Herbs Ways: tisane

Monday, 2 February 2009

Tisane - Herbal Tea to You and Me

Herbal tea is big business now, it has been recognised as a great substitute drink that can be enjoyed instead of other drinks, which generally pollute you body. But herb tea is not tea at all. It doesn't come from a tea bush. The only similarity is that the herb is brewed like real tea. By the way, tea is technically a herb as well!

Herbal tea is actually techincally called tisane This has been used for thousands of years for their healing properties. Today tisane is used in the same way to revive or relax the body. Many however just like the taste or as an alternative drink without caffeine.

Herbal teas that are sold in shops are defined as food not a drug. For it to be under the drug category the products has tell the customer that the product have benefits and these benefits have to be scientifically validated and proven to work. Herbal tea or Tisane has no such prove as yet.

Making a tisane is easy and the same method is used for a variety of herbs:
Allow about 1 tablespoon of fresh herb or 1 teaspoonful of dried herb per cup. Pour boiling water and leave to infuse for around 10 minutes or longer if you want a stronger flavoured drink.

For some herbs you will need to simmer for around 10 minutes, i.e. root ginger, cinnamon sticks, caraway or aniseed. I always find that the home made versions from herbs I have produced always taste better then the herb 'teabags' you can get in the supermarkets and health stores.

I drink tisane all the time instead of the conventional tea and have found that I don’t miss the caffeine at all. It is just a case of getting in the habit, which is quite easy from key factors. They are that, I like the fresh taste, I know it is good for me and lastly, it cost me nothing as I use my own homegrown herbs.

Pictures courtesy of www.yogamrita.com

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

The Beautiful Jasmine

The flowers of the Jasmine are enjoyed in the garden, as house plants and as cut flowers. Jasmine is also the national symbol of the Philippines, Indonesia, Island of Java, Pakistan and Syria.

Floral arrangements are made up and worn by women southern and southeast Asia. Many of the Jasmine species also produce an 'absolute', this is used in the producing of perfumes and incense.

In China Jasmine 'Tisane' is drunk in China it is known as Jasmine flower tea. Some varieties of Jasmine flowers are also added to make another type of tea tea which commonly has a green tea base or oolong tea base.

Jasmine flower are plucked very early in the morning when the petals are firmly closed as they only open during the might. After storing in a cool place until around 7:00 in the evening, the petals will have then begun to open.

Flowers and tea are then integrated in purposely designed machines with controlled temperatures and humidity. The tea will eventually absorb the moisture from the flowers; the result is Jasmine Flower Tea.

Less scientific but just as interesting is the belief that Jasmine is used to attract spiritual love by being put into love sachets and carried around. A drop of Jasmine oil with in almond oil massaged into the skin is known as an aphrodisiac. Wearing the flowers beings wealth and money and if burned in the bedroom, Jasmine bring about fortune-telling dreams.

If you want to try growing Jasmine, and many do, it is best grown indoors in pots. Being an evergreen vine it likes bright light, but not direct sunlight. What would be needed is some support such as a trellis, lots of water and the occasional hand brushing to fertilize if there is a lack of natural flying fertilizers such as bees etc.