5 teas to enjoy in the rains!

Curl up on the sofa and start sipping...here's how to brew the most flavourful and aromatic teas this season

The monsoon is here, and there's nothing like a steaming hot cup of tea to accompany the softly falling rain. While tea (also known as nature's tranquiliser) is best had in its most popular avatar - black with milk and sugar - here are other interesting ways to enjoy it ...

1) Rose tea

Rose tea, made by mixing fresh roses and terminal bud of the tea, is probably the oldest flavoured teas available. The tea is known for its subtle taste. There are several benefits that it has. It can beautify the skin, clearing it of toxins and contains vitamins A, B3, C, D and E. Rose tea also acts as a cure for sore throat.

How to brew: Put 10 rosebuds into a cup (should have below-boiling water). You may brew this for as long as you like, a shorter time results in lighter tea. Use no sugar or cream as the flavour is best had natural.

2) White tea

This is a mild, fresh tea, one of the least-processed types. It is said to contain three times as many antioxidants as green tea. A study says white tea can preserve the skin's natural collagen, and another points out how it speeds up the fat-burning process.

How to brew: The first thing to remember is that hard water can ruin white tea, which has delicate a flavour. Boil water to about 158oF to 167oF and pour it over the tea leaves. Steeping time can be for about 10 minutes. Serve as it is, without milk or sugar.

3) Cinnamon tea

You can enjoy the many benefits of cinnamon tea whether you love a pure cinnamon tea or prefer it blended or added to other teas. Sweet, soothing, spicy, and a little bit exotic... Cinnamon is versatile and much-loved, a favorite not only in sweet and savory dishes, but in tea, as well!

The well-known spice is famous for its ease in blending with a variety of flavors - with other teas, spices, fruits, and herbs - to create intoxicating tea blends.

4) Tulsi tea

One of the most important benefits of this tea is that it can cure stress. Tulsi can be calming and is said to lessen abdominal pain. Having a little after a meal helps to relax the muscles of the intestinal tract. The tea is light and refreshing.

How to brew: Buy some fresh tulsi from any grocery. Boil water and place tulsi leaves inside a teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot and let steep for about three minutes. Enjoy it hot.

5)Chamomile tea

Part of the daisy family, chamomile tea was grown by ancient Egyptians to treat a wide variety of ailments. The ingredients in this tea are said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. It is also said to relieve fatigue and is considered a cure for insomnia.

How to brew: Place a sachet of dried chamomile into a cup. Boil water and cool it for 20 seconds, then pour it over the chamomile. Cover and let it steep for about 5-7 minutes. Strain and sip. The flavor will be sweet and soothing.

Try these teas today at The Tea Shelf.

TEA FACTS FROM A TO Z

26 THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT TEA!

Astrotea. You can use tea leaves to read the future. Just leave a small amount of tea in the bottom of the cup along with some tea leaves, and after stirring the remains three times, the pattern you’re left with will tell you what’s in store. In Asia, readers of tea leaves are just as respected as astrologers.

Bags. Tea bags were invented in America in the early 1800s, and were initially used to hold samples of teas brought from India. Today, 96% of all cups of tea served around the world were made using teabags.

Camellia sinensis. There are many different kinds of tea, but they are all derived from just one plant: Camellia sinensis. The color and variety of the tea (green, black, white, oolong) depends, however, on the way the leaves are treated.

Darjeeling. It’s called the champagne of tea: a black tea, it is grown in the eponymous area of Indian Bengal. One of the world’s most highly-prized tea varieties, teas are often falsely sold as coming from this area: for every 400 tons of tea sold under this name every year, only 100 tons actually comes from Darjeeling. 

Elevenses. At 11 o’clock in the morning, to stay alert, in England it’s common to take a break with a cup of tea and some cakes: Elevenses. Before dinner, however, you can take ‘high tea’: a kind of reinforced snack.

Food. You can’t have a cup without something to go with it: from cookies and English cucumber sandwiches to seafood accompanied by green tea in Japan, by way of spicy Indian meat dishes, and all-chocolate desserts from Assam.

Gin. Mix gin and cold tea, flavor with little lemon rind, and you’ll get a great summer cocktail. In the mid 1700s, in Great Britain, tea replaced gin as the drink of the masses, and became the nation’s favorite beverage.

Hot or cold. Perfect when drunk steaming hot, tea is also one of the most thirst-quenching summer drinks when drunk cold, perhaps with ice, and possibly some lemon, lime or leaves of mint to add flavor.

India. After tourism, the cultivation of tea is India’s second largest industry. And India tea is the variety most commonly drunk the world over, despite the fact that it originally came from China. 

Joan Cusack. «Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Me?» is one of cinema’s best-known quotes. It’s the famously cheeky line uttered by Joan Cusack to Harrison Ford in the classic film Working Girl.

Kettle. You won’t find a kitchen in England without one: the kettle, used to boil the water for tea, can be either electric or heated up on the hob. 

Loose tea. Loose tea is, for connoisseurs, the best way to taste tea: the quality of the tea leaves, which are often whole, and not broken up as in tea bags, is often higher, and retains more of their original flavor.

Mosquitoes. Tea leaves are a natural means of keeping mosquitoes away. All you have to do is use slightly damp leaves to add the scent of tea to the areas you want to keep insect-free.

Not just for drinking. Here are five good reasons for not giving up tea, even if you don’t drink it - it helps to heal shaving cuts, eliminates bad odors when added to a foot bath, can be used to marinade meat, is a great fertilizer for roses, and is also good for cleaning floors.

