What might be extra comforting and warming than a cup of tea? As quickly as you maintain it in your chilly palms after a protracted winter stroll and your nostril inhales the nice and cozy aroma, you are feeling immediately relaxed. Time to take pleasure in. And sustainable at that. Black and inexperienced teas stemming from the tea plant have a significantly better carbon footprint than coffee. The truth is, home made herbal tea might be thought of probably the most climate-friendly scorching beverage of all! Lots of our Inexperienced PearlsⓇ companions supply a particular service for tea lovers and have shared recipes for his or her blends with us. However first, let’s reply an important query:
Is natural tea even tea?
Strictly talking, tea is an infusion of boiling water and leaves of the tea plant. In English, nevertheless, you possibly can brew one thing aside from “tea”; if you wish to be extra particular, you possibly can name it natural tea, fruit tea, flower tea, or spice tea.
Research: Sure, even the English know natural tea
In English utilization it’s just like German, no less than in America, the place a natural tea can be a tea. Within the motherland, England, this can be seen a bit extra strictly. However this appears to be altering as properly. In line with a examine by MINTEL, 37% of Britons between the ages of 25 and 34 drink 5 or 6 several types of tea, in comparison with solely 3% of these over 55. For the remaining 97%, which means that aside from black tea (probably with milk, lemon or sugar), nothing goes into their cup!
Arabic Chai should comprise tea
The Arabs are even stricter with their “chai”. Within the Arabic language, solely black or inexperienced tea might be even known as a tea. Moroccan mint tea, as served within the Oriental Restaurant at CERVO Mountain Resort, is inexperienced tea with mint (and plenty of sugar). What is named “Peppermint tea” or “Spearmint tea” in English and is brewed solely with (dried) peppermint leaves is named “mint” in Arabic. Fairly logical – a peppermint tea with out tea. I hope you possibly can nonetheless observe!
Tea is extra advanced than you assume! And I can let you know a factor or two, significantly since I come from a tea-drinking household. And talking of Arabic tea, whereas chai in Morocco and Libya ought to at all times have a “good” layer of froth, the floor of tea in Palestine have to be easy as glass. If bubbles kind within the glass when it’s poured, they need to be eliminated with a spoon earlier than it’s served to the visitor.
Again to natural tea
Let’s get again to natural tea first. Its basic origins are in medication. A whole lot of years in the past, Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) brewed teas from varied herbs in her medicinal backyard to alleviate varied illnesses. For instance, the German abbess really helpful fennel for hoarseness, chest ache, and to “strengthen the center and thoughts,” which is why many fennel tea blends bear her identify in the present day.
Therapeutic Tea Blends from Intestine Sonnenhausen
Naturopath Kirsten Walter has her apply on the grounds of Gut Sonnenhausen, south of Munich, the place vacation-guests are additionally welcome to go to. The sustainable lodge, which was created from a former stud farm, additionally features a permaculture farm and medicinal herb backyard. Kirsten repeatedly collects recent herbs from the backyard, dries them, and makes her personal tea blends. Her “Sonnenhausen Mix” is on the market as a welcome tea within the farmhouse lounge.
DIY Natural tea mix “Younique”
Natural natural tea blended by Johanna Krug from the Lodge Klosterbräu in Tyrol, Austria. The herbs for this are grown by the lodge itself on the Seefeld excessive plateau.
- Lemon mint
- Peppermint
- Blackberry leaves
- Lemon balm
- Stinging nettle
- Mallow
- Mullein
- Marigold
Natural Tea Mix
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Dry the herbs talked about above (e.g. unfold out on a kitchen towel, as a dangling bundle or at low temperatures within the oven).
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Then take away the stems and place the dried leaves in a big bowl.
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Crush the leaves with a pestle or by hand
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Pour the natural combination right into a tea caddy
Preparation of the natural tea
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Pour one teaspoon of the natural tea combination per cup into a big glass jug and pour boiling water over it.
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Depart to infuse for six to 10 minutes
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Pour by way of a sieve into the cups.
