Fancy a cuppa?
When I first arrived in England, I was enchanted by a culture that stopped in its tracks for tea. Days started with an in-bed warm mug, and morning work routines paused at 10:30 for a 20-minute tea break. The tearoom adjacent to the lab where I studied hosted both a morning ritual and an afternoon break at 3:30.
When our house was burglarized, a copper arrived on his pedal bike, plodded carefully around the evidence, sat down at the kitchen table for a cuppa, and then began his investigative work. Never had I encountered the power of tea in this way before!
There were, as I came to learn, clear rules around teatimes spanning many aspects beyond simply the time of day. It was important to know who poured, whether the [whole] milk went in first or last, as was the case for sugar. Vessels were also topics of discussion. Teacups and mugs … they were each discussed with great gusto as were teapots and the merits of loose tea vs a bag. Of course, people had strong views about brands and steeping times too, not to mention when and if the offer of a cuppa was appropriate on certain occasions.
In 1980, I was a coffee drinker. I didn’t really know herbal teas. Coming from the States, I thought tea meant Lipton, possibly with a wedge of lemon. I loved the lemon, not so much the Lipton.
Fast forward. Today?
The thing is that when most folks think, “tea” or “herbal tea”, thoughts are bound by the size and shape of a mug, a cup or their favorite receptacle. For some, a mug in lieu of a teacup is adventurous enough … but what if we could stretch our imaginations even further?
Simply put, we have black teas (Camellia sinensis) and many alternatives from greens and whites to the vast array of herbal teas, alongside ] a multitude of health benefits.
And?
We can drink our teas hot (no surprises there) or cold, with a few ice cubes. What about ice cubes made from the same tea? Why not!
We can add our cuppa to a basin of hot water and soak in the benefits of a footbath or, indeed a hand soak.
We can use this cuppa to thoroughly moisten a washcloth and, once cooled to a comfortable heat, give a bed bath or a body wash.
Or, of course, we can add a few cups of tea to a full-body bath to relax and luxuriate.
“Let’s not forget that the skin is the largest organ in the body ~ and not the liver, or the kidneys or the heart. We can rely on our skin to absorb/adsorb the medicinal qualities of our tea as we reap the benefits."
Simply put, a cuppa offers multiple delivery systems.
General whys-and-how-tos follow below. I’ll use mints as an example … apple mint, spearmint, peppermint … each a member of the genus Mentha. Mints grow prolifically and many folks contain their growth in pots. I prefer to let mints wander with gay abandon. Mints (Mentha spp.) are cooling and are excellent digestive herbs (“carminatives”). They can quiet an upset stomach, ease nausea or gas, offer relief to someone with a fever or anyone who’s been out in the heat, or on their feet for extended periods.
… as a hot or cold beverage
For a cup of fresh mint tea, I pick a sprig (6-8” long). Or, I fill a teaspoon, or often less, with dried leaf, as I enjoy mint teas on the weaker side. Sometimes I steep applemint on her own … I like the flavor. It’s soft like her leaves. If I fancy it, I blend mints together, steeping for 10-20 minutes. I often but not always remove the leaves, or the sprig from my teacup. I may sweeten with honey or the tiniest pinch of dried stevia leaf from my garden. However, generally speaking, I like my mint tea as it comes.
… ice cubes offer a smile to the mind
We can add steeped teas, once cooled to ice cube trays. Once frozen, simply pop them into a freezer bag, label them (name, date, source) and store them frozen for later enjoyment. Other wonderful additions to these cubes are single leaves or flowers. They bring a smile not just to the mind!
… hand & foot soaks give ease
Once again, a cuppa is the perfect place to start. While our herbs are steeping, it’s a great opportunity to find a pan large enough to contain our hands or feet. Washing up bowls (clean, of course), brownie pans and aluminum disposable turkey pans are just some of the containers that we can use. It’s also a good idea to have to the ready a bath or hand towel, some additional boiled water and some cold water from the tap, or filtered water if you’re like me. Simply lay the soaking container on the towel, add a cuppa. Then adjust both the volume and the temperature, taking care not to burn the skin. It’s a good idea to have enough water to cover the hands or the feet. This is a marvelous way to pass some time, in contemplation, doing a jigsaw or talking with another. Twenty minutes is ideal, more or less as you fancy, adjusting the temperature throughout with these handy spare water supplies.
… washcloths for a compress/ bed / body wash open us up and cools us down
They’re refreshing, whether we’re working to support a fever or when we’re hot and tired after a day
outdoors. I simply pour the tea, once steeped, into a bowl large enough for me to easily wet a washcloth. I squeeze out the excess moisture and gently apply to the skin – either holding the washcloth in one place, say for an achy muscle or a headache or I gently wash the skin. Rinse and repeat as often as this brings ease.
… add a few cups of tea to a bath for a whole-body treat!
When it comes to adding a cup of tea to a bath, I will often strain it so that relaxing is not then followed by cleaning the bathtub. Often, I’ll brew multiple cups to add to a bath and an extra, to sip as I relax.
So next time you fancy a cuppa, ask yourself, “how would you like it?” … and go from there.