Oolong. Oolong tea, a Chinese and Taiwanese tea with a fruity aroma, is also often called Dragon’s Tea: these tea leaves, when put in teapot, often start to look like a dragon. The world’s most expensive tea is an oolong tea: it’s called Tieguanyin, and its leaves cost up to $3,000 per kilo.

Party. The Tea Party is the American political movement which calls for less state intervention in key areas like the economy and healthcare. Its name harks back to the Boston Tea Party, an act of protest carried out in the 1700s when Americans rebelled against the British government, destroying cases of tea which had arrived from India.

Quotes. «Women are like tea bags. They do not know how strong they are until they get into hot water.» - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Ritz Carlton of Hong Kong. This is where the world’s most expensive afternoon tea is drunk – you can spend up to $8,888 dollars here. You can taste the world’s best teas, finger food, fantastic cakes and enjoy the best view of the city.

Samovar. In Russia, the water for tea is boiled using a samovar. They were initially heated using coal, but these days usually run on electricity. They’re traditional, common household items found in Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Theanine. The stimulant found in tea leaves is theanine, an antioxidant whose equivalent in coffee is caffeine. Tea, however, contains less caffeine than coffee: around half the amount.

The London Tea Auctionwas an institution which lasted for 300 years. Tea was sold using the ‘by the candle’ system: bidding for lots went on until an inch of a candle had burnt away.

Vitamins. Tea is a natural antioxidant, and rich in vitamins: it contains vitamins B2, B1 and B6. Tea, however, is also rich in potassium, manganese, folic acid and calcium.

Water. Experts have always advised on the best kind of water for making tea. In early Chinese texts we can find suggestions that the best water should be taken from rivers and lakes.

X-rated. Amongst the many thousands of qualities that tea can boast, it has relaxing effects that can help improve your sex life. In particular,Ashwagandha tea is regarded as a stimulant to virility.

Yin Zhen or Silver Needle. This is the most highly prized of white teas. It comes from China, and takes its name from the leaves used to make it, which are harvested when they’re young and still unfurled, and look like needles.

Zillah. The world’s oldest gas pump is still going strong, and can be found in Zillah, in Washington State. It’s known as the Teapot Dome Service Station, as it happens to look like a teapot

Source: https://www.finedininglovers.com/stories/tea-facts/

Guide To Drinking Tea During Pregnancy

The ritual of making and drinking tea has been practiced for thousands of years, and for good reason. Tea contains polyphenols to protect your heart, antioxidants that may lower your risk of cancer and other nutrients that boost your immune system. When you’re expecting, the benefits get even better. A comforting cup may ease morning sickness, and even make for a shorter labor. However, some teas are potentially dangerous during pregnancy and should be avoided.

9 Reasons You Should Drink Tea Every Day

While everyone continues to go crazy for coffee, we'd like to point your attention toward tea. Yes, tea, the beverage that can soothe you when you want to relax or wake you up when you need an extra push. Basically, tea is great and you should consume it just as much as your beloved java.

Sleep Better With Tea

We all know what it is like to have a bad night's sleep and to start the day feeling tired and grumpy.

But a new survey has revealed the key to sweet dreams - going to bed at 10pm after having a cup of tea in your pyjamas.

Tea with Milk & Sugar?

How one drinks their cup of tea depends on only the person drinking it. The tea connoisseurs would recommend drinking tea black with no sugar, honey, lemon etc added. But there are many teas that are enjoyable with a little milk, or just sugar or both. 

Control cholesterol levels with tea.

Drinking Green tea, Black tea or Oolong tea have been shown to have varying effects on your cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that people who drank 5 servings of black tea for 3 weeks reduced their cholesterol levels by 4% and their low-density lipoprotein (the bad cholesterol) levels by almost 7.5%.

How to Brew Tea

Struggling to make the perfect cup of tea. Here is how:

Buy loose leaf tea online.

Benefits of Black Tea

The early morning blissful cup of black tea is the perfect beginning to a day for many of us. From an ancient medicinal drink to a daily drink, tea has come a long way and successfully carried its tradition of being a beneficially healthy drink. A cup or two of black tea daily can result in some truly marvellous health benefits.

Hydrate with Tea

It is surely the perfect excuse to put the kettle on: tea is just as good as water at keeping you hydrated.

In a study that busts the myth that tea is a diuretic, researchers found it does not bother your bladder any more than plain water.

Tea with milk or without?

Do you drink tea for pleasure or for its health benefits? Tea is an acquired taste, some like it with lime or honey, most drink with milk or as is. Scientists are now saying that milk completely negates the benefits of tea.

Tea Etiquettes

Drinking tea is a ritual. For some its an art. If you love tea, especially freshly brewed tea - these rules will make the experience better. Enjoy the time you spend with tea.

green tea vs oolong tea

For years we have been battling about tea and its health benefits. With more and more people become health conscious, the question for the better tea has risen. Oolong tea and green tea are at the leading the race but it’s hard to decide which of them the best is really.

Tea And Spices For A Healthier Lifestyle

The health benefits of tea are numerous and known. Battling between myths and facts, the average tea drinker prefers taste in his tea with a few health benefits popping up. And tea or chai spices can be incorporated in your daily cup to boost your health and early morning taste. Both black tea and green tea taste pleasantly when certain spices are added to them and increase their health quotient majorly. So which are the spices you ought to keep handy?

Tea and Skin Benefits

Tea has been an ancient accompaniment for a healthy lifestyle. Drinking tea not only keeps away tons of ailments but promotes a healthy lifestyle, making it the most popular and healthy beverage around the world. But were you aware that not only consuming tea but letting your skin drink tea as well can do wonders to it? Read on!