with kale

Kale - hailed as a superfood and a nutritional powerhouse, kale might seem to belong in the food-fad basket but that could be because ... it is a very super food.

I first heard of kale as an ingredient for juicing but I didn't take much notice as I don't juice, preferring to chew my own food and eat the fibre. But people were talking about kale being a superfood and instead of buying a bunch I decided to grow my own, read about it, learn what I could and experiment.  Here are the results so far.

Kale in the garden adds an element of luxury and freshness

What is Kale?

Kale is a leafy vegetable, with bluish/green or purple leaves, sometimes with pretty frilled edges and the centre leaves don't form a head.  Kale is from the species Brassica oleracea so it's related to arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts - all yummy vegetables.  There are many types of kale including Curly-leaved or Scots Kale, Plain Leaved Kale, Rape Kale and Black Kale or Cavolo nero.  Some grow into huge bushes but the those that are good to eat are much closer to the ground.

This cool climate vegetable has adapted to most climates. My garden is in the sub-tropics
and I have four varieties of kale growing.  While I'm  not sure of their names they are all good in salad and stew

Where did Kale originate?

Possibly a descendant of wild cabbage kale traveled from Asia Minor to Europe with early traders.  Curly kale was known to the ancient Romans and Greeks and similar vegetables were used in Ancient China.  In the Middle Ages kale was one of the most common green vegetables eaten in Europe, helping the poor to survive long, cold winters. During World War ll families in England were encouraged to grow kale at home to provide nutrition during food shortages. Even though it is a cool climate vegetable it is now grown and eaten around the world.

How to store Kale?

As a winter hardy vegetable Kale tastes sweeter after being exposed to frost and keeps best in a cool environment.  Store it, unwashed  in an air-tight container or plastic bag in the fridge, for up to five days. Apparently it freezes well, but I've found it is happy in a glass of water on the kitchen bench for 24 hours, and as I grow it I don't need to store it longer than that.    

How does Kale taste?

Kale needs some help in the flavour department, especially when boiled or steamed, and even raw it's best when combined with other strong flavours. Personally I like kale shredded over salmon on toast. 

The best kale tip was given to me by a friend who heard it on a TV show - cut off the stalk as that is where the bitterness lives.

You do get used to the taste and the texture is good. Cooked kale can be very filling.

What is so good about Kale?

Kale is called a nutritional powerhouse because it contains;

VITAMIN A - good for skin and eye sight, works to prevent lung cancer and mouth cancer.

VITAMIN C - strengthens the immune system and boosts metabolism better than oranges.

VITAMIN K - for antioxidants that prevent coronary artery disease and protect against some cancers, promotes normal blood clotting and bone health.

CALCIUM -  all dark leafy vegetables are rich in calcium to strengthen bones and improve their density.

IRON -  more iron than beef. Iron helps with liver function, cell growth and transporting oxygen around the body.

FIBRE -  that works to eliminate waste and clean the body of toxins, lower cholesterol levels (especially when steamed) and reduce the risk of heart disease.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY properties - the omega 3 fatty acids in kale help to treat arthritis, joint pain, disorders of the immune system and asthma.

ANTI CANCER properties - Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale can lower the risk of common cancers in the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate.

Kale is also a good source of vitamin B1,  B2 and B6, vitamin E, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium,  phosphorus, protein, folate, and niacin.

How to buy Kale.

Kale leaves should be firm to touch and attractive, with a good colour - no brown or yellow on the leaves. Do not buy kale if it is limp or warm, it should be refrigerated. 

When picking kale choose the smaller tender leaves for a milder flavour.

Where possible use organic kale. Green leafy vegetables hold onto pesticide residue more than other vegetables and we don't need to eat that.

Freshly picked kale - even under the hot sun it is firm and crisp

Any bad news about Kale?

Low functioning thyroid -  limit your intake of cruciferous vegetables if you have a low functioning thyroid, and take thyroxin tablets, as cruciferous vegetables are believed to slow down the thyroid.  But don't miss out on the nutrition found in kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts, you can have up to one cup of shredded kale or half a cup of cooked kale four of five times a week and balance it by also eating iodine rich foods including eggs, kelp, seafood, Himalayan crystal salt, turkey breast, dried prunes, plain yoghurt, cheddar cheese, green beans, bananas and strawberries.  If the thyroid is healthy or has been removed you can happily eat up to 2 cups a day.

