When I was a girl growing up in rural Muskoka, the world of tea was a relatively small one. In my grandmother’s pantry, there were two types of tea. One was declared ‘real’ tea, imported from China. The other type was known as ‘tisane’ or ‘herbal tea,’ which we gathered from the backyard gardens and woodlands, free for the picking!
Real or authentic tea is produced from the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the tea plant known asCamellia sinensis. The tea plant is native to Asia, and the most common types are black, green, white, yellow, and oolong.
On Grandma’s shelves there were just two varieties of imported tea, bought by the pound in loose leaves. The first variety was black, which was served as ‘supper’ tea when, according to Grandpa, only a cup of the real McCoy would quench the thirst of a hardworking man. And the second was green tea, which was saved for special afternoons when company called.
Tisanes, or herbal teas as they are loosely dubbed, refer to infusions made from fresh or dried leaves, flowers, fruits and berries of cultivated and wild plants, grains, and other picks for the pot that are unrelated to the true teas of the Camellia sinensis family.
Grandma, a well-respected herbalist in our neck of the woods, recommended herbal teas for all kinds of ailments and common complaints such as cold and ‘flu, constipation and diarrhea, upset stomach and gas, and more. In her book, real tea was also praised for its many medicinal properties, but she prescribed real tea less often because it was not as readily available for rural folks as were herbal picks.
Tea – of the Camellia sinensis variety – is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world. It is reputed as being a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system and helps the body ward off invaders such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Research has indicated that increasing one’s intake of black or green tea, which contains polyphenols, may reduce the risk of stomach, throat, skin, and ovarian cancer. It can help prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure, and reduce cholesterol.
Drinking herbal tea with a meal, according to Grandma’s old writings, keeps the digestive system running smoothly, helps rid the intestinal tract of bacteria buildup, and relieves the discomforts of overindulgence.
Nothing warms the heart and soothes the soul like a cup of tea, and Grandma vouched that sharing a pot of brew with a friend was one of life’s greatest pleasures. Of course, when I was a kid, what captivated me most about tea time was the magical moment when she would ‘read the leaves’ of an emptied cup and predict a healthy fortune for the drinker.
I am still fascinated by tea and I, like Grandma, enjoy putting every last drop of leftover tea to good use. In fact, sometimes when the teapot is drained dry, I’ll steep up a brand new batch especially for the purpose of adding a little tea excitement to one of her old recipes or to use in one of my favourite, more modern-day tea-based creations.
Below are a few ways to ‘tea up’ your diet. Try them and see how easy it is to enliven your cooking by using tea in place of water or other cooking liquids in many everyday recipes. For best results, use loose tea leaves, which are made from larger portions of the leaves than those found in tea bags, and thus contain more healthful essential oils, yielding richer flavour and aroma.
Before stocking up the pantry with exciting teas to tantalize your taste buds, keep in mind that buying fair trade organic tea is the ethical choice, so look for those that are certified with the Fair Trade mark.
Don’t increase measures when making tea especially for cooking (unless recipe specially calls for it), as tea which is brewed too strongly can cause a bitter, overpowering taste. Just make the tea as you normally would for drinking and it’ll be perfect for cooking purposes, too.
