A fragrant cup

From 5 - 7 cups a day, I've recently cut down my coffee intake to 2 - 3 cups a week.  It's part of my effort to reduce the number of migraine headaches I suffer.  Amazingly, it hasn't been so difficult - apparently I was not as addicted to caffeine as I had imagined.

I now drink a lot of weak tea, turning to fragrant spicy blends and herbal teas that I brew for myself from the garden.  Peppermint, tarragon, rosemary, lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle are among my favourite ingredients - the two myrtles being easily grown Australian rainforest plants, with aromatic leaves that are fast becoming popular in 'bush tucker' products.  Both trees are appealing garden specimens, producing masses of creamy white blossom in spring.

I planted a Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) not far from the bedroom window, but with a plan not to allow it to grow anywhere near its full height of 20 metres plus, as found in the wild.  Hopefully, the regular harvesting of leaves for cold drinks and tea will keep it to a modest bush size.

My Aniseed Myrtle (Backhousia anisata) grows in a pot handy to the back door where it is easy to slip out and pluck a couple of its stiff, crinkly leaves for a fresh cuppa.  The flavour of this plant has been described as a 'sweeter, subtly aromatic, native Australian alternative to aniseed', and indeed, I can imagine it being far better appreciated by those who find the full anise flavour too powerful.

Experimentation - blending either of the two myrtles with small quantities of fermented black or green tea - has produced some delightful brews. 

By adding other flavours - crushed cardamom seeds, grated ginger, a twist of mandarine rind, dried jasmine flowers or crushed rosella calyx - an infinite variety of appealing flavours can be created.

Today I found a reference to a truly Australian gourmet creation called 'Yulu' (aromatic) tea.  The ingredients are Lemon Myrtle, Aniseed Myrtle, Wild Rosella, Wild Lime and dried Davidson's Plum (the fruit from another native Australian forest tree).  What an exotic sounding concoction!  And all of those ingredients are already growing in my garden.  I just need to wait a while for the plum and the lime trees to start bearing.

If I'm still blogging when the time comes, I imagine I'll be reporting on my first cup of Yulu tea.

Comments

[Tjilpi]

You're beginning to sound a bit like a botanical druggie.

But then again my Dad had to study botanicals as part of his pharmacy training. Have you tried extract of willow bark?

[Jude]

No, I haven't heard about willow bark, but as its active ingredient is salacin, it would not be helpful for my migraines. I'm not really a herbal remedy freak - just enjoy finding uses for things that can be easily grown in the garden.

On the other hand, on the recommendation of her obstetrician, the pregnant daughter went off last week to purchase 'extract of raspberry leaf' (no doubt imported from o/seas) to aid in the labour process.

[Tjilpi]

Jude, Extract of willow bark is aspirin.

Here's a useful URL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin

Hippocrates knew about it.

The current standard "medical" approach to the acute management of migraine, is to take one metoclopramide [Maxolon] tablet about 20 minutes before taking 3 aspirin 300mg/codeine 8mg tablets [Aspalgin].

I have read, but not confirmed, that the German chemist Bayer synthesised the stuff for his father, who had bad arthritis.

In first year Med School chemistry laboratory class, we too made a batch of aspirin from scratch.

I know nothing of rasp-berry leaf.

[Tjilpi]

Oops. I see that a mention of Bayer's father is made in the article now that I have bothered to read more of it!

[pablo]

I've restricted my iced tea drinking to weekends only now to fight the headaches I used to get. Now I only get them on Tuesdays. Not too bad a trade off.

[kim]

you're obviously way ahead of me, but i never pass on any opening to push my faves, lavender and red rose petals. alone or together. even the herbalmaniacs don't seem to find any practical use for the rose petals, but they're tasty, so i like 'em.

[Tjilpi]

Have you retired?

[Jude]

Semi-

[leah]

Just fell into your blog, and am delighted that it does not read like a "This is the kind of day I had today" litany. It makes me yearn for something I had to give up - my home and a yard (garden?) in which I grew whatever came to mind and to hand. My finest plant became a towering yellowwood tree which I grew from seed. Considering that Cincinnati, Ohio, where I live, does not fall within the original range of this tree, I was proud of my cladrastis lutea (if I remember correctly). It rewarded me by flowering annually and profusely with pendulous clumps of lovely aroma.
If I were still there, and able, I would surely try to talk you into a seed exchange.
I love that you accompany your entries with photographs.
One frustration: every time I click on the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir, I get Amazon.com and a page of books on baking. Baking's fine, but . . .