· 3 min read
The five-minute steep: time, temperature and whole herbs
Tea leaves give up their flavour in two or three minutes. Bark, seeds and roots do not. Here is how to brew a whole-herb blend so the cup is worth drinking.
01 Use water just off the boil
Unlike green tea, herbs like cinnamon bark, ginger and fenugreek want hot water. Boil it, let it stand for twenty or thirty seconds, then pour. Lukewarm water leaves the cup thin and grassy.
02 Cover the cup
The aromatic oils in cardamom, mint and tulsi escape with the steam. Put a saucer over the cup while it steeps and you keep them in the drink instead of in the kitchen.
03 Five minutes, not two
Whole and cut herbs release slowly. At two minutes you have coloured water; at five you have the cup. If you prefer it stronger, use a little more blend rather than steeping longer, which can turn fenugreek and gurmar harsh.
04 A second steep
Most whole-herb blends will give a lighter second cup from the same spoonful. Add fresh hot water and wait a minute or two longer. It is a good way to stretch a 100 g pouch well past fifty cups.
Herbs in this piece: Green Cardamom, Tulsi, Ginger
Vanmool infusions are food products, not medicines. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a medical condition, please speak to your doctor before use.