Brown Rice, Green Tea, and Lentil Porridge
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
Here’s a Japanese special (renzu mame iri genmai chagayu) that takes the cold out of a winter morning and is sure to carry you through to lunch without any “belly growls.” In Japan, this porridge is eaten after heavy New Year’s indulgence to help settle the stomach and bring the body back into balance. This meal is low in calories and high in fibre. It makes about 6 breakfast-sized servings and saves very well in a covered container in the fridge.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 cup green or yellow split peas or brown or other lentils (do not use red lentils as they end up being too mushy)
- 4 cups leftover or freshly brewed green tea
- Pinch of sea salt
Grandma’s Cabbage Tea Soup
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
I love this soup as much today as I did when I was a kid, when Grandma would serve me a bowl to rid the chilblains after crossing the frozen fields on my way home from school. Makes two servings, but recipe can be multiplied, which I often do when the family comes in from having fun in the winter snow and needs a little warming up.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of leftover tea*
- 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1 Tbsp (more or less) good quality soy sauce
- Pinch freshly-grated black pepper
- Drop of sesame oil
Holiday Fruit Muffins
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
These muffins are always better the second or even third day, but they never last that long unless the batch is doubled! Nice to have on hand as a quick morning bite when the house is full of company. Set these mouth-watering muffins out with a pot of tea and a bowl of fruit spread and they’ll take the edge off morning hunger. This makes one to three dozen muffins, depending on the size of tins. These are rich, so I like to bake a portion of the batter in small muffin tins for pint-size nibblers, and the rest in medium-sized tins for larger appetites.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup currants or raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped, dried apricots
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- Grated zest of an orange (juice and pulp reserved)
- 1 cup scalding tea (any type works well, especially fragrant tea such as jasmine)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 (or more) cups gluten-free flour or baking mix
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Ground cinnamon to taste
Festive Tea-Infused Fruit Bowl
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
Here’s a refreshing dessert that ends a heavy holiday meal in grand style. You can use the amount of fruit you desire and add or omit anything you wish. Serve in tall-stemmed glasses with long spoons. Very nice for adults when apricot, cherry, or other sweet fruit brandy is swirled into the juiced-up tea, making this a dessert and after-dinner cocktail in one! Kids can have a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream, or yogurt on top, if desired. Serves a crowd.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups scalding white, yellow, or green tea
- Honey to sweeten
- 1 teaspoon finely-grated lemon zest, plus juice of the lemon
- Small melon balls (honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe, or a mixture for appealing colours)
- Seedless grapes
- Frozen blueberries
- Fresh or frozen whole strawberries
- Frozen gooseberries (Use a substitute berry such as raspberries, if desired)
- Poached or canned peach wedges
- Mandarin or tangerine sections
Cheesy Tea-Dressed Greens
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
This is a delicious way to serve greens – whether you use wild picks such as dandelions, stinging nettles, or lamb’s quarters or garden fare like spinach, Swiss chard, or beet tops. Serves 4 to 6.Heat the oil in a wok and sauté garlic until soft.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp loose black or other tea leaves
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 pounds washed greens of choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup soft cheese (cream cheese, brie, goat, or other soft cheese)
- 2 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese
Double-Good Jasmine Brown Rice
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
This delightfully fragrant rice is sure to please. Serve it with less spicy dishes such as poached or steamed fish, seafood, and poultry to allow the flowery flavour to shine through.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp loose jasmine tea
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1-1/4 cups jasmine brown rice
Japanese Prawn Tea Soup
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
In Japan, a similar soup to this one is known as Chazuke or Ochzuke, and it calls for grilled salmon. My version calls for cooked prawns, and it is as appealing to the eye as it is to the appetite. But try it with salmon and other seafood, too, or cubed tofu in place of fish or seafood. Serves 4 as a starter soup, larger bowls can be used when serving as the main course, in which case it serves 2.
1 cup leftover cooked long grain brown or other rice of choice (I often cook a double or triple batch of rice when making another dish in order to ensure leftovers for using in this satisfying soup recipe. Cooked rice saves up to a week in a covered container in the fridge and even longer when frozen in zip-lock bags. I freeze it in needed measures for soup making. To reheat the rice, drop the bag into boiling water and steam until rice is hot or reheat in the microwave or rice steamer.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp toasted seaweed flakes, cut into small pieces using scissors
- 1 cup cooked prawns (or shrimp)
- Squirt of prepared wasabi
- Celery salt and freshly-grated black pepper to taste
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, ground to powder (or broken into very tiny pieces for chewy effect)
- 2 to 3 cups scalding, freshly-brewed green tea (Japanese sencha is a tasty pick for this recipe)
- Minced green onions or chives
Tea-Baked Chicken
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
Ingredients:
- 1 cup leftover tea of choice
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 Tbsp virgin olive oil
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1 minced onion
- 1 diced green pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bram Brack
View the full printable recipe
To view the entire “Tantalizing Tea Cuisine” feature, visit http://vitalitymagazine.com/food-features/tantalizing-tea-cuisine-herbal-infusions-add-a-splash-of-excitement-to/
Bram Brack is a delicious Irish sweet loaf that is economical to make and, when wrapped in coloured cellophane and tucked into a basket along with a jar of homemade fruit spread and a box of tea, also makes a delightful gift. Grandma used dried wild blueberries in her recipe, but currants or raisins are also fine. Even though she used regular wheat flours in her baking recipes, I have adapted this recipe to use gluten-free flour, which works equally well. You can use your favourite commercial blend or homemade mixture of gluten-free flour or a gluten-free baking mix, if desired.
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 cups scalding black tea
- 2 cups currants or raisins (or a mixture)
- 1/4 cup mixed candied peel (candied citron)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped, dried cherries
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Pinch to taste of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves
- 3 (or more) cups gluten-free flour
User Comments