Spices for gourmet teas

Aniseed

Latin name: Pimpinella Anisum

The sweetness of aniseed evokes a childhood memory of jars of penny sweets, deep red aniseed balls, containing at the centre a grain of aniseed. Crushing these same seeds produces a volatile oil used in infusions. A soothing tea, which aids the digestion and eases colic pains and flatulence. The oil is likewise antiseptic and can be used for chest and digestive infections.

Black pepper

Latin name: Piper nigrum

Black pepper is used as a remedy for tooth ache, with sage leaves or crushed cloves, it is also rumoured to stop hiccups. Otherwise, in infusion, it tends to warm the body, to stimulate circulation, and is sometimes used for chest infections. It is particularly popular in spicy teas such as Chai.

Cardamom

Latin name: Cardamomum Elettaria and Cardamomum Amomum

A plant of the ginger family. The part used are the pods, which contain small back seeds with an intensely aromatic fragrance.

There are actually two cardamoms: green (Elettaria) and black (Amomum).
Green cardamom, which is the most common, is often used in the Middle East to flavour coffee and tea, and is an essential ingredient of Indian Masala Chai. Black cardamom, which has a slightly smokey taste, can also be used for brewing teas and works very well with green tea.
Both cardamoms are sweet and pungent in taste and are excellent digestive stimulants.

Cinammon

Latin name: Cinnamonum cassia, Cinnamonum zeylanicum.

An excitant, a stimulant and an antispasmodic, Cinnamon is also used, like black pepper, in spicy teas, such as Masala Chai. It is used for its digestive properties, as well as for calming a fever and combating flu.

Cloves

Latin name: Eugenia caryophilata

Cloves are most well known for their seemingly magic abilities to soothe even the most violent of toothaches. Otherwise they can be used in mulled wine, in cooking, and in spicy teas and they also seem to have a positive effect against halitosis.

Cumin

Latin name:

Experience of cumin in Morrocco has taught me that any digestive problem, or stomach upset is cured by the swallowing down of a large spoonful of ground cumin. In a tisane it combines well with fennel and aniseed to make a strong digestive tea.

Fennel

Latin name: Foeniculum vulgaris

A perennial plant or small bush of the carrot family closely related to dill, fennel is mostly cultivated for it seeds, which are used as a spice and for tea, but the leaves can also be used for healing teas.
A tea made from the seeds has a strong aniseed flavour and is a useful digestive tonic (in India, fennel seeds are often offered after meals has a digestive). Fennel tea is particularly effective in case of flatulence.
Fennel seeds containing both sweet spices and bitter substances, at once stimulate a sluggish digestion and help to calm the bowel irritations. It also helps stimulate milk production in lactating mothers. (Culpeper’s)
Fennel combines well with mint.

Fenugreek.

Latin name: Trigonella Foenum-Graecum

“This pungently aromatic bitter-tasting spice contains a variety of constituents which help the digestion: bitters, mucilage and volatile oils, plus an anti-inflammatory steroid-like substance which further helps to calm conditions such as gastrititis and enteritis. It has a tonic effect on the digestion, particularly for convalescents. [...] The steroid componenet, as well as the oils, helps stimulate milk production in lactating mothers.” (Culpeper’s)

Ginger

Latin name: Zingiberis Oficinale

A strong stimulant, ginger aids the circulation and the digestion. The part of the plant used is the root. It should be used with caution, and in small doses, as too much can irritate the stomach. It is also said to help prevent sea and travel sickness. Throughout the winter we continually warm a large pot of ginger and black cardammom tea, which keeps out the Irish cold.

Lemongrass

Latin name: Cymbopogon

A tall perenial grass native from India, and also widely used in Thai cuisine. As the name suggest, it has a lemony flavour.

Liquorice

Latin name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

Producing a sweet, soothing tea, the combination of glycosides, saponins, bitters, oils, tannins and flavanoids has a medicinal effect. It stimulates the adrenal glands, which produces anti-inflammatories helpful in cases of rhumatism and arthritis. However, it should thus be avoided by those with high blood pressure. A soothing expectorant, it helps in chest infections. It also has a mild laxative effect and can be helpful in the treatment of gastric ulcers, as it forms a protective coating over the ulcer. (Culpeper’s).

Saffron

Latin name: Crocus sativus

Well know for it golden yellow colour, saffran is derived from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus. It is one of the most expensive spices by weight, and for this reason, is rarely used for brewing tea, although it is a traditional ingredient in Kashmiri tea.