I should begin with the disclaimer that where I come from every hot beverage is referred to as tea. Even weak coffee is called ditay cafe which loosely translates to “coffee tea”. I would like to digress for a moment to talk about the coffee tree in our backyard; about how my grandmother prepared the beans and told me all about why little girls must only drink “coffee tea” because real coffee was for grown ups. But I won’t. I’ll just let you know that I come from a deep herbal tradition and from a very early age I pulled herbs out of the ground and begged some adult to boil water so I could have fragrant tea.
Now that I’m older I still enjoy a regular cup of tea. Its always herbal tea. Most of the time its unsweetened but occasionally I do indulge in some sweetener. Lately, I’ve been drinking iced peppermint lemonade: peppermint tea and lemonade with a generous helping of stevia. Sometimes I crave a nice rich cup of nettle with the added bonus of allergy relief. Other times I lean toward the traditional ’tisane’ comprising of cinnamon, bay leaves, tumeric and everything but the kitchen sink. But I have to admit that at the end of the day nothing hits the spot like a good rich cup of chamomile. Naturally sweet it can be enjoyed straight, with honey, lemon or milk. Chamomile is calming and relaxing. It helps relieve sore throats, menstrual discomfort, diarrhea and many others. Whether you are a veteran tea drinker or a first timer brew a cuppa tea, put your feet up, relax and enjoy.
How do you like your tea?
