Relaxation Tea Blend - Tea Blend of the Month

Today I am speaking to the Village Garden Club of Hinsdale, Illinois. They asked me to speak on my favorite subject, herbal tea!  The program is called the Curative Properties of Tea, where I review and explain the medicinal properties of various herbs used in healing teas.

I became an herb grower because of my love of herb tea, and back in the 90's there just was not much selection, so I needed to grow a few herbs to make my own.

When making tea, you have to consider several flavors: sweet, savory, pungent and floral.  Floral flavors can be savory or sweet, but we separate them out when making tea because they are so commonly used.

Here are the rules for blending teas:

• 1 pungent, 1 savory, 1 sweet, 1 floral
• 1 pungent, 1 savory, 2 sweets, 1 floral
• 1 pungent, 2 savory
• 2 savory, 3 floral
• 1 savory, 1 sweet, 1-2 floral
• 1 sweet, 2-3 floral

And here is a tea recipe using those rules that my lecture participants will be creating today.

Relaxation Tea Blend

• 1 part lemon balm (sweet - helps relaxation and reduces stress)
• 2 parts hops (floral - increases restfulness and calm)
• 1 part mexican oregano (savory - reduces cold symptoms)

Mix together and store in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  

To Use: Use 1 tsp per cup of hot water and allow to steep 7 to 10 minutes before enjoying.