Medication - while vitamin K is good for us, it can interfere with anticoagulants like Warfarin.  Avoid kale, other green leafy vegetables and some vitamin supplements if you are on this medication. Check with your doctor about other medications.

Oxalates - kale contains oxalates which could interfere with the absorption of calcium. You can still eat kale but be sure to chew it very well and avoid eating foods rich in calcium at the same time as kale. 

If you have untreated kidney and gall bladder problems, check with the doctor before eating large amounts of kale.

It may not have a heart but kale is a bright green crunchy vitamin boost

What is the best way to eat Kale?

Raw kale with breakfast

RAW in a salad or sandwich. The smallest new leaves are milder in flavour for those new to kale. Wash and dry the leaves, bunch them up and cut into thin slices. The bitterness goes well with strong flavours so combine with foods like capsicum, tomato and pepper, sesame seeds, lime juice or lemon infused oil, strong salty cheese, olives and garlic dressing.  I like it with lemon basil and nasturtium leaves as seasoning alongside hard boiled eggs and sun dried tomato.




JUICING is another way to have kale raw, as a smoothie with yoghurt and berries, or as a base to a green juice, or with carrots and celery and other veggies and herbs. 

A kale and banana smoothie makes a good breakfast or with other fruit as an afternoon snack.

COOKED in stew, soup or pasta sauce, kale is a hearty leaf that doesn't fall apart or lose texture like silver beet or spinach, when cooked for a while.  
Chop the kale into strips or chunks and drop into the pot of soup or stew about 15 minutes before serving.  


Add kale to a stir fry but cut finely and use only the very small leaves or it will not cook enough and the bitterness can overpower other flavours.

STEAMED OR BOILED kale does not lose texture. But, it is not the most attractive looking boiled vegetable so enjoying it cooked depends on how you serve it. 

The bitterness is reduced by steaming and the fibre is more easily available for use.

Wash under cold running water, cut into thin strips and steam or boil for 5 to 20 mins, depending on the texture preferred.  If using the stem, put that in the pot first and the green leaves five mins later. When cooked, strain out all the water and toss with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, or butter and grated parmesan cheese with a squeeze of lime juice.  Kale is versatile enough to be yummy with a fried egg breakfast or with mashed potato and steak for dinner.

Kale is not the most attractive vegetable boiled

BAKED OR FRIED kale chips are good. This is the second most popular way to serve kale. Break the leaves into bite size pieces, wash and pat dry and put into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the leaves and sprinkle on salt and pepper.  Toss the leaves until they are coated with oil and salt.  You could also use chilli flakes, cumin or garlic salt.  Spread in single layer on a baking sheet and put into a moderate oven for about five mins or until crisp.  

Salted kale fried in coconut oil, until brown and crisp, is very tasty with fried tomatoes and chives, another of my breakfast favourites. Make sure it browns all over, if only half cooked it's like eating the dish cloth.

Tear into pieces, fry in coconut oil with salt and serve when it has browned - delicious

How to grow Kale

Kale is grown from seed and these are available in online stores and organic nurseries. It likes soil rich in organic matter and prefers cool temperatures. Do not let the soil or seeds to dry out before germinating. Seedlings can be transplanted easily.  Kale will grow in full sun if it has plenty of water.  I found that during a very dry winter my kale stopped growing but once we had rain it burst into life.

The plant size varies with the variety planted but can grow to about half a metre high and wide. Plants should be ready to harvest in two months. Take the larger, outer leaves first, though you can nibble on the younger leaves as they grow.

I don't give information sources - my research is done on line and if you want to double check the information, or do further research, your search could find better web sites or more recent investigation results and I don't want to spoil that.

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in the Apothecary

Apothecary - a word not used often these days and one that is not easy to say. It refers to a person who makes and sells medicines. In the middle ages Apothecaries also delivered babies and practiced surgery and dentistry. The apothecaries were the forerunners of pharmacists and chemists.

