The pre-bagged chamomile will no longer quench my craving, it's official. I turned my nose up at the opportunity of several bagged or Keurig options for tea today. I have been craving my own variety of chamomile, which is funny, because I'm usually a Yogi brand lemon ginger tea bag per night kind of girl. I don't usually mix it up too much, and yet, I'm finding a special kind of creativity for ma petite glass teapot ce soir.
I sent an email to Karen Dunlap, my tea guru today, asking her advice on crushing the floral herbs I've been playing with before steeping them. She had this to say:
"With delicate flowers, they soften up and give all their flavor by adding water - so there's no real need to grind them."
So tonight, I did not grind my floral bouquet of tea, and have mixed my 2 tablespoons of chamomile with 2 small pinches of lavender and 2 shaved slices of fresh ginger, with the smallest lemon garnish. This combo has made for a spicy aroma and very mild tea compared to the Yogi brand lemon ginger I'm used to finishing out my day with. Per Karen's advice, tonight I only let the brew steep for 3-5 minutes, compared to the 10 minutes from last night. I'm not so sure that I don't like the 10 minute steep better. After letting my second cup steep a little longer, I'm even happier with the now sweet and tiniest bit spicy flavor. And at this point, I lifted the top off the pot to smell the floral compote, which was sensational.
In the coming weeks, I have signed up for some free introductory classes to herbal and Ayurvedic health remedies, and have done some brief research on the health benefits of chamomile (by brief I mean internet browsing, I have yet to make great use of my new library card). I learned a few things and reinforced some things I already knew. For instance, chamomile tea is often drunk before bedtime as it is said to be beneficial to a more restful sleep. What I did not know, is that chamomile tea is also said to ease menstrual cramps, tummy aches, and possibly has a place as a mild protection against cancer (nothing specific on that yet). I also learned that pregnant women should avoid it and that it can cause allergic reactions in some, which I actually already knew having had an ex boyfriend who claimed his lips would swell profusely when coming into contact with it, though never proved it.
So if you're having a hard time falling asleep or sleeping through the night, maybe give my new friend chamomile a try...unless of course you may be pregnant or allergic to it or its relatives ragweed, marigold, or daisies.
Enjoy!
I sent an email to Karen Dunlap, my tea guru today, asking her advice on crushing the floral herbs I've been playing with before steeping them. She had this to say:
"With delicate flowers, they soften up and give all their flavor by adding water - so there's no real need to grind them."
So tonight, I did not grind my floral bouquet of tea, and have mixed my 2 tablespoons of chamomile with 2 small pinches of lavender and 2 shaved slices of fresh ginger, with the smallest lemon garnish. This combo has made for a spicy aroma and very mild tea compared to the Yogi brand lemon ginger I'm used to finishing out my day with. Per Karen's advice, tonight I only let the brew steep for 3-5 minutes, compared to the 10 minutes from last night. I'm not so sure that I don't like the 10 minute steep better. After letting my second cup steep a little longer, I'm even happier with the now sweet and tiniest bit spicy flavor. And at this point, I lifted the top off the pot to smell the floral compote, which was sensational.
In the coming weeks, I have signed up for some free introductory classes to herbal and Ayurvedic health remedies, and have done some brief research on the health benefits of chamomile (by brief I mean internet browsing, I have yet to make great use of my new library card). I learned a few things and reinforced some things I already knew. For instance, chamomile tea is often drunk before bedtime as it is said to be beneficial to a more restful sleep. What I did not know, is that chamomile tea is also said to ease menstrual cramps, tummy aches, and possibly has a place as a mild protection against cancer (nothing specific on that yet). I also learned that pregnant women should avoid it and that it can cause allergic reactions in some, which I actually already knew having had an ex boyfriend who claimed his lips would swell profusely when coming into contact with it, though never proved it.
So if you're having a hard time falling asleep or sleeping through the night, maybe give my new friend chamomile a try...unless of course you may be pregnant or allergic to it or its relatives ragweed, marigold, or daisies.
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment