For many people, February means Valentine’s Day and while you may celebrate this as a romantic holiday, there are lots of other ways to celebrate the month of love. Celebrating love doesn’t only mean a romantic significant other – there are friends, family members, co-workers, pets, and yourself to celebrate too! This February, Cornelia Bean wants you to celebrate the entire month of love! And no better way to do that than with a cup of tea. This month, we’re excited to introduce you to the King and Queen of herbal teas.
Tulsi, the Sanskrit word for holy basil, is also known as Queen of the Herbs and is one of our favourite herbal teas. Tulsi has been known for centuries in India and other southeast Asian countries for its beneficial medicinal values. In particular, the Tulsi extract found in the herbal tea is rich in magnesium, a vital nutrient for the prevention of heart disease. Like all herbal teas, Tulsi should be brewed with boiling hot water and left to steep for 10+ minutes. Tulsi is a very versatile tea and can be brewed multiple times.
Chaga, known as the King of the Mushrooms, is an anti-oxidant rich ingredient found on birch trees in the forests of northern Canada, Siberia and Alaska. Like Tulsi, chaga can improve cardiovascular and metabolic health. Chaga is most commonly enjoyed as tea and it should be infused in hot water for at least one hour before drinking. This allows for full extraction of the medicinal benefits but chaga can be brewed multiple times. If you have any specific medical questions, don’t forget to ask your physician before trying these new ingredients.
February can also be a month where we turn inward and find the resolve to make it through yet another month of winter. We can feel the spring light is on its way, but the winter cold and grey remain. Go easy on yourself this month, try Tulsi or chaga, and know that we’re all in this together and a cup of tea never hurts!