How to brew herbal tea

  When you are making your herbal tea, use fresh, cold water. Do not use aluminium cookware as it can affect the taste. Use glass, cast iron, or stainless steel where possible. A tea strainer is very helpful as it lets you create your own blends of teas or herbs, and stops the leaves and flowers from escaping into the drink.

Once the water has boiled, add one heaped teaspoon of herbs for every cup of water. Cover and let the herbs steep for ten minutes. Do not over-steep the herbs as the flavour may become too strong and taste more medicinal rather than pleasant. If you want to enhance the flavour of your tea, honey or lemon can be great choices.

Hibiscus tea or Karkade tea is dried flowers of hibiscus, the so-called Sudanese rose. By own curative properties karkade tea is matchless! It strengthens capillaries, reduces cholesterol level, has antibacterial effect, protects from the toxic effects of alcohol and has antiallergenic activity. It is an excellent natural light diuretic, disinfecting the urinary tract. Karkade extinguishes heartburn, helps with chronic constipation and has antispasmodic effect, due to anthocyanins, contributing to its bright red color. Hibiscus tea contains fruit acids, amino acids, easily assimilated carbohydrates, macro and micronutrients, vitamins, bioflavonoids. To brew karkade tea is very easy. Pour one teaspoon of karkade dried leaves with one glass of boiling water and wait for 2-3 minutes. Then you can add a little citric acid or lemon peel, if you wish.