should tea be steeped?
Brew a perfect cup of tea by paying attention to the details. Learn the proper water temperature for
each type of tea, along with steeping times, and which teas can be infused more than once. Also learn
how to visually gauge water temps using an old Chinese method.

How do I calculate how much loose tea to use for brewing either one cup or a pot of tea?
Learn how to measure the proper amount of tea to perfectly brew either a single cup or entire pot of tea.
Also learn how to calculate the number of cups and cost per pound of loose tea.

How does tea help boost the immune system and keep us healthy?
Learn what ingredients are in tea that help give your lagging immune system a boost, then helps to
maintain it at an optimum level. (Try EnergiTea from Silver Leaf Tea Co. - w/green tea, rooibos, linden
blossoms, rose petals, it's a perfect, healthy pick-me-up)

Y ixing teapots - beauty meets function.
Yixing teapots are beautiful yet functional, and with proper use can last a lifetime. Get tips on buying
either decorative or functional teapots and price ranges for each category. Also learn how to care for
and season your new Yixing teapot.

What do wine and tea harvests have in common?
Wine and tea share many similarities. Learn about some common traits shared, as well as the exacting
process for creating blended teas, along with a description of some popular classic tea blends.