Deli

On a cold, late afternoon or evening, great satisfaction can be found in a cup of steaming, hot herbal tea. Whether savory, spicy or sweet, taken for sheer enjoyment or for a specific healing, a cup of tea can really hit the spot.

Especially soothing after a difficult or busy day, it can calm the nerves and quiet the mind while rejuvenating the body and the spirit. Although blending herb teas is a great and ancient art, it is also simple enough for even the novice to be successful.

In Asian cultures, serving tea has been raised to a high art, and the British, too, have elevated teatime to a tradition.

Tea is an ancient way to enjoy herbs and probably the most basic of all healing mediums. Although herbal teas are the least concentrated, they are easily assimilated and the hot water brewing can, and does, release important plant constituents.

The liquid, an internal body wash, helps flush toxins from the body that have been dissolved, loosened by, or bound to the constituents.

Utilizing several basic concepts makes tea brewing easy. A general rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of herb to one cup of water; however, your taste buds will tell you whether or not to use more or less of a particular herb.

Some healing herbs, especially roots, can have a strong flavor that you may want to cover with extra mint, licorice, fennel, verbena, lemon balm or lemon grass, cinnamon, or the like. For a basic infusion (tea), pour boiling water over the herbs and cover to steep so that the wonderful aromas and healing essences of the volatile oils are not lost.

It is best to use glass, ceramic or earthenware to brew your tea. Aluminum should never be used, as it can negate the effect of the herbs. Another general rule of thumb is that flowers and leaves steep for 10-15 minutes, while roots or bark steep for 25 minutes before straining.

To get the full medicinal value of roots and bark, a decoction is made, utilizing two tablespoons of herb to one cup cold water. Bring to a light boil and then simmer for 10-30 minutes.

My very favorite way to take herb tea is to mix my flowers, leaves, roots and barks together, put 2-3 tablespoons of the mix into a quart glass jar, cover with boiling water, and allow to sit.
I drink my first glass after 20 minutes, and draw off the rest throughout the day. The longer the herbs sit in the water the more potent they get (up to a point). Medicinal herb teas are best taken in small amounts throughout the day. This way the healing actions have time to work before they are passed through the body as happens when a large quantity of liquid is ingested all at once.

Delicious and Colorful Beverages

There are a variety of wonderful herbs that can help make your teas as colorful as they are delicious. Some of my favorites include tawny licorice (do not use for people with high blood pressure) or fennel, deep purple from black hollyhock flowers, brilliant magenta of hibiscus flowers, or the golden green of many of the leafy herbs including mints, verbena, lemon balm and the like.

To give your tea a savory spiciness utilize cardamom, coriander, or the old standbys, cinnamon or nutmeg. These are strong flavors, however, so be careful not to over power your other herbs and use a very light touch with these.

An especially wonderful beverage that can be served either hot or cold is hibiscus apple brew. Steep hibiscus flowers, three or four to a quart, either by pouring hot water over them or by leaving them in the sun (even in the winter), until you get a strong magenta color infusion.

Mix two parts hibiscus infusion with one part apple juice. Add orange rounds, berries in season, a touch of cinnamon or both (or neither). Serve either hot or cold for a delicious high Vitamin C (from the hibiscus flowers) beverage.

A great children's party beverage because of it's dusky rose color, some may like it a bit sweeter, so add more apple or other fruit juice. It can also be turned into a sparkling punch by adding some bubbly water.

For an artful effect freeze some of the hibiscus infusion into cubes and allow the magenta cubes to float and dissolve slowly into the punch.

Probably my all time favorite winter tea (although it is just as tasty iced in hot weather) is spicy lemon ginger. This tea is as healing as it is delicious. Chop up about a heaping tablespoon of fresh gingerroot.

Place in 1-1/2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. While it is simmering, juice one or two fresh lemons depending on how large and juicy they are.

Strain ginger decoction; add honey or maple syrup to taste; a dash of cayenne (optional), and fresh lemon juice.

This not only tastes great, it aids in winter circulation, helping warm the body, while giving you a powerful dose of electrolytes and Vitamin C. In cases of fever, drink 3-4 cups throughout the day and wrap up in blankets. The ginger will act as a diaphoretic, helping you to sweat out the illness.

Gentle Healing

Before this age of specialization, food was medicine and medicine was food. The same was true of herbs; those that were used to season food were also used for healing. What was true then is still true today.

Many of our common culinary herbs have healing uses as well. A perfect example is sage. A staple in cooking especially beloved in classic Thanksgiving stuffing, sage tea can be used as an effective gargle for hoarseness, or coughs, swollen tonsils or an ulcerated throat.

To cool fevers and help detox, pour one quart of boiling water over one half ounce sage leaves add the juice of lemon or lime and a spoonful of honey or sugar. Steep for a half hour and drink (from Maude Grieve).

It is said about rosemary that "it lifts the heart and clears the mind." Like sage, it is both delicious in food, especially stews, on roasted potatoes and other vegetables and a good nervine.

Mixing rosemary, lemon balm (also known as melissa) and chamomile makes a soothing tea that aids an upset stomach, reduces nervous headache or headache from feeble circulation and can reduce colic.

Lemon balm is especially good for colds and feverish conditions, or for flu and catarrh. Add honey or sugar, a bit of lemon juice or lemon peel and it is a delicious beverage. As Maude Grieve writes, "A bunch of balm improves nearly all cups."

Herbal Holiday Cheer

Many people suffer increased depression during this time, due both to the increased darkness and the forced gaiety of the holiday season. Juliette de Bairacli Levy recommends a lovely flower- based tea.

Take a handful of lavender, cornflower, marigold, lime tree, linden blossoms and mix half as much rosemary and fennel seeds, a pinch of poppy seeds. Pour one cup water over one teaspoon dry herb mix, steep 10 minutes, sweeten with honey and drink regularly or as needed.

Although most people are familiar with St. John's Wort for depression, rosemary and lemon balm are also very helpful. Wonderful taken as teas, or as a warming wine infusion (see below), or for a delightful twist (and some sweet dreams during these long winter nights) try putting some lavender, rosemary or lemon balm in your pillow case.

All our upcoming parties and holiday meals make this the season of digestive distress. Although sage and rosemary can both be of service here, cardamom is a delicious spice that is excellent for indigestion and flatulence.

An excellent tea with fennel seed, orange peel, fresh gingerroot, cardamom, caraway seed, and either rosemary or sage can be tremendously helpful and delicious. Simmer the fennel, ginger, caraway and cardamom for 15 minutes. Add the orange peel, cinnamon and rosemary or sage, steep for 10-15 minutes, strain and drink.

Also traditional and especially warming are herbed wines. They are especially good as digestive aids with meals and are warming circulatory tonics by the spoonful during winter months. A variety of herbs can be soaked in wine.

Utilizing a madeira, merlot, cognac or brandy, soak hawthorn berries (for heart and circulation), ginger or wormwood (for digestion), rosemary (for digestion, sense of well being) lemon balm (mental health), passionflower (sweet sleep) or any other herb of choice for two or more weeks.

Be sure the herbs are completely covered by the wine. Pour off a desired amount and mix with an equal amount of fresh wine. Take by the spoonful once or twice a day.