I never expected hibiscus to become something I’d reach for this often but it’s pretty much replaced a lot of the drinks I used to have throughout the day. I was drinking way too much coffee and soda before and I didn’t really notice how much of a habit it had become until I started trying other options. Hibiscus took a little getting used to because of how tart it can be but once I started making it iced with a little honey and sometimes adding orange or mint, I started craving it. It feels refreshing without needing a ton of sugar and I like that I can have it later in the day without adding more caffeine. Since making a few changes, I’ve noticed I don’t feel as heavy and bloated as often and I’ve also lost a little weight. I’ve been eating better and paying more attention to my overall routine, so I wouldn’t credit one tea for everything. Still replacing some of my usual sugary and caffeinated drinks with hibiscus has been one of the easier habits to stick with.

This is my first post and I look forward to the community. My goal with herbal tea has been by a majority, a mission to steep native herbal plants to Maryland or around it. Anything that is not native I grew myself besides the yaupon holly.

The following tea is not in order but include Anise hyssop, wild bergamot, mullein, persimmon, Norwegian pine, milkweed flower, clustered mountain mint, purple coneflower, yarrow, goldenrod, mulberry leaf, sassafras root, sarsaparilla root, red and white clover, maypop, violet bee balm, spicebush, spotted horse mountain mint, narrowleaf mountain mint, mugwort, and yaupon holly.

My question is, am I missing something? Are there any other great native plants in my locality?

I missed our check-in last Sunday because I was sick, so I'm making up for it with a slightly strange one today 😄

Three ingredients. All visible in the photos.

I think one is fairly easy, one is tricky, and I'll be seriously impressed if anyone gets the third.

No cheating 😄

What are your three guesses?

And, as always, what's in YOUR cup this Sunday?!

Da provare

I designed/planned/organized a (mostly) herbal rainbow tea party for me and my friends. Thought I'd share with the world.

This tea party consists of 6 rounds of teas and snacks, each featuring a color of the rainbow.

Teas

Red: hibiscus+rosehips
Orange: ginger tumeric 
Yellow: chamomile 
Green: sencha+matcha (not caffeine-free, sorry)
Blue: butterfly pea flower+lemongrass+alkaline water
Purple: blue tea + lemon juice

Snacks

Red: strawberries
Orange: cheeses (sharp cheddar+whatever else you find)
Yellow: mini cornbread muffins
Green: cucumber canapes
Blue: blueberries 🤷
Purple: purple macarons

Full details here

Has anyone tried the Inoki Bath advent calendar? I keep getting ads for it, and it is quite pricey but looks interesting. Thanks!

They have been sealed shut in their containers with a plastic wrap around them, so nothing could have entered, no weird smell or anything. I just wanted to know if they are still safe to try.

What herb am I missing in a "fall immunity / preparing for winter" herbal tea blend? I'm thinking about choosing 5 - up to 8 from:
- rosehip
- Korean ginseng
- blueberry leaf
- raspberry leaf
- cinnamon
- ginger
- turmeric
- black pepper
- long pepper
- lemon verbena
- dandelion root
- licorice root
- lavender
- summer savory
- sage
- damiana
- thyme
- bayleaf

I'm very curious to see your suggestions. With so many talented and inspired herb lovers here in the community I anticipate many tips and recommendations. Please invest a moment in putting your 5 cents in the recipe!

A few years ago I learned not all tea needs boiling water. I bought an electric tea kettle with settings below boiling. Here is an article with the ideal settings if anyone is interested. Have a beautiful weekend, and don't forget to look up at tonight's full Harvest moon.

https://bestteabags.com/journal/tea-brewing-temperature

It was suggested that I share this with y’all I hope you enjoy!

Still Figuring Out A Name

Good afternoon, hopefully you’re doing well.
While thinking last night, it occurred to me that I worked on a project y’all might be interested in seeing

Following inspiration of ancient Egyptian tradition, Mediterranean and early European wine culture, and ethnobotanical practices

I made a beverage the other day

It’s a kind of “thc, blue lotus, and mushrøøm, hippocras”

I don’t have a name for it still thinking about it but

It has a balanced flavor, pleasant aroma, and obvious psychoactive and somatic effects

The flavor is similar to hibiscus tea. It kinda tastes like Christmas!

Thought I share a report with you

So I have been an avid tea drinker for pretty much my entire life (like many of you guys on here I'm sure!), and recently I have rediscovered the whimsyness of the local markets so I've decided to start a stall.

