The taste of freshly brewed mint tea is incomparable to even the best mint teas out of a teabag. Fresh peppermint leaves provide a sweet, refreshing, soothing menthol aroma and delicate flavour that sweeps you to the tea houses of Morroco on a warm summer’s day. This tea is made with a herb, so technically it's considered a herbal tea or tisane. This means it's also naturally caffeine free. For many, mint tea is the Queen of herbal teas - not only is it delicious - it has an endless list of medicinal benefits due to the high concentration of essential oils in its leaves (1-2.5%). Benefits include aiding digestion, soothing period pains, helping combat IBS as well as asthma, nausea, colic, stress and even preventing the common cold. In addition, it's considered emotionally uplifting.
Mint tea can be served hot or cold iced, sweetened with sugar or honey or as it comes, and with or without lemon.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 cups water (filtered)
10-15 mint leaves (fresh peppermint or spearmint)
Optional: 2 teaspoons sugar or honey - start with one per cup and increase as desired
Optional: ice
Optional: lemon slices and/or lemon juice
Method
Wash and tear the mint leaves to release the oil
Bring water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan
Remove from heat and add mint leaves
Steep for 5-10 minutes depending on desired strength
Remove leaves or leave them in and the tea will continue to strengthen. The leaves can be chewed when you’ve finished your drink!
Add optional sweetener
If serving iced: fill tall glasses with ice and pour the tea over. If serving hot: pour the freshly brewed tea into cups. Garnish with optional lemon slices and/or lemon juice for extra zest.
Enjoy!
Rating *****