For a lot of people, tea is a big part of their life. Maybe you grew up on your grandma’s herbal teas, woke up to a nice warm black tea, or just had it as a treat every now and then. For the rest, tea may not be a big part of life, but most people have had it at one point or another, and many people are looking for new combinations. For a long time, tea has been used to treat the sick, kind of like a chicken noodle soup. But way older. This is due to the fact that you can put a lot of plants in it that have medicinal properties, and drinking them will pass it on. It also tastes good and is warm which is a big plus for sick people, not to mention in most cases it’s easy on the stomach. Here are a couple different tea flavors or ingredients that you may not have had before, and why you might want to try them.
Kratom
Kratom is a tree primarily grown in Southeast Asia, and has been used for centuries as a painkiller and stimulant. You might know about this by the 2016 kratom ban,. This was due to a lack of knowledge by the DEA, and scientists and activists alike rebelled against the ban, and had it revoked before it came to fruition. In small doses, kratom acts as a stimulant, and in large doses, as a sedative. It’s also being researched in how it can be used to help addicts, due to its non-addictive properties. Today, you can still easily and legally buy kratom online, or other ways. Kratom is very popular as a tea ingredient, but it’s good to keep in mind that it has a bitter taste, so you may want to add other ingredients to counteract that, or simply just not add too much of it.
Mint
If you’re anything like me, when you think mint, you think ice cream. Or toothpaste. For most of us, tea isn’t the first thing to pop into our heads when we think about mint. But it works great as a tea ingredient! And why wouldn’t it? Mint is used to flavor pretty much everything sugary you can think of. Cakes, ice creams, gum, chocolate, and everything in between. As a tea ingredient, you’ll be sure to get a fresh tasting, energizing tea, that will leave your breath smelling great as well. Mint also has a soothing ability if you have an upset stomach. And the pest part is? You might have some growing in your backyard right now!
Basil
Another ingredient that when you think about it, your head doesn’t immediately go to tea, basil. This spice is generally used in cooking and baking, and adds a great flavor to many dishes. In a tea, it will give you a very fresh, foresty flavor. Basil also is known to have a lot of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it great to drink if you’re recovering from an injury of some sort.
Sorbet..?
A great finale, but not for the health gurus out there. Adding a nice sorbet or ice cream to your tea can make for a great dessert. It allows you to pretty much flavor your tea in any way you want, making it sweet, cold, and refreshing. Fruity flavors are a particular favorite for advocates of sorbet tea, and it’s sure to give you a great kick start to your day, or an even better end to one… Or both if it’s your cheat day.