The apothecary table with the tradition small drawers

An apothecary garden was where medicines were grown, in the form of herbs. During the middle ages most large households had a kitchen garden, for vegetables, and an apothecary garden for the herbs that were to be used in medicines and toiletries. The house keepers of the wealthy, and farmers wives, were skilled in making everything from soap to cures for gout and diarrhoea.  

Large apothecary gardens were created in monasteries and tended by the monks who also acted as apothecaries for the local area. Medicines were prepared and stored in a special room - also known as the apothecary.

Medicinal plants were the only medicine, and drinking infusions or potions, rubbing on salve or piling on a poultice was the way to treat most ailments. The cures offered by what we now call conventional medicine, are often chemical imitations of these old remedies.

In an apothecary garden each plant was known and valued for its curative properties.  Plants were collected from other areas and countries to be studied. Raised garden beds were often used and I was excited when my husband agreed made some for me, as well as terracing other areas of our garden.  It's so much easier to care for the plants when you don't have to bend double or crawl around on the ground with them.

Below are some herbs commonly found in apothecary gardens. All these plants are available today and can be found in many gardens where those who understand them make use of their powers.  Of course many of these cures are traditional and have not been proved by science, which didn't stop apothecaries in the middle ages because they had nothing else, but these days health and safety issues mean that warnings should be given.  Information of how to grow and to use herbs is available online.  I don't add links because new information is constantly being up loaded, adding to the choice of many good websites.

These aloes have been very useful this week.

Aloe Vera:  An easy growing succulent, Aloe Vera does well in the ground or in pots. It is antiseptic and can be used for skin irritations; burns, cuts, grazes and other sores.  This week I used several leaves from this plant, scraping out the gel to treat a wound on my arm where I'd had a skin cancer removed. I was amazed at how well it actually worked - swelling and inflammation gone over night, skin healing up.

The soft gel inside the leaf can be eaten or applied straight to a wound. Cut a leaf close to the bottom of the plant, slice off the sharp sides and cut and peel one side back to reveal the gel inside. This can be applied directly from the plant. Aloe Vera is also used for digestive problems - if you are eating it you can use a teaspoon to scrape the gel away from the leaf skin but do not eat the lining of the skin as it tastes horrible.

My potted Bay trees behind comfrey plants

Bay:  Usually grown as a seasoning bay is an attractive ornamental shrub, or if allowed to grow wildly, a huge tree.  It can be use as decorative topiary, pruned into different shapes. The leaves are very fragrant, especially when dried, and can be broken into hot dishes such as soup and stew. It is used with fish and in homemade tomato sauce and is a necessary component of the French bouquet garni.  The leaf itself is bitter and not really edible and as it does not soften in cooking it is removed before eating.
  

Bay leaves are exceptionally rich in vitamins A, B and C, folic acid and the minerals copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and manganese. They also contain essential phytochemicals and volatile oils. Bay can improve the skin,  remove free radicals and boost the immune system; strengthen eyesight and maintain mucus membranes.  The potassium is important for cell and body fluids, blood pressure and heart rate. 

As a traditional medicinal plant Bay has been used to treat earaches and rheumatism and is used as an insect repellent - though some people find it irritates the skin.  I am very impressed by what I've learned about Bay.

Comfrey:  This is my favourite herb.  Comfrey is a perennial herb that aids healing, though it should not be used on open wounds. It is anti-inflammatory and can be applied to sprains and strains, broken bones and bruises, either by making a quick poultice of crushed leaves and your usual moisturiser or hand cream and applied it straight onto the skin, or by heating chopped leaves in good quality olive oil for half an hour and, when cool, using that for massage. You can also add bees wax to the hot comfrey oil to make a salve.  

Echinacea: This useful and beautiful plant loves the sun and is very forgiving of drought. It comes from North America and was a traditional herbal remedy of the Great Plains Indian tribes.  As an anti-inflammatory it has been used to speed up recovery from the common cold and flu, for urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, herpes, septicaemia, gum disease, tonsillitis, strep infections, typhoid, malaria and diphtheria. It can boost the immune system when taken internally and reduce the effects of upper respiratory infections. Other uses include chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, acid indigestion, dizziness and, applied to the skin, boils, abscesses, skin wounds, ulcers, burns, eczema, psoriasis, herpes, bee stings and haemorrhoids.  That is a great long list.  Echinacea is available as a dried herb, as a liquid and in capsule form. The fresh leaves, flowers and stems can be made into an infusion (tea) for drinking.

