One of the joys of including herbs in my diet has been relaxing with a wonderful cup of herbal tea. The warmth, the aroma, and the depth of the flavors create a most enjoyable experience. However, just over a year ago, the idea of routinely drinking a wide variety of herbal teas, some of which the flavors wouldn’t be quite described as enjoyable, was not really in my realm.
Like most people, my initial foray into herbal teas was simply choosing a box of teas from the grocery store isle based on a flavor that I thought I would like. In being completely transparent, as a coffee girl at heart those herbal teas were only used by me occasionally, either when I wanted something hot to drink but had already had my daily limit of coffee, or if the mood just happened to strike. My perspective has certainly broadened in this past year, much to my enjoyment and much to my body’s benefit.
The whole experience surrounding making herbal tea is a very sensual experience. The way an individual herb feels, looks, tastes and smells come from the energy each herb exudes. The synergy of the varying herbal tea combinations not only creates a tea that has a multi-layered taste, but also that provides unique support of wellness based on the energetics of each herb and how they combine with each other. Then as you drink the tea, you not only experience the combined taste and aroma, but you also being to feel it from the inside, such as a relaxing chamomile and lavender, a warming ginger and honey tea or a spicy chai. YUM!! I am writing this as I drink a delicious cup of nourishing tea that includes nettles, rose hips, ginger, lemon balm and some added honey.
Admittedly, I have learned that not all the herbs that are good for my body are not always kind to my taste buds. There are some herbs that are pungent, bitter, and downright yucky to me. Fortunately, there are herbs that can help improve the tastes, honey that makes almost anything better, and sometimes a tincture will work better than a tea. But the story of tinctures is one for another day.
As I continue learning about these herbs and how they support not just our body but how these plants may help our environment, I am so excited about this information that I just want to share it! As our farm continues this joyful and important path, I hope that you will decide to join me by following us and reading our posts, as you enjoy your own cup of herbal tea deliciousness. ENJOY!
