I remember sitting at the dinner table watching my mother brew fermented black tea and then ever so delicately pour it into a glass with a spoon to stop the glass from cracking. Then she would wrap a napkin around the glass so she could hold it and not burn her hand, pop a sugar cube into her mouth and slowly sip the tea savoring each taste.
These days having a cup of tea is a bit different and really not that simple. Today there are so many varieties to choose from and we are not only concerned with taste and flavor but whether the tea is Organic, pesticide-free, where it is grown, what conditions is it grown under and if it can be used medicinally as well.
Anti-Inflammatory Ginger Root Tea: A True Organic Tea for Health
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water or 1 cup Organic Tea
- 1 inch slice of ginger root
- Juice from 1 lemon wedge
- 3 mint leaves
Bring the water and ginger to a boil in a saucepan or tea pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Place lemon juice, and mint leaves in tea cup. Add hot water and enjoy. Can be used in warm or cool weather.
Choice Magazine found that out of 55 Australian tea brands tested, nearly 40% contained pesticide residues, of which a few were much higher than the maximum residue limit. The study also found residues of 17 pesticides not registered for use in foods in Australia.
All brands claiming to be organic were pesticide-free.
Sit down with a sustainable cup of…
Pukka’s wide range of Teas was created with the purpose of benefitting the health of people, plants and the planet. When they began in 2001 the science was already clear that business needed to operate in a way that regenerated the environment and society. These are the values that Pukka was built upon; organic farming, fair trade and conservation through commerce.
In Ayurveda: The tulsi plant has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, a form of traditional Indian medicine. In Ayurveda, tulsi is considered an adaptogen, a natural herb that helps the body adapt to outside stressors. The herb is used in many forms—fresh, dried, powdered, herbal tea, essential oil—as an Ayurvedic remedy for a variety of common ailments.
Varieties from caffeine-free Original to exotic-sounding Pomegranate Green are all made with the anti-stress Indian herb, tulsi (Ocimum sanctum).
Planet Organic.com.au teas are Australian Certified Organic, come in oxygen-bleached paper and some varieties, including the Green and English Breakfast teas, are also Fairtrade certified.
Scarborough Fair teas, grown in Sri Lanka, are all certified Fairtrade, and the green tea varieties, including a particularly yummy blend with lemon and lime, are also biodynamic and organic certified.
Mighty Leaf’s organic teas come in handcrafted bio-degradable pouches, or loose-leaf, in blends from Breakfast to Mint Melange. The leaves are Swiss Certified Organic and the final products certified organic by the US Department of Agriculture.
Roogenic is a family-owned all-natural health food company specializing in Australian Native Plants. They are a premium supplier and market leader of Australian bush teas, spices, infused honey and other products that are individually made with care in Australia.
The range of Australian products are packed full of organically grown and wildly harvested ingredients and are carefully selected for their natural properties.
Pu-erh Tea
Pu’Er (Pu-erh) Tea has long been identified in Chinese medicine as a daily medicinal essential as well as assisting in weight loss and digestion. Having pu–erh tea on a regular basis may help relieve symptoms of metabolic syndrome. It’s been shown to lower blood sugar, reduce obesity, and boost immunity. Plus, it lowers cholesterol and prevents free radical damage. In other words, it helps tackle all five of the syndrome’s factors.
The origins date back 1700 years and by the Tang Dynasty this tea was traded with more populated areas like Beijing, Tibet and Burma. Due to the remote high altitude the tea was compressed, aged and transported along a vast network of trails known as the Tea Horse Road.
Pu-erh is an aged, fermented tea. Pu-erh tea is unique because it’s made from a natural fermentation process. This process oxidizes the plant’s leaves, amplifying its antioxidant benefits.
One of my favorite Organic Green teas is Kukicha, sometimes known as Bancha, is a Japanese Organic green tea made from the twigs and stems of the tea plant. Kukicha is made from stems and branches that are separated in the refining process of Sencha (Green Tea).
They are then roasted in cast iron cauldrons to reduce the bitterness and decrease tannin and the roasting aroma and mild flavour are its main characteristics. Japanese folklore says it aids digestion and helps neutralize an acidic digestive system. Kukicha has been the most popular kind of tea because it has less caffeine and can be enjoyed by all tea drinkers, including children.
– See more at: http://www.greenlifestylemag.com.au/news/2012/food-in-focus-tea
Next blog: How to use Tea as Medicine
With thanks! Valuable information!
With thanks! Valuable information!