There are warnings for Echinacea - it should not be taken indefinitely, so if you are treating yourself long term it's a good idea to take it for two weeks and then have a week off.  Also some people could be allergic to Echinacea, especially those allergic to ragweed, marigolds, or daisies or if you are on medication for an auto-immune disorder.

New season ginger ready for market

Ginger:  An ancient spice from India, it is used in cooking around the world, often paired with garlic and onion or used in sweet dishes.  Ginger grows underground as a fleshy rhizome.   Planted in spring it grows through the summer and dies back in winter, though the root can be left underground for several months until needed, in a well drained area.  Ginger is found in many apothecary gardens for its antiseptic, analgesic, and antispasmodic properties. It stimulates the heart and settles the stomach. It can be used for colds, flu and muscle spasms, rheumatism, arthritis, migraine, sore throat, cholera, anorexia and to improve circulation and reduce fat deposits and many of these uses are supported by science.

Ginger is also a blood thinner and should be used with care by people on blood thinning medication.

Lemon Balm:  Most of us know this herb as a garnish for drinks and desserts. The fresh leaves can be added to fruit salad, garden salad, fruit punch, sorbet, marinades and sauces for fish and chicken, and combined with butter and pepper to serve with corn and broccoli. Mix it into apple crumble or with honey into a cheesecake.  Lemon Balm is from the mint family, it is antiviral and can be combined with other medicinal herbs. As an infusion it helps to cool the fever from colds or flu, it acts as a relaxant, relieves anxiety, soothes nervous indigestion and headaches. But, a warning here, Lemon Balm stimulates the thyroid so people on thyroid medication should avoid it.

Mint: We all know mint as a flavouring for cold drinks, hot tea and mint sauces as well as sweets and in toothpaste. There is a wide variety of mints and most are also prized for their nutritive and medicinal qualities. Members of the mint family include basil, bee balm, catnip, horehound, horsemint, hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, peppermint rosemary, sage, savoury, spearmint, thyme, and there are  many others.

Traditional mint

While they all have their own medicinal properties most mints share the qualities of being analgesic, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, digestive, repellent and stimulant.  They are usually found in herbal remedies that treat  headache, migraine, fever, sore throat and sinus and chest congestion.

You can add mint to your bath or the rinse water clean shiny hair. Externally mints can repel mosquitoes and ease the heat and itchiness from bites, stings, rashes, hives, eczema, some fungal infections and other minor wounds. 

As an infusion (hot tea) mint can help ease the symptoms of indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, flatulence, cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, and nausea.  If the common mint does not help try using spearmint, lavender or basil instead. The milder spearmint is also more suitable for children.  Peppermint contains a higher percentage of volatile oils and is considered a strong medicinal herb. 

Mint tea is made by steeping 2 - 4 teaspoons of chopped fresh leaves in 1 cup of just-boiled water for ten to fifteen minutes.  A strong decoction is often the best choice for external uses.

Calendula plant in flower - great for skin problems

I have other medicinal herbs in my apothecary garden including Bergamot, Chives, Calendula, Gotu Kola, Herb Robert, Nasturtium, Parsley, Rocket, Rosemary, Stevia and Yukka.  

I plan to add Dandelion and Liquorice eventually.  It's all a work in progress as I learn about each new plant.

I find the act of tending the herbs, gently plucking away damaged leaves, pulling weeds, mulching and watering has a very calming effect and I like to spend at least an hour in the garden most days and consult my herb books regularly to help my understanding.

One of my wonderful raised gardens

Changes in the garden

Life had been too busy for too many years and while I've always loved and appreciated the beautiful area in which we live I am suddenly seeing it all as a person who is relaxed enough and has the time to be involved. The seasonal changes in garden, bushland and forest are a delight. The changes I can bring about are an adventure.

