Friday, September 26, 2008

TEA OF THE WEEK: PEPPERMINT TEA

(Twinings Peppermint Tea served in Harvest Time Tea Cup and Saucer by Johnson Brothers)

My favorite way to make mint tea is by an infusion(tisane) method. This is simply done by pouring boiling water over the herb and then steeping for 3 to 5 minutes. If you don't have fresh mint on hand you can use 1 to 2 tsp of dried peppermint leaf to 8 oz of hot water. However, when I discovered that Twinings has a Peppermint Tea (featured in the above photo) I wanted to at least try it to see if it measured up. Home infusions will always reign supreme for me but this offering from Twinings is quite smooth and tasty. It's a nice alternative to the tisane if you don't have fresh mint on hand. I had two cups this morning as a matter of fact.

Here is a bit of background on peppermint taken from the University or Maryland
:

Peppermint ( Mentha x piperita ), a popular flavoring for gum, toothpaste, and tea, also serves as a calming agent to soothe an upset stomach or to aid in digestion. Because it has a calming and numbing effect, it has been used to treat headaches, skin irritations, anxiety associated with depression, nausea, and other digestive disorders. It is also widely used to treat symptoms of the common cold.

Peppermint plants grow to about two feet tall. They bloom from July through August, sprouting tiny purple flowers in whorls and terminal spikes. Simple, toothed, and fragrant leaves grow opposite the flowers. Peppermint is native to Europe and Asia, is naturalized to North America, and grows wild in moist, temperate areas. Some varieties are indigenous to South Africa, South America, and Australia

7 comments:

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

Now that sounds like my favorite kind of tea.I like anything with mint.That also would be good on a cold winter day if you had a cold.Hot mint tea.Yumm.What have you been up to Rebecca?I've been kind of slow of late,but trying to rally. Hugs Marie Antionette

Lavinia said...

Hi Rebecca. I was fortunate to drink mint tea served the traditional way, when I was in Morocco. They drink mint tea over there the way we drink coffee here. The tea was served in glasses, in which mint leaves floated.

A nearby Lebanese cafe serves it the same way. Delicious. I've also had it served out of a traditional silver tea pot in a local Moroccan restaurant. Again, it is drunk out of a small glass (can be with or without a handle).

You've inspired to step out into my backyard and snip some mint leaves from the herb growing there, and enjoy a cup.

By the way, I popped over here for the pumpkin bread recipe. I'm going to make a loaf this afternoon and give half to my sister when she comes by this evening. Tomorrow they are going apple picking and I'm sure they'll enjoy a slice afterward...

Thanks Rebecca!

Lavinia said...

Rebecca----URGENT-----please read and respond on your blog or mine.....I just made the pumpkin bread and there is a lot of batter. After popping the loaf pan in the oven, I still have a lot left over, and am wondering, can I use this leftover batter to make muffins? Please let me know if this batter is suitable for muffin tins. Thanks.

Betsy Brock said...

I especially love the china here!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

You know, I've never even tried Peppermint Tea. I must!

Lavinia said...

Thanks Rebecca. I ended up making a dozen muffins from the leftover batter and they turned out great. I posted some pics of the bread and muffins on my blog, here's the link. Terrific recipe and now my sister wants it!

http://birdbathchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/09/back-to-blogging.html

Kelli said...

Hi Rebecca, peppermint tea has long been a favorite. I find this tea lifts my energy and I love the fresh fragrance. Thanks for the background information, it is very interesting!
~Kalianne :-o)