Israel

Today we travel to Israel, a country somewhat secretive about their tea. I know that herbal teas are preferred (sometimes dried fruit is included), and that they sometimes add black tea to their herbal blends. However, I do not know what combinations of herbs and dried fruits are preferred. Prime among the tea influences in the region are Morocco and Persia. One resource recommended black tea with cardamom to start, but they also said it was one of the less popular flavors in the region. Spearmint was said to be very popular, along with mint, sage, lemongrass, lemon verbena, wormwood, and hibiscus with cinnamon.

Another resource I looked at said that mint tea with lemon salt was popular. That of course leads me to the question of what exactly lemon salt is. The internet had 2 very different answers. One is that it is citric acid - commonly added to food as a preservative and vitamin C. The other is that it is salt that has been aged with lemon rinds so it picks up a lemony flavor. I've heard of adding lemon to tea, and I've heard of adding salt to tea, so I really don't know which way to go with this one. I can also say that neither option sounds particularly appetizing when in the hands of an unknowing amateur such as myself.

All of this research culminated into today's tea choice. While I would love to try some of their fruity herbals, I don't know what they are made of, so I really can't replicate them. So, I decided to go with plain mint tea (and not worrying about lemon salt here). I'm using a 50/50 blend of spearmint and peppermint. While I have always hated spearmint, I've discovered it is pretty good when added to other mints in tea. My one complaint about peppermint is it can develop a bit of an off flavor sometimes, especially if you steep it too long. Spearmint helps get rid of this problem, and it really brightens the flavor of the brew. Thanks to the bulk spice section at the grocery store, I can buy both types of mint, and dump them together.
Nice and simple, dried mint leaves, hot water, tea strainer, and a mug.
Isn't it pretty while it steeps? Even Garfield looks smug knowing that he is holding a good cup of tea!

Comments

  1. Poppy CrockerNovember 11, 2018 at 11:07 AM

    I didn't know you still had the Garfield mug! I always wondered what happened to ours when I see them in antique malls.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lace makerNovember 11, 2018 at 6:15 PM

      I actually found these at Goodwill. I don't know what happened to the original ones either.

      Delete

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