Our house is between sub-tropical forest and paddock - we straddle bushland and farmland and the area between, the part that can be reached by the hose, is what we call our garden.  Australian trees are evergreens which means leaves fall all year round, layer upon layer of leaves making a thick mulch on the forest floor, so walking off track is often like walking across a huge mattress.

We have three lovely deciduous trees in front of the house, Liquidambars, that work very hard to play their part in announcing the coming of winter. They were originally seedlings in bags, waiting to be planted, but busyness led to neglect and they put down roots beside some paperbarks to form a lovely grove of changing colour. Most years our seasons have false starts, so 10 days of autumn will suddenly become summer again for a week and leaves that have shaded themselves pink must hold their breath.

We love trees, which is good because we are surrounded by trees - most so tall you can't see the top. We have self sown fan palms and forest palms and grass trees - you'd think we'd be happy with that but we can't resist adding decorative trees. 

A line of seven frangipanis and a poinciana grow in front of the house. Cycads, yukkas and pony tails of different sizes blend into the bush backgound.  One sweet little pony tail tree grew by the back porch, and grew and grew. I'd surrounded it with mondo grass and a flowering native grass, but the grass wasn't happy, it suffered from blond tips, the roots were becoming a big problem for the pathway and fat worm like yellow roots, which I soon worked out belonged to the ponytail, appeared from the ground like little arms asking for help. Also, a very nasty tribe of stinging ants (painful stings like injections of acid ) were nesting underneath the mondo grass. I stressed about the ants every time I walked out the back door - not good.

Over two weeks we annoyed the ants, got stung, dug up the grass, got stung, poured water down their holes and then Big R moved the pony tail. The tree took the move very well, despite losing a few roots, and now sits further up the driveway overlooking his old position. The grass, and the ants, were planted up the hill, in a spot where they hopefully will not bother anyone. I put in two lemon balm plants and then found ... we really missed that pony tail. There was just a great big gap where once we'd had swaying streamers of reflected light and shade.  We couldn't risk moving it back, just in case the ants returned or because it might be one move too many (I've done that before).

What we needed was something with a trunk, shallow roots and some green fluff at the top to fill that 'hole' and provide a touch of privacy to the porch and back door. Off to the plant nursery we went and ran into neighbours buying gardenias for their garden. Lovely dark leaves, amazing perfume, grow well in pots - but not right for us. Our problem seemed too difficult for the nurseryman and we were left to wander around alone. We looked at grass trees - love them but we already have about ten within sight of the back door - flowering cactus, a bit too unfriendly - palms, so many different kinds but do we really need another palm? - grasses, too tall, too short, too fluffy. Big R had an idea ....

... and there is was - the tree fern. Hmmmmm.  Tree ferns thrive in a sheltered, humid, shady place. Watering should mimic the rain forest, which would be their natural habitat, below the tree canopy. They absorb ground water through their roots and collect water that drains down the leaves into the crown and down the trunk. The fibrous trunks also collect moisture from mist and fog as well as rain droplets.  They are slow growing and can live in pots for years. The fronds of the tree fern are called stipes. The trunk is covered in stipe bases where old fronds have fallen off and is also be covered with roots as the tree grows. I love them but ........ 

We have a very dull, not sunny corner that I hope to moisten and fill with  ferns and tree ferns - when we have time. A friend had given me two tree ferns in pots and I'd nursed them along for about three years, through heat and storms and drought, transplanting them to bigger and bigger pots, but when I went to a large bag and sat them in place in the dull corner, which was much dryer than they were used to, and I was busy and my watering regime was not the best, they both decided they'd had enough and curled up their toes. I still have their little crusty bodies, in the bags, hoping they might revive but after 18 months .... my hope is waning. Can I be trusted with another one? At least this time there will be no transplanting.  Our back porch is shaded for most of the day. I have a new hose and since starting the herb garden I'm much better at watering plants.

