By Anne Lo When you feel exasperated, or exhausted… Step inside. Feel the serene atmosphere of the cozy room. The sweet aroma from various herbs wash over you as you notice a teapot on the table, accompanied by a cup. You sit down at the table and pour yourself a cup of tea. The beautiful color reveals itself in the pure white cup and once again, the mystical scents rush up to you. You take a sip, close your eyes, and feel the comforting flow running through your body… Welcome to the world of floral and herbal tea As far back as 2000 years ago, people have understood the value of floral and herbal teas. Many kinds of flowers and herbs are medicine in themselves, and drinking tea made from such herbs and flowers are a great way to improve one’s health. Simply indulging yourself with the color and scent is pure enjoyment in itself. Nowadays tea shops featuring floral and herbal tea are becoming more and more common. However, despite this fact, many people are still reluctant to give it a try. Let’s face it, students don’t have the money and working people just don’t have the time. But what about bringing the splendor and the elegance back home where you can enjoy your own tea every day? A tea house at MY house?! Definitely! With just a few simple pieces of equipment and ingredients you can enjoy the sensation of floral and herbal tea every day, and also offer your friends a different treat when they come to visit. It’s easy. All you need are: 1. A teapot: for brewing the tea. The kind of pots made especially for floral and herbal tea are usually made of glass so you can see the colors. 2. Tea cups: again preferably white so you can see the color. 3. Materials:. The flowers and herbs used for making tea can be bought at places such as department stores, Di-hua Street (迪化街), Working House, and tea shops. It is best to buy materials that are already wrapped. Pay attention to the expiration dates. When choosing materials, be sure to choose ones that are colorful, complete in shape, and dry. And remember always to store material in a dry, cool place. If you are drinking floral and herbal tea for health reasons only, then carrying a thermos pot with tea you is also a convenient and thrifty idea. So what kind of tea can I make? Any kind you want! There are over hundreds of flowers and herbs that are fit for making tea, and different herbs have different benefits. Tea can be made with one herb alone or blended with others. You may choose according to your needs. Here are some recommended blends. They are all popular blends found on menus of tea shops. Golden Sunshine One tablespoon of chamomile, one tablespoon of pot marigold, one tablespoon of lemongrass, and one teaspoon of lavender. Benefits: Strengthens the body, good for the eyes and the skin. Country Tea One tablespoon of jasmine, one tablespoon of vervain, one tablespoon of mint. Benefits: A refreshing blend that eases drowsiness and calms frazzled nerves. Also good for the stomach and dry or allergic skin. Goodnight Tea Two or three sticks of linden, one tablespoon of lavender, one tablespoon of chamomile. Benefits: Relieves stress and helps you sleep. The kitchen within the garden… As a matter of fact, the flowers and herbs used for making tea can be used in cooking as well. Pot marigold, for example, can be put into soups and salads. Here are two recipes. One for an alcoholic drink made with herbs, the other for a type of cookie made with my personal favorite — lavender! Hot Buttered Irish 30 c.c. of whisky, ½ spoonful of sugar, 10g of butter, one tablespoon of lemon juice, 30 c.c. of orange juice, four or five buds of cloves, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg Mix the ingredients together to create a drink that helps fight colds. It is especially good for runny noses caused by allergy — a common problem in Taiwan. Lavender cookies 120g butter, 60g sugar syrup, 4 eggs, 300g cake flour, lavender as desired 1. Sift the flour. Preheat oven to 200’c. 2. Beat butter and sugar syrup together until white. After that, beat the eggs in one by one. Be sure to mix the first egg completely into the dough before beating in the next. Stir the lavender in until the dough is as hard as it should be. 3. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl. Shape the cookies with cookie cutters. 4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Now, Have fun trying them out! #Volume 6 Issue 3
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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