Fasting teas within the OCÉANO Well being Spa Lodge
Many health-conscious individuals come to the OCÉANO Health Spa Hotel in Tenerife for a yoga retreat or a fasting treatment to take a break from on a regular basis life. “For fasting visitors, there’s an unique collection of pure natural teas tailor-made for fasting, with acceptable suggestions,” the group studies, revealing the composition of those teas.
Tea, tradition and journey
“Tea is drunk to neglect the noise of the world,” says an outdated Chinese language proverb. But it surely’s not solely there that tea ingesting is related to leisure and contemplation. Possibly you do too? In that case, you’ll have felt the necessity to make slightly ceremony out of ingesting tea. Chances are you’ll even have your personal rituals for making tea. It’s the identical in all international locations and cultures all over the world. Once you journey, you possibly can study quite a bit in regards to the tradition, the nation, and the individuals by ingesting tea.
Expertise tradition up shut – by way of tea
On the radio station WDR5, a journey skilled on Asia and the Orient really helpful that vacationers ought to have tea at a bazaar. “However don’t I’ve to purchase one thing within the store?” requested the radio host. “Oh, nonsense!” was the reply. “You don’t have to purchase a carpet for a couple of cents’ price of tea!” Quite the opposite, a glass of tea is a superb method to take in the environment.
Solely in case you are in a really poor space and understand that they now need to fetch additional uncommon firewood to make tea, you possibly can decline it. In line with the journey skilled, it’s finest to say one thing like: “Oh, I’ve already had a lot tea in the present day, I’m afraid my abdomen can’t take anymore!”
Tea ingesting in Japan
The Japanese are stated to have probably the most sophisticated tea tradition. To study the (hour-long) tea ceremony, it’s worthwhile to be educated in a tea faculty. Along with stirring the matcha tea with a bamboo whisk, you must observe varied gestures and postures. However don’t fear, I’ve heard that the principles are completely different for vacationers – in case you’re ever invited. All you must do is study absolutely the fundamentals, equivalent to utilizing two palms to take the bowl from the opposite particular person.
Kettle within the lodge room
“Do you could have electrical kettles in your lodge room?” That is among the most necessary questions my mom asks when she travels. If there isn’t one, she generally packs the journey kettle in her baggage. Sadly, the kettle is fabricated from plastic, which I strongly suggested her to not use.
Studies have proven that each time you boil water in a plastic kettle, hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles are launched and find yourself in your teacup! If you wish to keep away from microplastics, solely glass and stainless-steel are appropriate supplies for a kettle.
On the Bella Vista Zermatt beneath the Matterhorn, for instance, each room has a chrome steel electrical kettle. If you want, you possibly can brew herbs from the backyard along with the (packaged) natural teas. Peppermint, lemon balm, verbena and chamomile develop there.
On the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, varied teas await you in your room. “We’ve got a unique kind of tea for every season (spring, fall, summer time and winter),” says the proprietor’s household. Among the many natural teas, the “Alpenzauber” and “Munter Macher” blends are highly regarded and are additionally out there within the lodge store..
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Tea
and sustainability: Natural tea is healthier than tea is healthier than espresso
Each tea (from the tea plant) and low are imported items in Europe and the USA; the rising areas are primarily in Asia. With manufacturers like GEPA, you possibly can make sure that truthful working circumstances are maintained on the plantations.
In a sustainability comparability between tea and low, tea scores considerably greater. The explanations are:
- Tea plant requires much less house
- Tea is extra economical in preparation
- The environmental footprint (vitality consumption) of tea manufacturing is decrease than that of espresso. The latter additionally has the extra advanced roasting course of.
Different elements embrace transportation, packaging waste, and the tactic of preparation. Add milk to the combination and the environmental impression of your favourite scorching beverage is bound to worsen. Whether or not its tea or espresso.
However once you make natural tea from recent or dried herbs in your windowsill, there is no such thing as a packaging, no storage, and no transportation. And natural tea is never drunk with a swig of milk.
