“Healthy people are those who live in healthy homes on a healthy diet” – Ivan IIich
This quote comes into my mind as I look at the assortment of processed packaged food displayed on the shelves of the supermarket.
A signage catches my attention – specialty teas.
Tea, my grandma’s solution for almost every problem!! I always wondered why, until today.
It was a fairly interesting assortment of teas in a host of flavours, but not the chai variety. A seemingly exciting range of new flavours completely intrigued me - Black tea, white tea, oolong tea and the classic green tea. It was time to explore the world of premium specialty teas. There was a clear price demarcation, these varieties are definitely more expensive, look exquisite and special.
Finally, after much deliberation I decided to pick up a green tea pack and here I was on my way home and all set to try what I could do with the tea, besides what tea has always traditionally done - A simple cup of tea has often been the only spark needed to make an acquaintance, inaugurating a bond of friendship that could last a lifetime. Tea has always been the trigger of getting people to come together and share the bond of love over a cuppa.
I made my first hot cup of green tea which I had picked off the shelf and there began my journey of unravelling the various facets of teas. The explorer in me was super excited to discover more. I studied more on the subject at hand, discovered information about tea which enlightened, amused and amazed me.
Across the globe, tea is used as an ingredient in multiple gourmet recipes:
-Green tea leaves can be infused with pasta to give it a unique flavour.
-Black tea can be used to tenderize meat and is often used in Indian household to cook Chickpeas.
-Oolong tea, grape juice and assorted cut fruits can be blended to make an amazing mocktail.
-The Chinese, add tea leaves to the water after boiled eggs are cooked. This adds some flavour and colour to the boiled eggs.
-Brewed green tea can be used in place of water when cooking grains like Jasmine Tea Rice.
-A lot of Thai recipes replace water with brewed green tea to add a punch of flavour and health.
Besides the multiple uses in the kitchen,
-Green tea when applied topically can help reduce the direct effects of sun burn.
-Black tea when used in skin and beauty products can provide you enough sun protection.
-Warm, wet teabags can reduce puffiness and soothe pain around tired eyes - Brewed tea makes a good conditioner for dry hair.
-A wet teabag on an injection site can be soothing, for babies or adults.
-Brewed tea leaves make great plant food, you can even water your plants with leftover brewed tea
Tea, is also by far the healthiest beverage on the Earth and as long as you don’t add sugar, it is a great no-calorie alternative to water that aids weight loss. No matter what the season, the benefits of tea go beyond a mundane drink and can help you achieve a 100% transformation in your overall health and well-being.
I was in awe of this power packed superfood and the more the natural ingredients added to it (mind you not the tea blended with artificial essences, oils or nature identical flavours) the more the benefits we can derive out of this outstanding beverage.
The specialty tea isle is now a must visit spot not just for my retail therapy but also to discover what the world of teas has to offer.
