Tea Chat RSS 1 RSS 2 Atom

Consumers of Japanese goods around the world are responding to the tragic tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis in Japan with fears of radiation contamination. Should tea enthusiasts be worried as well?

According to the New York Times, the Food and Drug Administration in America has banned all dairy products and produce from the area of Japan where a damaged nuclear reactor is leaking radiation. Other products, such as seafood, will not be banned, but will be tested for any trace of radioactive iodine.

Tea drinkers need not worry, as major tea fields are actually located in southern Japan and are safe from contamination. In fact, Japan is actually a large importer of tea.

Although, there may be a different obstacle blocking tea imports from Japan.

Throughout the devastated country, people are hoarding many products and sending them to family and friends in northern prefectures.

Bottled water, rice, batteries, and toilet paper are quickly become scare in supermarkets throughout the country.

Japanese officials say this buying is largely an overreaction.

So tea buyers — keep updated in current contamination news — but the overwhelming consensus is to feel safe when purchasing tea from Japan.

And let's not let fears of contaminated goods cause us to forget about the victims of the devastated northern region of Japan. Donations can be made to the Red Cross at www.RedCross.org

While I was eating a soft, ripe and juicy persimmon one morning, I understood why this fruit has been regarded as one of the various kinds of aphrodisiacs in history.  It then occurred to me...why not an aphrodisiac in a cup? 

I was inspired to then research various fruits, spices, herbs and teas throughout history that have been recognized as having sensual qualities.  The knowledge I gathered was fascinating, as I learned that lovers, poets, kings, mistresses and even doctors alike have been interested in this phenomena.

And now we launch Apricot Chai: a tea which its every component is deeply rooted in history as having erotic qualities. It contains black tea, apricot and peach preserves, gingerroot, cloves, vanilla beans, and recommended with a flowing drop of honey.  Here is the breakdown:

Sensual tea: In the 1300's in China, tea became a romantic ritual symbolizing poetry and beauty. The Japanese treat tea as a drink of immortality which has to be consumed in a precise ceremonial, making each step an initiation and a sign of poetic ecstasy.  When tea made its way to Europe in the 1700's, a Corsican doctor, Simon Paoli, tasted it and declared that it should be banned because it was too intoxicating.

Peach Preserves: In China and Japan, brides wear wreaths of peach blossoms as a symbol of viginity and fertility.

Apricot Preserves: In Australia, the aboriginies prepared a special tea made from apricot stone. They would crush and smear the fruit onto their erogenous regions as a pre-coital perfume to enhance love-making.

Vanilla Bean: In certain regions of South America, including Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina, men try to capture their former vigor by soaking vanilla beans into a glass of tequila for a long period of time, which is to enhance their 'performance.'

Ginger root: It is widely known that ginger stimulates the circulatory system.  The Arab physician Avicenna from the 11th century, prescribed honey mixed with ginger and a little pepper to stimulate sexuality.

Cloves: Cloves are also a stimulating spice, which allures the senses to encourage lust.

Citrus peels: Oranges have been used by the Christians to tempt the appetites of the lions at the Coliseum.

Honey: Egyptian medicine used honey as a base to cure sterility and impotence. Also, medieval seducers hypnotized their lovers by using mead, a fermented concoction made from honey. Sheikh Nefzawi from the 16th century recommended having pine kernels mixed with honey before lovemaking in his sexual manual "The Perfumed Garden".

With all of these ingredients, the Apricot Chai is recommended to be drank with your significant other.

When the camelia sinensis plant gave birth, she produced a similar yet very distinctive set of quadruplets: green, white, oolong and black. The siblings that shine the most are the oldest and the youngest...green and black. As the youngest, black tea has for many generations been the spoiled, all American favorite especially in southern households as it is welcomed with every meal, iced. Green tea, although it chose to go backpacking around the world and thus developed a finer sense of appreciation, has far lived in the shadow of its youngest sibling at home.  Brewing with jealousy, green tea rebelled with a vengeance, ostentatiously serving its world- reknowned health benefits at the family dinner, thereby securing its birthright. Thriving off of the fierce competition, black tea did some soul searching and discovered that it too, is more than just the little favorite. Below is a scoreboard of health categories to square away the sibling rivalry and to reveal where their respective talents lie.

Healthy Heart. Black tea wins. Black tea contains flavinoids which is a phytonutrient that contains anti-oxidant benefits. The consumption of black tea, with the aid of the flavinoids, can lead to the reduction of stoke and heart disease risk because it reduces the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) that is associated with helping to cause these two diseases.

Fights Cancer. Green tea wins. Green tea has high levels of EGCG which has been found to inhibit experimental tumor growth in animals.

