Tea Time - Green Tea and Chrysanthemum Tea

Qi and the Seasons

Whether you practice tai chi or not each one of us need to consider the condition of our body in relation to the changing seasons. For all of us adjusting our lifestyles to suit the weather is not just a matter of changing clothes we should also alter what we drink and eat.

Autumn is officially here in Australia. Generally Autumn is a time of harvest and storing food in preparation for Winter. To maintain our health we also have to make changes, the heat of Summer has passed and we should build up our qi or chi - the life energy within our bodies - to cope with the colder weather that's coming. My Mum would say it’s time to change any water you're drinking over to warm water or slightly cooled boiled water. Cold water will only chill rather than warm the body. 

Japanese tea time is fun - tea canisters, tea pots and my favourite nasu (eggplant) cup

Whenever it gets even remotely colder outside it’s time to pull out the tea pots!Having a freshly made cup of tea is always a comfort and helps clear the mind. I own several Chinese, Japanese and Western teapots and was given some beautiful teacups from my family and friends. These days you can easily find information about tea brewing techniques but I only learned when living in Japan that different teas are to be brewed at certain temperatures. For instance, green teas are best brewed at  70° Celsius otherwise they will have a bitter taste. Also, they are best made in a clay teapot not a ceramic one as they are milder than black teas.

Chinese tea time on the run

Tea Etiquette

Tea etiquette is a serious art in Asian countries, so it's essential to consider your guest when drinking tea with another person. When living in Sendai I was taught that if pouring from the same teapot, you should pour a third (⅓) into your guest's cup, then a third ( ⅓) into your cup initially. Then repeat this, alternating pouring of the tea until the pot is empty. This allows both people to enjoy the same strength tea in their cups. I think we all know that it's not very pleasant having a very strong or weak cup of tea is it?

Japanese sencha (green tea) for two

Chrysanthemum Tea - "It's good for you."

Herbal teas are always stocked up in my pantry cupboard. Harking back to younger days, whenever I was unwell and tucked up in bed, my mum would come into the room with a fresh cup of chrysanthemum tea and say, "Drink this, it's good for you..." and it was. I always felt refreshed and my tummy warmed by the soothing golden beverage.

You can buy dried chrysanthemum flowers in any Asian supermarket. Simple to make, just boil water and use your favourite jug or teapot. How many flowers your brew will depend on the size of the 'pot'. My daughter has been sick with the flu and it was only days later I remembered this remedy. So I just made up a glass jug full of tea. It cools faster this way which is great for the patient. Any remaining tea can be put in the fridge and either served cold or warmed up.

Down here in Australia, I'll be drinking it through Autumn and Winter but you can also drink it chilled in Summer and Spring. I sweeten it with honey but you could use sugar or anything else you fancy.

Powdered tea (left) and dried flowers (right)

In my house, chrysanthemum tea is a great all rounder as it has NO caffeine in addition to many other benefits. You can also buy it in powdered form which has sugar added. This is great if you live in humid areas and need a quick energy boost. The powdered tea comes in sachets as well which is handy for storage and convenient if travelling. My mum usually dissolved the tea in hot water but a friend of mine just mixed it with chilled water.


Here are some links I found about Chrysanthemum tea.
Holistic Health for Life  outlines benefits  of Chyrsanthemum tea and how to brew it.
Organic Facts details chrysanthemum characteristics in more detail.

More tea time later...happy brewing all!!!