kitchenslavetitlea.gif (24323 bytes)

designpinkline.gif (1191 bytes)

 

 

Cooking with teas

You can use herbal teas for a unique  delicious and healthy seasonings.  You can use the tea dry or brew it to liquid form to use as a marinade.  The good news about using herbal tea for seasoning, there are no calories or fat and tea is cheaper then most spices that you buy at the store.

Herbal teas are not actually from tea leaves, but are a blend of herbs an spices that create wonderful aromas and colors.

When you use true teas in cooking, they are made from dried tea leaves, and should be brewed and used in liquid form with your recipes.

Chai Tea Cheesecake
 Lemon Tea and Dill Salmon
 Peach Tea Sauce Over Pork
 Tea Jelly
 Health Benefits of Chai Tea

 

 

Tea for Beauty

Don't toss your morning tea bag, put them in a plastic baggy in the refrigerator and use them on your eyes to relieve puffiness or freshen them up after a late night.

Brunettes, use a rinse of black tea for rich dark shine to your hair.

Blonds can use a rinse of Chamomile tea to bring out your natural highlights

For a temporary look of summer sun kissed skin without the UV rays, you can brew up a bath of plain black tea and soak for 20 minutes.

After washing your face, uses a cool tea rinse to help with acne.  Tea has great astringent properties.

 



 

I admit it, I hate Coffee and love Tea!
 "...A cup of tea excels the real..." Lian Ya Tang

The Chinese first started using tea around 5000 years ago.  Tea was originally considered medicine by Chinese scholars. Today, scientists are involved in researching the antioxidants in tea, and have found possible benefits to drinking tea and the prevention of some diseases such as cancer and cardio vascular disease.

The tea we drink comes from the leaves of the tea plant.  Tea is considered to be one of three kinds; black, green and oolong.  In the US, Europe and India the black tea is the most popular.  Oolong tea and green tea are more popular in the Asian countries.  Because of the stories in the media about the health benefits of green tea, it is gaining in popularity in the US.

The Chinese and Russian cultures serve tea after a family meal.  It is a tradition that the family should linger after to take tea and converse.  The tradition is known as a means that keeps the family close. 

Tea is taken in the afternoon in Brittian.  Tea time is the time for people to gather to in a business or social setting, to share ideas, hammer out deals and to resolve pressing issues.  Similar to how we in the US “do coffee” at the coffee shop.  

Tea is a global language understood in all parts of the world. It has become popular throughout Europe and is considered the most popular beverage of Russian people. 

"This January is the perfect time to consider tea as part of a healthy diet. As a new year and new millenium begin, people are making resolutions to eat and live healthier, and there's no better time to celebrate tea's healthy attributes than National Hot Tea Month,'' said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Council of the USA.
 

Facts on Caffeine in Tea

  • Decaffeinated tea is not caffeine free. It still contains up to .4% by dry weight caffeine content.

  • The longer the tea leaves have fermented, the greater their caffeine content.

  • The smaller the tea leaf, the stronger the extraction of caffeine.

  • The first and second leaves of the tea plant are believed to contain the largest amount of caffeine at 3.4 %.

*Caffeine content (Ref.: International Food Information Council, All About Tea by William H. Ukers)

Type of Tea

 Milligrams of Caffeine

Caffeine
Avg Per Serving Range Per Ounce*

Black tea
 

 40 25-55 5.

naturally caffeinated

Oolong tea
 

 30 12-55 3.75

naturally caffeinated  somewhat less than black tea

Green tea
 

 20 8-30 2.5

naturally caffeinated  somewhat less than oolong tea,

White tea
 

 15 6-25 2.

naturally caffeinated  somewhat less than green tea

Decaffeinated tea
 

 2 1-4 .5

Caused from removing most of the caffeine from black, oolong, green, or white tea

Herbal "tea"
 

 0 0 0.

Naturally caffeine free

Does Tea Contain More Caffeine Than Coffee?

Tea has only 1/2 to 1/3 as much caffeine as coffee when you compare them cup for cup.  In dry form, coffee actually has less then tea in dry form.  Next time you brew that pot of coffee, consider how much less your brewed cup of tea will have.  Unless of course you consume your tea dry. (Ref.: Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition.)

What Determines Caffeine Levels?

The amount of caffeine in tea depends on a number of things,  the variety of tea leaf, where it is grown, size and cut of the tea leaf, and how you brew or steep as well as how long. Studies from the Caffeine Institue also show that caffeine levels can vary depending on the location of the tea leaf on the plant. (Ref.: Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition, All About Tea by William H. Ukers)

 

 

Information sources include Stash Tea