High in Anti-oxidants. Green tea wins. The main benefit of green tea is that it is loaded with a powerful anti-oxidant called EGCg. When it comes to the process of making black tea, this chemical compound is converted into other compounds, leaving researchers to believe that anti-oxidants are not as prevalent in black tea as they are in green tea.

Weightloss. Green tea wins. Green tea contains high levels of catechins which are anti-oxidants and polyphenols that are easily oxidized.  Catechins are more abundant in green tea than any other due to the least amount of fermentation that it undergoes.  One study suggests that the high levels of polyphenols in green tea activate the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving excess triglyceride, thereby burning fat.

Stress. Black tea wins. According to a study at the University College of London, black tea has an effect on the stress hormone levels of the body.

Less Calories. Draw. Neither black nor green contain any calories without any additives.

More Caffeine. Hard to say. Some researchers state that the least fermented would contain more caffeine. However, others say that caffeine does not evaporate and its levels remains constant even though black tea is fermented the most. Lets just say if their birthdays came around, they would probably get the same present.

I have a confession to make. Prior to meeting my southern husband, I have never heard of Sun Tea before. When he found this out, he had the most quizzical expression on his face as if he saw something in my teeth and couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe.

And so I got the lecture.  "Sun Tea", he proclaimed, "is part of what bonds children with their mothers, is what makes childhood memories everlasting, it's what no child should ever be deprived of, otherwise its a childhood not worth having..."  OK, maybe I am exaggerating the lecture a little bit. 

So in order to save my marriage, I embarked on a Sun Tea journey to discover everything I can about this mysteriously fascinating summer liquid. I phoned the in-laws of the south for ole' fashioned recipes,  I scoured the Internet for variety of recipes, I researched recent safety concerns in the making of Sun Tea and experimented in my own backyard to bring you this very thesis on Sun Tea.

To begin, here are some basic ground rules in preparing to make Sun Tea:

1. Watch Out for Bacteria.  If you ask the new-timers, the process of making Sun Tea can form a bacteria that can be harmful to your health. If you ask the ole-timers, a lil' bit of bacteria ain't hurt no body! The issue is that using the sun's rays to make tea can facillitate bacteria called alcaligenes viscolactis, according to the Center of Disease Control. Tea steeped in a jar on your porch won't get any hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to truly kill germs, water needs to be heated at 195 degrees F for 3-5 minutes.

To appease both the old school and the new school of thought, it's best to avoid risk yet without stripping yourselves from fond childhood memories by doing the following:

a) Use a sterilized glass container (more about glass below)

b)  Use a strainer after steeping Sun Tea to rid of any aliens in it.

c) Simply toss the tea away if you see foamy, syrupy substances or any weird-looking strands.

2. Use a Glass Pot. According to recent studies, plastic containers may be adding harmful chemicals to the liquids they contain. The procedure speeds up if the liquid bottle in plastic is left in the sun for a long time. Bottles exposed to the sun in the research showed traces of carcinogenic and neurotoxic substances.

3. Use Filtered Water.  Tap water typically contains unknown substances that without a full boil may be harmful to your health. Another cleaner and safer method to make Sun Tea is to use filtered water instead. This will also enhance the flavor of the tea itself.

4. Use Loose Leaf Tea.  Even though most of the traditional recipes utilize tea bags, I prefer to use fresh ingredients wherever I can. Tea bags to me are akin to buying pre-ground coffee in a can where the freshness is compromised. 

5. Be Creative.  Add your favorite citrus rinds and/or garden herbs to your own batch of Sun Tea.   

5. Refrigerate immediately after use.  Throw out any leftover tea after 3 days.

These days, non-tea-drinkers categorize our fun loving group into two stereotypes: the zen and serene / the pretentious (and possibly British).  I'm sure the health-conscious are thrown somewhere into the mix.  This weekend, I vow to throw those preconceived notions to the wind and let lose with a high in tea, low in calorie, summer cocktail.  The days are warm and the nights are long, what better time than now?  Move over Long Island Ice Tea, there's an electrifying new antioxidant-rich drink on the block.  Enjoy...

 ELECTRIC HONEYDEW

1 Tbsp green tea leaves (White Monkey Paw green tea works great)

1 Tbsp dried chamomile leaves

2 oz gin

3 leaves anise-hyssop

2 oz pureed honeydew (puree in blender)

3/4 oz lemon juice

1/4 oz agave syrup

1 fennel frond, for garnish

In a jar or glass, mix green tea and chamomile leaves with gin and let sit for 3 hours at room temperature.  Muddle anise-hyssop leaves, then combine with tea-infused gin, honeydew puree, lemon juice, and agave in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with a fennel frond.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Calories: 178

Recipe courtesy of Women's Health Magazine