herbal teas Archives - Good Food St. Louis

Mint Tea: The Fresh Smell of Springtime

June 7, 2021

Nectar of the Gods

My prolific lemon balm happily survived “the winter of our discontent.” Yes, I’m glad to see my mint is a-bloom, one of the earliest reminders that spring is here.

At the farm, this weekend Robin snipped a handful of the minty green leaves from our herb garden. I was still in my pjs and fuzzy slippers as I watched her pour boiling water over the leaves. In minutes we had a cuppa of piping hot, lemony tea.

A lively patch of lemon balm

Tea to Swoon Over

Mint tea has only recently shown up on my gastronomic scanner. Now I’m wanting to plant other varieties, such as: spearmint, orange mint, chocolate mint, and peppermint.

In addition to its great flavor, the drink also comes with physical and mental benefits. The herbal brew is known to sooth the soul and stomach and relieve stress—a perfect potion for a post-pandemic era.

A selfie with a cup of tea and a pencil as I await inspiration for a blog post.

Even the Mad Hatter enjoyed the sprightly flavor of tea, as did Pooh, the beloved little bear of our childhood. My favorite herbal tea drinker was Uncle Wiggly, a gentleman rabbit, who nursed his rheumatism with great quantities made from leaves grown in his garden.

Little Sips of Happiness

Mint tea has got to be the world’s easiest to brew. Pick the fresh green leaves (4-5 large stalks), put both leaves and stalks in a pre-warmed teapot and pour 4 cups of boiling water over the whole shebang. Cover and leave herbs adrift for 5 minutes—or more, if greater strength is desired.

Hit the brew with a bit of honey, sugar, milk, or not, as you like—though I enjoy it best au natural.

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can brew tea, and that’s kinda the same thing.”

Staying Cool with African Solstice Tea

June 4, 2020

After including this iced tea photo in a recent blog, I realized that this naturally caffeine-free tea was worthy of its own post.

Today I rhapsodize over African Solstice Tea, one of the fastest growing herbals in popularity among the nation’s tea drinkers. I found it in an assortment of Tea Forte bags after I’d used all the other blends in the box. What a pleasant surprise. I had unintentionally saved the best for last.

I’ve only used the cute, pyramid-shaped bags for making iced tea, but I’m sure the tea is just as magnificent hot.

A Well-Balanced Tea

African Solstice is also known as Bush Tea or Red Bush Tea. It comes from a plant called rooibos, pronounced (“roy-boss”), that’s grown in South Africa and used traditionally for its medicinal properties. Preliminary studies of rooibos teas indicate they may help strengthen bones and reduce heart disease.

The leaves of the rooibos plant are naturally caffeine-free and have a wisp of natural vanilla. What’s more, the tea is low in tannins and rich in antioxidants. Tea Forte ups the taste with a blend of berries and blossoms.

Chamomile Citron, another of my favorites from Tea Forte.

A Smooth, Easy Brew

To extract maximum flavor, the bag or leaves should steep 5 minutes in boiling water. But you can steep as long as you like, since rooibos leaves never grow bitter from steeping.

Since the weather warmed up, I’ve been making a Mason jar of African Solstice iced tea everyday. It’s a pleasant companion, as I curl up with a book, waiting for the virus to skip town.