THYME FOR TEA

… OR MINT, OR SAGE, OR IT CAN BE WHATEVER YOU FANCY, WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR OWN HERBAL TEA BAGS

We’re not using herbs as much as we could be. That’s the premise of Nat Mady’s social enterprise, Hackney Herbal, hackneyherbal.com, which aims to inspire people in the way they think about and use herbs. That doesn’t have to mean anything complex – harnessing their potential for wellbeing can be as simple as this project for making your own herbal tea bags.

Over the many workshops and events run by Hackney Herbal, one of the things that Nat always notices is how people connect with the herbs in different ways, whether it’s through the folklore that surroun ds them, or – especially in an area as diverse as east London borough, Hackney – memories of different cultural uses. “People get so excited,” she says. “I’m always being told something I don’t know.”

Growing herbs is, of course, especially good for urban dwellers who may be lacking time, as well as space. “Herbs are very forgiving,” says Nat. “Even a mint plant is great way to start.” When it comes to tea, she suggests an equally straightforward approach, beginning with tasting each different herb by itself, to see what you like. From there, you can build according to your taste (see the suggestions for blends from Nat). There are tips about harvesting and drying herbs on the Hackney Herbal blog, alternatively, you can buy them ready-dried from places such as nealsyardremedies.com.

The appeal of this project goes beyond having something nice to sip: the touch and smell of choosing your herbs, even before the tastebuds kick in, make it a real sensory experience – something to savour.