Contents
Herbal legends
China, India or Japan? Each of these countries has a legend (and more than one) about how mankind got to know tea. The Chinese believe that it was discovered by their emperor, Shen Nung, who drank hot water. One day he sat down under a wild tea tree and some leaves fell into a jug of hot water. He did not notice it and so, by accident, he met the wonderful taste with which the whole world later admired.
Hindus recognize that humanity owes its tea to a monk named Bodhidharma, who was supposed to meditate for seven years (others say 9) without blinking an eye. On the last day, however, his eyelids began to stick together, and to fulfill his resolve, he plucked some leaves from the tree under which he was meditating. He chewed the leaves, and – as you can guess – the sleepiness left him in the blink of an eye. And this is how the world got to know tea.
The Japanese add their rather drastic ending to the legend of the monk. Well, according to their legend, when the monk became sleepy, he decided it was the fault of his eyelids. So he plucked them up and threw them to the ground, and immediately a bush sprouted where they fell. When he began to chew on its leaves, the sleepiness evaporated …
Not that English
The first records of tea in China date back to the XNUMXrd century BC. A little later, the Japanese were delighted with the infusion of tea leaves, which settled in Japanese dishes for good around the XNUMXth century. It was the Japanese who developed the ritual of brewing and drinking it to the level of art, which they cultivate to this day.
In Europe, when you say tea, you immediately imagine it Englishmen who sit down to tea at 17pm punctually and tiny sandwiches or cookies. Contrary to appearances, the Europeans owe their tea not to them, but to the Dutch who brought it on their ships. Then it went downhill – first Italy, France, Germany and Portugal (1638).
It was only 20 years later that tea found its way to Great Britain, where it was an exclusive drink with a prohibitive price for commoners. Tea arrived in our country in the second half of the XNUMXth century. However, before it became a popular and – let’s admit it – exceptionally tasty drink, it was considered a medicine, and the Polish word tea we owe to the Latin herb (herb).
Tea categories
There are many types of tea, but we can distinguish the most popular ones:
- black tea,
- green tea,
- white tea,
- oolong tea,
- pu erh tea (fermented,
- yellow tea.
They are all produced from one plant – Camellia Sinensis. The tea we get depends on the process that the leaves will go from picking to the final product. The least work is done with white tea – after picking the leaves are dried and that’s it. When green, the leaves are heated before they go to the dryer. Other teas require more work and activities such as rolling or fermenting, oolong tea undergoes the most treatments.
What will you find in tea?
It was a bit about history, a bit about tea as such, but at the very beginning we tried to convince the malcontents with its pro-health properties. And there is what, because tea contains vitamins and minerals such as:
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid – the source of our immunity),
- vitamin D (essential for our bones and teeth, most Poles suffer from its deficiency),
- vitamin E (vitamin of beauty and youth),
- vitamin K (ideally in tandem with vitamin D, responsible for, among others, blood clotting),
- B vitamins (necessary, among others for the proper course of metabolic processes in our body),
- mineral compounds (Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium).
And if this list still does not convince you, be sure to check out the entire article on whether it is worth drinking tea and why: https://.pl/czy-warto-pic-herbate.
The art of making tea
Indisputably, really good tea, when properly prepared, can be a delicacy in itself. For that to be the case, one should rather reach for leaf tea. The one in the bags will never match its taste and aroma. As experts on the subject say – it is a pity to waste our time on properly brewing just any tea.
And there is something to it. If we already have good quality tea, it’s time to brew it. Time and temperature are key here. Yes, it is easier to take the espresso machine, pour boiling water and drink, but if we are to make a real autumn tea, it would be a wild delight and the best drink possible, which will brighten even the most cloudy days.
So, depending on the type of tea, the brewing temperature should be different:
- black tea – approx. 95 ° C,
- green and white tea – from 70 ° C to 80 ° C,
- oolong — od 80° C do 90° C,
- pu ehr – 90° C do 95° C.
