TEA-MAKING Q&A
We asked the experts how to brew the perfect cuppa.
Q. TEA BAGS OR LOOSE HERBS? A. Ask an expert and there’s no debate.
‘Loose all the way,’ says Monica. ‘The volatile oils in herbs can evaporate in a tea-bag-filling machine and they lose some of their flavour.’ However, if you aren’t into infusing your own but still like to drink herbs through the day, then a well-crafted bag will tick all your boxes. TIP: For a greener choice, opt for plastic-free, biodegradable or compostable bags.
Q. HERBS-TO-WATER RATIO? A. Don’t worry too much about this.
‘If you’re making your own blend, use 1-2tsp of dried herbs per person, depending on your taste,’ says Tipper.
Q. HOW LONG TO BREW? A. The standard answer? Five or so minutes.
But there’s more to it than that. ‘Delicate flowers, leaves and seeds need less infusion time; say five to 10 minutes,’ says Sebastian. ‘Harder fruits, roots and barks need longer; around 10 to 20 minutes.’
Q. HOW MANY CUPS A DAY? A. ‘It depends on the herb you’re drinking.
Three cups of a therapeutic tea is usually the maximum,
but you can drink more of the gentle herbs – rose, chamomile, lemon balm, elderflower – especially if you vary them or use small tea-bag doses,’ explains Monica
Q. WHAT ABOUT USING FRESH HERBS?
A. Great idea!
‘They taste so fresh and zingy, so different to dried herbs,’ says Tipper. ‘Fresh herbs have a milder flavour, whereas dried herbs are more concentrated in taste. Use roughly twice the amount with fresh herbs,’ she advises.
Q. WILL A COLD TEA ‘WORK’? A. It will.
Just make your tea as usual and let it cool. ‘Hot or cold, it doesn’t really matter 90% of the time,’ says Dee. ‘For refreshing iced drinks, lemon balm, peppermint, lemon verbena, rose, hibiscus and green tea are just a few that work well,’ suggests Tipper.
Q. HOW DO I MAKE A BLEND?
A. ‘By making small quantities so you can tailor your blend to suit your mood,’
says Tipper. ‘Let’s say you want to wind down. You know you like chamomile tea, which actually goes well with calming lemon balm and lime flower. Take equal parts of each herb (say 10g), then use 1-2tsp of the blend for your cuppa.’ GOT BRAIN FOG? Try chamomile with peppermint and rosemary.
JUST EATEN? Try chamomile with peppermint and fennel. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Cleanse Nurture Restore With Herbal Tea by Sebastian Pole is the tea-making bible, or read Infuse: Herbal Teas To Cleanse, Nourish And Heal by Paula Grainger and Karen Sullivan for great advice on blending.