A take a look at Inexperienced PearlsⓇ lodging: Our companions’ (and their visitors’) favourite teas
Within the sustainable lodges and vacation lodging of the Inexperienced PearlsⓇ companions, particular care is taken to make sure that the tea is of natural high quality. The absence of pesticides in natural farming promotes soil well being and biodiversity.
Natural ready-to-blend and residential tea manufacturers
Sonnentor
Each the East Tyrolean Naturhotel Outside and the German SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA use Sonnentor natural tea. In our weblog publish about organic spices, we now have already reported in additional element on the Austrian tea and spice producer. At SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA you will discover Sonnentor natural tea within the rooms and on the breakfast buffet. For instance, the “Kaminknistern” mix – a fruit tea mix with rose hip, apple and cinnamon – is presently standard.
Hyperlink: Sonnentor
Monthea
The South Tyrolean Forest lodge My Arbor on the Plose close to Brixen is an enthusiastic buyer of the South Tyrolean firm Monthea. They produce natural teas with herbs and fruits from South Tyrolean farmers. Right here you’ll find completely different wild berry teas, for instance.
Hyperlink: Monthea
Bioteaque
The sustainable Hotel Das Rübezahl in Füssen, Algaü, makes use of teas from the tea firm Bioteaque. Right here you’ll find “scrumptious natural teas” with humorous names like “Zapfige Zilli” or “Frostiga Fritzi”. Within the suites of Das Rübezahl, you possibly can select from a collection of Bioteaque teas – apparently, they even supply free tea as a substitute of tea baggage.
Hyperlink: Bioteaque
DIY tea blends straight from your personal backyard
For those who bought an actual tea craving after studying this. (I’m brewing some proper now), listed below are a couple of DIY tea blends you can simply make at dwelling. And by the best way, a home made tea mix like this additionally makes a fantastic present!
“Backyard herb combine” from the STURM
As a visitor at STURM within the Bavarian Rhön, you could have entry to a tea bar all day lengthy, the place you possibly can serve your self without spending a dime. Along with the Sonnentor tea, there’s additionally a “backyard herb combination”. Its “recipe” is pretty easy:
“What the backyard has to supply is dried. The mix of the colourful flowers, the flavour of the ripe herbs and the inexperienced of the nettle leaves make this tea so scrumptious” – STURM
Alternatively, you possibly can decide the substances in your tea within the snack and herb backyard. That is allowed and even inspired at STURM.
THE DREAMERS’ CLUB Natural Combination
Within the Croatian eco-aparthotel THE DREAMERS’S CLUB in Korčula, the breakfast menu is complemented by a home made natural tea fabricated from backyard herbs. It incorporates:
- Contemporary mint
- Contemporary lemon balm
- Contemporary sage
- Native honey
Mountain herb tea from Weihrerhof
The Hotel Weihrerhof on the Ritten in South Tyrol is situated at an altitude of over 1,200 meters. All kinds of vegetation develop right here which the lodge makes use of to make pure teas. These are:
- Peppermint
- Lemon Balm
- Yarrow
- Vermont
- Elderberry
- Calendula
Along with the only origin teas, a mountain natural mix is on the market subsequent to the kettle within the rooms.
Our suggestions for sustainable tea ingesting
To be truthful, your alternative of drink contributes far much less to your carbon footprint than your transportation or heating habits. However as so usually in our weblog, we consider that even small steps could make a distinction. Listed here are a couple of suggestions that can assist you get began:
- Use a glass or stainless-steel teapot
- Brew tea within the pot and maintain it heat on the range or in a thermos (as a substitute of boiling water for every cup)
- Faucet water is the most effective water for tea within the DACH area. Client organizations now advise towards water filters, as they will create germs that may make the water high quality really worse fairly than bettering it.
- When touring overseas, examine the standard of the faucet water earlier than you journey.
- Unfastened tea makes use of much less packaging. The dosage is easy – one teaspoon per cup!
- Purchase natural high quality or use herbs, flowers, and fruits from your personal backyard.
Do you could have any suggestions? Or your personal tea mix that you just want to share with us? Tell us within the feedback.
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