The time it takes to brew the tea depends on the effect we want to get, the type of tea we brew and the school by which we brew it. There are those, according to which the brewing should be finished after 45 seconds, and also those in which this operation should take up to 10 minutes. In the case of blacks, the method is often adopted that the longer we brew, the stronger, more bitter and tart the taste will be, which in turn should have relaxing properties. If we want the tea to stimulate us, we need to brew it shorter, maximum 3 minutes.
Tea compositions for fall and winter
In stores, you can buy ready-made mixtures of autumn and winter teas, the producers of which praise their relaxing and warming properties. The most common are teas flavored with spices. If you want to take a shortcut, there’s nothing wrong with that, just remember to look for quality blends with real spices, and not only with an aroma imitating the natural one.
However, if you want a real winter or autumn tea with a flavor that will perfectly suit your preferences, go for your own compositions based on your favorite, not necessarily black tea. The fall and winter season is a real field for experiments with additives that warm up and increase immunity.
Classic tea sets with raspberry juice or tea with lemon and honey are just a prelude to tea experiments. For example, try the same composition, only with green tea instead of black tea, but remember that honey loses its health-promoting properties at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
Supplements for immunity
We have already chosen the base for autumn and winter tea. Let’s assume it’s a good-quality black tea. What to season it with? Of course, we can again reach for ready-made tea spice blends, but surely your kitchen spice cabinet contains all the necessary ingredients to prepare the perfect warming tea.
Lemon, orange juice, lime slice or grapefruit and we have a base rich in vitamin C. An ideal supplement for immunity will be … Echinacea, a flower that you will find in home gardens. It still blooms beautifully in October. You will soon associate Echinacea with its Latin name – Echinacea with its anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and immune-boosting properties.
What else is worth adding? Spicy aroma! We will be perfectly warmed by freshly grated ginger (remember that the ginger root is easy to peel with a teaspoon, scraping like new potatoes than any knife or peeler), plus cloves, cinnamon or vanilla and we are in heaven.
Autumn and winter teas are also fruit flavors – cinnamon and apple (slices of fresh fruit will add flavor and flavor), pear and vanilla (with rooibos tea they will taste perfect), cherry or raspberry jam, vitamin C mine, i.e. quince jam (for busy – it is enough to cut the quince into slices and add honey to make a fantastic addition to winter tea).
Winter and autumn teas have one more, separate category. The queen of seasonal teas – Christmas tea. For your favorite infusion, add dried fruit, candied orange peel, anise, ginger, cloves, and rum for adults. There is no more pleasant moment than enjoying such a drink after a winter walk … We would not be ourselves if we had not warned you at the end that the aforementioned additives – preserves, honey – will increase the calorific value of our tea 😉
You can read more about warming tea additives here: https://.pl/gotowa-przyprawa-do-grzanca-czy-mozna-ja-czyms-zastapic.
Below are 2 interesting recipes that we have collected in the editorial office:
Fall and winter rooibos
- rooibos tea (the amount of dried fruit depends on your preferences, but a teaspoon per cup should be optimal),
- orange slices,
- lemon slices,
- honey,
- cloves,
- cinnamon.
Brew the rooibos tea at a temperature no higher than 95 degrees. Add the rest of the ingredients and it’s ready and enjoy it 🙂
Chai Latte
In the original, it is tea with milk and spices and has absolutely nothing to do with the coffee served by chain stores under the same name.
- 3 teaspoons of black tea,
- cinnamon stick,
- 8 grains of cardamom,
- 8 cloves,
- fresh ginger in slices,
- milk,
- sugar / honey.
First, boil an incomplete cup of water with spices. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. After this time, add the milk and sugar / honey. Boil it again. Take the infusion off the heat and add the tea, and brew it covered. Drain before serving.
This tea can also be brewed by skipping the step with adding milk and after all other steps have been completed, add heated, frothed milk to the infusion from a special frother or coffee machine with the appropriate function.
Sources: e-herbata.pl, Kursnaherbate.pl, teaclub.com.pl.
You can write and talk about tea for hours, so we encourage you to comment and share your own tea experiences. What is your favorite fall / winter tea? Be sure to include the recipe!