Recipes for Ba-bao cha, Tea Latte and Russian Tea
A good cup of tea is one of the most comforting things in the world. I get teased by my husband; he says my cure for just about any ailment is a hot bath and a good cup of tea. But I've beaten back many a cold with this combination plus a shot of echinacea tincture if it looks like a real cold trying to grab hold of me. And for just plain weariness, you can't beat tea. While I love coffee, the acid and type of caffeine can make me a bit jumpy. The slower-acting caffeine in tea, plus the relaxing effects of theobromine make it stimulating yet soothing.
There are countless types of tea around the world, not only from the Camellia sinensis bush (standard tea) but from hundreds of different herbs. The tisane, or herbal tea, is very popular in Europe and you can find herb stands at the outdoor markets that sell a bewildering variety of single herbs and mixtures. Common herbs used are calendula, peppermint (the southern French peppermint is particularly potent), linden or lime blossom, malva blossom, hibiscus, apple and orange peel. A new tea favorite is rooibos, or red bush tea from South Africa. The reddish bark has a smooth, almost vanilla aromatic scent and mixes well with fruit or aromatic flavorings like rum, vanilla and chocolate.
Back to regular tea (black. oolong or green.) English style tea is Indian or Ceylon black tea; strong, dark, malty in aroma and somewhat tannic. It mixes well with milk. In fact, tea in India is served by default with boiled, condensed milk, sugar and spices. This has been transformed into the "tea latte" found in American coffee bars. In India, it is served in small cups or glasses and is surprisingly refreshing even in hot weather.
Chinese tea is often green tea or oolong (half fermented tea, a speciality of Taiwan.) The Chinese also drink fermented, black tea, frequently scented with rose or lichee. But green tea is more common. There are also some local specialties, like ba-bao cha (8 treasure tea.) This is found in the North of China, especially Beijing, and is thought to have been Mongolian in origin. It is rather like Russian style tea, which is served with fruit bits and sugar. Ba-Bao cha has 8 or so fruits and herbs, rock candy sugar, plus oolong tea. It is served in a covered bowl and drunk with the lid half on, to keep the fruit and tea leaves back while you sip the liquid. A waiter in the tea house or restaurant refills the tea bowl several times from a copper pot with a long spout that can reach across the table. This tea is especially good if you are suffering from a cold or feel run-down, as the fruits have vitamins and the sugar is energizing. It is especially nice on a sore throat.
Ba-bao cha is almost impossible to get outside of China, which is a shame as this is a very delightful beverage. The actual mix of herbs and fruits varies from place to place, but usually jujubes, lichees, chrysanthemum flowers, green tea, rock sugar and lycium "chinese raisins" are the commonly found ingredients. With a visit to a Chinese grocery, and if you have one, a Chinese herbal store, you can make this yourself. Some of the herbal stores may even carry packets of Ba-bao cha.
How to make ba-bao cha:
for each bowl put in:
1 tsp Chinese green tea, loose
3 or 4 crystals of rock sugar (kandis in Germany, often used as coffee sugar.)
2 Jujube red dates (Chinese red dates , can be found in Chinese grocery stores) Substitute one dried date if not available. Jujubes are not really dates, but taste a lot like them. The sugars and vitamins are thought to be very strengthening.
1 dried chrysanthemum blossom, optional but traditional (do not use florist's flowers, ever. Sprayed and soaked in who knows what and not intended for eating) Chinese herbal stores carry Hangzhou white chrysanthemums.
1 dried apricot
1 almond
3 -4 Wolfberries, lycium chinensis ( available from Chinese herbalist) Substitute 3 or 4 raisins if not available.
1 lichee, dried (Chinese grocery)
Boiling water.
Put dry ingredients into a Chinese style tea bowl, preferably with a cover. Add hot water. Steep for about 3 minutes. Sip the liquid. Refill the bowl with hot water, up to about 5 times, until the flavor is gone. Enjoy.
Russian-style tea
Like Turkish tea, Russian tea is made strong in a small pot and diluted up to desired strength. A handy method for drinking small cups constantly during the day.
For Russian tea, just make a pot of black tea (Chinese black tea is fairly close to Russian tea; smokey Keemun is a good choice. But any black tea will do.)
Serve in thin glasses (tempered glass for tea or coffee, not drinking glasses) with:
tiny slices of lemon, bits of apple, strawberries if in season
Jam (apricot, cherry, or strawberry)
Lump sugar
The tea drinker pours a glass of tea and adds fruit bits, sugar or jam to his or her preference. Russian tea drinkers often hold a lump of sugar in their teeth and sip the tea through the sugar; not recommended by your dentist!
Indian Chai with Milk
1 Tbs black Assam type tea or several tea bags
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups water
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp whole black pepper corns
1 slice ginger root
Sugar to taste (we use raw cane sugar; you can use white sugar.)
Instead of your own spice mix, you can buy Yogi tea mix at the health food store and make as above with a few teaspoons of the mix, or you can buy Tea Masala (tea spice mix) at an Indian grocery.
Simmer the tea and spices together in a pot for 10 minutes. Strain. Add sugar and can of milk. Serve hot in small glasses or demitasse cups.
Chai latte variation: Make strong tea-spice-sugar mixture as above, but in ONE cup of water. Steam milk with cappucino maker. Mix 1/3 tea mix with 2/3's hot milk. You can leave out sugar if you desire. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.