Meet Cyathea Cooperi - known as the Australian Tree Fern, Lacy Tree Fern or Scaly Tree Fern. She has large lacy fronds growing from a slender trunk - thrives in most soil types and prefers a humid, frost free position with filtered light - likes to be fertilized during spring and her spent fronds removed regularly. I wish her all the best. 

for all the TEA in China

In my grandmother's day everyone drank tea - there was very little else to drink and in some places drinking tea was actually better than drinking plain water because the water in the tea had been boiled.  The whole family drank tea for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between.  It was relatively cheap,  refreshing in hot and cold weather and gave people something to do when socialising.  The process of boiling the water, brewing the tea, pouring and sipping helped to solve all problems, calm the spirit and to heal all wounds.

Tea is a hot drink made by infusing dried crushed tea leaves in boiling water.  We often refer to the infusion of other leaves, plants or flowers as tea, or herbal teas, but that is not real tea.

Real tea is made from the leaf of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, which is native to southern and eastern Asia and has been grown as a cash crop for hundreds of years. The plant is a close relative of the camellia.  In Mandarin it was called ch'a, which is the origin of the char and chai words for tea, and in the Amoy dialect it was T'e.

The tea drinking habit came to Australia, from the United Kingdom, with the first settlers. For middle class England tea was served with a light afternoon meal  of sandwiches and cake.  I think the main meal was in the middle of the day and they had supper of buttered toast and cocoa late at night.  For the working people tea was the evening meal and both these concepts became part of the early Australian culture.

High Tea was a tradition from around the mid 1700s as a late afternoon meal for working men. They were usually grubby and smelly after work, so had their tea standing up, or sitting on tall stools at a high bench and it became a 'high' tea of scones, toast and fruit cake, served with tea.

Later, this evolved into an early meal for 'well to do' people, before a night out at the theatre or playing cards so High Tea was a light but nourishing meal. Later in the evening they returned home for supper, which was often cold meat and veg as the servants had gone to bed.  Around this time the Fourth Earl of Sandwich had the idea of holding a slice of meat between two slices of bread - so he could eat while playing cards - and the High Tea sandwich came into being.

My grandmother, who was born into a large family and grew up in a one room shack on a dairy farm, liked to feel that as she had trained as a nurse and made something of herself she could put on a few airs and graces. 'We' never referred to the evening meal as tea. That was for working class people.  In our house 'we' had dinner in the evening.  I was never quite sure about meals because on Sunday, when the lamb roast was served in the middle of the day it was also called dinner and on Sunday night we had early tea of toasted sandwiches and later on a supper with hot chocolate. So, if you had lunch you could have dinner, but if you had dinner at lunch time, then after tea you got supper.  I'm glad elevenses remained in England.  It all depends on who your grandmother was.

Until the 1960's tea, in Australia, was made in a pot and the left over tea leaves were disposed of by the back door, usually into a vegetable patch where they acted as fertiliser and mulch, or into a pile of maiden hair ferns that seemed to grow where people tipped tea leaves.  People who didn't have a back door often emptied the tea pot into the loo and at one family gathering I remember a small cousin came back from a visit to the toilet to announce to the room of relatives that 'someone in this house has a very sick tummy'.  Apparently Great Aunty had emptied the teapot and not flushed.

In the Aussie bush tea was brewed in
 tin billy-can over an open fire

An Australian tradition is billy tea - still make in camping grounds all over the country, it just takes a fire, a tin can of boiling water, a handful of tea and a gum leaf.  Tea and rum were the drinks, and at times currency, of early settlement days but real tea was not always available to people in the bush. The Leptospermum tree, from the family Myrtaceae, is commonly known as Teatree, from the practice of early settlers soaking the leaves in boiling water to make a tea substitute. I can't imagine what that tasted like.  I live near the town of Nambour which gets it's name from the local Aboriginal name for the tea tree.  

Tea tree oil distilled from Melaleuca alternifolia is popular for it's amazing antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.  

But, back to real tea, a visit to a Chinese tea shop will cause confusion because hundreds of different types and blends of tea are on offer, but there are only a few basic categories of tea and they all come from leaves of the same Camellia Sinensis plant. The processing of the newly picked leaves is what determines the tea's colour and taste.

Black tea is exposed to air until the oxidation of the leaf brings on its dark colour.  

Green tea comes from quickly heating the leaves to prevent further fermentation, and this gives the green colour and milder flavour.