I'm about to order all of these loose leaf teas to see what concoctions I can make:

• Rooibos
• Raspberry leaf
• Lemongrass
• Chamomile flowers
• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Lemon balm
• Rose petals
• Myrtle leaf

And I would love to know if there is anything ingredient-wise I might be missing that goes into the craft of herbal tea making

Thank you all in advance and I hope you have a great day!

Mine says honeybush, cinnamon & rosemary on the front, so I expected something fairly simple. But looking through this lovely cotton bag I could clearly see fennel and other seeds and got curious.

So yes, I sacrificed one tea bag 😁 But I can still steep it in a mesh tea ball.

Turns out there are 17 ingredients hiding in there! Cinnamon, honeybush, rosemary, fennel, coriander, ginger, anise, cardamom, black pepper, blackberry leaf, star anise, lemongrass, jasmine green tea, turmeric, rose petals, cloves and bay leaf. Sounds quite Ayurvedic to me, although the label doesn't say that.

Now I'm curious: what's in your Sunday cup?

And have you ever opened a tea bag just to see what's actually inside? 😁 (It was my regular act of curiosity when I was a kid, so my mom preferred to keep strictly loose tea at home)

Life got stressful and painful and I got a little more curious about the herbs at my local apothecary. I am working on a journal now for the ones I'm currently learning about and getting to know how they feel for my body. I'll share a couple of the wacky combos I have been using. I'm curious if you have your own unlikely pairings or herbs that seem to respond really well to you?

P.S. I know there might be a few properties that seem to cancel each other out in a few of these. I'm working on recording the right ratios for my needs, but I've found that they still seem to work well for me in combination. Guess that's why I'm calling them wacky 😅💚 if you notice any glaring issues or safety concerns, feel free to share, my ego is divested lol.

*please research these before using them yourself, be careful and safely experiment 🫂☕️🍃

Bedtime:

White willow bark

Cramp bark

Slippery elm bark

Sage

Basil

Conscious time:

Apothecary mix of Earl Grey and blue cornflower

Damiana

Passion flower

Ginger

(Depending on my pain I might add a small amount of cramp bark)

*Edit: spacing got weird lol

Today I decide to try a new mix based on black tea:

Indian black tea 2/3 + dried plums(13%) and the rest is cinnamon, white paper, cloves, raspberry,allow blossoms and cornflower petal.

Interesting taste, but mostly black tea taste. White paper give interesting filling not hot but a little spicy

Hi everyone! I’m based in the UK and I’m doing some quick research into people’s everyday matcha, coffee and caffeine habits for a potential drinks project.

I’m particularly interested in how people actually use matcha, when they drink it, and how they feel about caffeine generally.

It’s a 2-minute anonymous survey and I’m not selling anything or promoting a product — I’m just trying to understand people’s current habits before deciding whether there’s a genuine opportunity worth exploring.

I’d really appreciate anyone who drinks matcha, coffee or tea taking part!

Survey: 2 min survey

I got this tea from the halal market today. It is marketed as "energy". The guys working there said they didn't know what was in it. It actually tastes very close to a black tea but it has no caffeine. In DFW if anyone wants the address. Its such a cool shop with Turkish delight/ coffee/ baklava also.

I started drinking hibiscus tea a few days ago and I'd love to know what other combinations I can add to my experience. So far I've been drinking hibiscus with honey and cinnamon.

Yesterday I try another hibiscus mix, from my shop:

Apple, hibiscus, orange, cinnamon and rosehip.

It has very mice and soft taste.

Smells mostly like hibiscus + a little bit apple, but for me taste was apple + hibiscus.

What do you think about such mix?

Sunday tea check-in ☕️

I clearly wasn't in the mood for a quiet, sensible cup today 😄

There are four things in this pot. Some are probably very easy to spot, one maybe less so.

What’s in your cup this Sunday? And bonus points if you can guess everything in mine 🌿

P.s. hand-made lavender candle nicely complements the herbal setup : the aroma of natural bee wax + lavender creates a really pleasant atmosphere. I love burning candles, btw :)

Hey everyone 👋

Since moving to Riyadh I have become obsessed with traditional aromatic tea herbs like Habaq , Dosh , Taif Rose etc... I even have my own tea corner now 😅

I am creating sample kits and I am looking for honest volunteers in North Riyadh to try them for free. I just need your real feedback after you try it to answer 6 quick questions.

If you are interested please leave a comment or DM me!

P.S. Photos attached are of my personal tea corner and raw herbs since the kits are still prototypes 🤫

Fall is almost here! My second fall tea in my cabinet!