White, yellow and the oolong teas are in-between, with different grades of fermentation.

Picking tea in India

History tells that tea travelled to Europe around 1590 when a Portuguese priest visited China and got permission to take some tea plants home, but until the 19th century nearly all tea was grown in China and most of it was exported to Great Britain.  

When political and business problems made trade difficult the British managed to get hold of (make off with), enough tea bushes to start tea plantations in Assam and Darjeeling in India, and Kenya in Africa, where it is still produced.  And, though China is still the biggest producer of tea, India comes a close second.

Apparently, for 300 years, at the London Tea Auction, tea was sold ‘by the candle’ system; bidding for lots went on until an inch of a candle had burnt away.

Water is still the most consumed beverage in the world today, but tea is a close second as we drink more than 3 billion cups of tea a year. The biggest consumers - and this may be a surprise - are the people of United Arab Emirates, followed by Morocco and then Ireland! 

Elkhorns

My grandmother, and her sisters, treasured their tea pots - one for every day, one for special occasions and one for decoration but today most people don't own a tea pot because teabags have replaced brewing in the pot. But, tea post are still included in children's toys and cartoons. Gone are the tea pots and knitted tea cosies, tea caddies and spoons, and the tradition of one for each person and one for the pot. Even the ferns miss out as tea drinkers who don't want to waste the used tea bags 'feed' them to elkhorns in their garden.

Some healthy things people say about tea: 

Green tea and white tea especially are praised for many health benefits, including antibiotic effects, anti-cancer properties, boosting of the immune system, lowering of cholesterol levels and improvement of cardiovascular health.
Tea contains vitamins B2, B1 and B6 and is also rich in potassium, manganese, folic acid and calcium.
Tea contains half the amount of caffeine found in coffee.
One cup of white tea contains the same amount of antioxidants as 10 cups of apple juice.
Tea can help soothe a sore throat, black, green and oolong tea have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help alleviate symptoms.

Times to avoid tea:
Black tea can block iron absorption from foods and supplements so it's best to avoid tea when taking vitamins or eating foods that are rich in iron.
Green tea is a significant source of vitamin K, which can interfere with the effects of blood thinners such as warfarin.

A few other uses for tea: 

The used tea leaves can be beneficial as fertilizer for the garden.
Used tea leaves can absorb odours in the refrigerator.
Tea in a foot bath can eliminate some foot odours.

Interesting things said about tea:
The water source, temperature and brewing time effect the taste of the tea.

Half a kilo of loose tea can make about 200 cups of tea.
An experienced picker can collect over 30 kg of tea a day!
Until the 19th century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia.
Tea breaks are a tradition that have been with us for approximately 200 years.
Drinking 4 cups of tea a day is recommended for health.
Tea is a natural source of fluoride that could protect against tooth decay and gum disease.
The first book about tea was written by Lu Yu in 800 A.D.
Apart from tourism, tea is the biggest industrial activity in India.
98% of people have milk in their tea, but only 30% have sugar.
Tea bags were invented in America in the early 1800s. 
Tea bags were originally made of silk and were used to hold tea samples from India.

Slightly damp tea leaves can repel insects.

And I don't know if any of these things are true.

'Women are like tea bags. They don't know how strong they are 

until they get into hot water.'   Eleanor Roosevelt.

ICE TEA FACE TREAT

2 cups water

1 green tea bag, or loose green tea (for antioxidants)

2 teaspoons turmeric powder (antibacterial, exfolient)

1 tablespoon honey (moisturiser and softens)

2 -3 teaspoons rose water (smells nice)

Prepare:

Steep the tea in boiling water until you have a brew of very strong tea.

Open the teabag if using one, the leaves act as an exfolient.

Stir in turmeric, honey and rose water. 

Pour into a standard ice cube tray and into the freezer.

Use:

Wash your face with warm water to open the pores.

Rub a tea ice cube all over your face for several minutes, paying attention to the forehead, nose and chin.

With your fingers, gently massage the turmeric/tea leaf residue over your face to exfoliate.

Rinse off with cold water.

Finish with a splash of witch hazel or other toner, and moisturise.

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