Rosebud Tea

Rosebud Tea

I received a lovely packet of dried rosebuds as a gift from one of my friends. It was very nicely packaged and tied with a pretty red ribbon. I truly appreciate the gesture and it was so thoughtful of her to present such a lovely gift to me. 

It was her way of sharing the benefits of rosebud tea with me!

 

 Pretty little edible rose buds

The scent of roses filled my nostrils as I unpacked the box. Sweet smelling roses. They look so delicate and are so beautiful. 

I decided to make myself a pot of rosebud tea. First of all,  I must find a glass vessel to infuse these buds so that the beautiful flowers can be seen through the transparent glass.

Ingredients

12 to 15 dried rose buds

500ml hot water

Method

1.  Place dried rose buds into a small pot.

2.  Pour in hot water.

3.  Steep for about 3 minutes. 

4.  Pour out the rosebud tea and serve.

The tea has a light floral scent and a tinge of sweetness to it.  It is very refreshing! 

Rosebud tea is reported to contain high levels of vitamin C.

It is believed to promote blood circulation, reduce body fats, reduce fatigue, helps digestion, promotes a glowing complexion and has a calming effect which may help to induce sleep naturally.

Next, I am going to infuse some of these rosebuds with Chinese green tea and then with Chinese black tea  just to compare the taste. I am sure they gonna taste good!

Glutinous Rice Cake With Jasmine Tea & Lotus Seeds 香片莲子桂圆糯米糕

Glutinous Rice Cake With Jasmine Tea & Lotus Seeds 香片莲子桂圆糯米糕

Delicious sweet dessert for tea time

Recipe Source :  Adapted from Liza Magazine

Ingredients

150g glutinous rice
80g fresh lotus seeds
20 pieces dried longan ( with stones removed )
1 tsp jasmine tea leaves
40g brown sugar

 Glutinous rice

 Jasmine tea leaves

 Fresh lotus seeds

 Dried longan

Instructions

1.  Wash fresh lotus seeds and dried longan thoroughly. Drain well and set aside for later use.
2.  Wash and soak glutinous rice in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
3.  Add jasmine tea leaves into 1/2 cup of hot water. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Add in brown sugar. Stir and strain the tea leaves from the liquid tea. 
4.  Mix the glutinous rice, lotus seeds, longan and tea mixture together. 
5.  Brush 4 small bowls with oil.
6.  Spoon the glutinous rice mixture into the 4 small bowls and steam for 25 minutes until cooked.
7.  Remove from steamer and turn the bowl upside down onto a plate.
8.  Serve warm or cold. 


 

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #30 : It's Tea Time ! ( April 2013 )
hosted by Food Playground 

Eight Treasures Tea 八宝茶

Eight Treasures Tea 八宝茶

 

Tasty, healthy and nutritious

Recipe source :  My own, through trial and error. 

 
I read about the goodness and health benefits of this eight treasures tea in a newspaper article when a feature writer interviewed a visiting chef from Hong Kong. The chef had created a few  dishes for promotion in a local top-notch hotel. At the same time, he talked about drinking this tea to help digestion. The chef was expounding on this wonderful tea which contains the good health benefits of Chinese herbs and how the Chinese tea leaves help to prevent a feeling of being bloated after a heavy meal. He went on to describe how this tea was served during banquets. He also mentioned the eight ingredients used to brew the tea but he omitted to give the precise measurements and the recipe!

I was intrigued by the chef's description of this healthy tea concoction but I felt very disappointed that he did not provide the recipe in that article. I quickly noted down the eight key ingredients described by him. After many trials and errors I am now happy with this combination. It's very fragrant when drunk warm.

I think this is the perfect tea to serve during the reunion dinner. A wonderfully smooth tea for the palate and the tummy. My family likes it and I hope you like it too!

Ingredients

1 tbsp chrysanthemum buds
1 tbsp American ginseng slices, or you can use 'yong sum soe'
5 red dates, remove the seeds
10 pieces of dried longan flesh
1 tbsp wolf berries, kei chi in Cantonese
10 lotus seeds
1 tbsp good grade Chinese tea leaves
40g cane rock sugar
1.5 litres water

Top row from left : chrysanthemum buds, 'yong sum soe' and lotus seeds

Middle row from left :  red dates, dried longan flesh and wolf berries

Bottom row from left :  rock cane sugar and Chinese tea leaves

Instructions

 

1.  Soak lotus seeds in hot boiling water for 20 minutes.
2.  Rinse the rest of the Chinese herbs in warm water. 
3.  Remove the germs (the green and bitter buds) from the lotus seeds. Drain and set aside.
4.  In a medium-sized pot, bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil.
5.  Add the lotus seeds and red dates. Boil for about 40 minutes until the lotus seeds are soft.
6.  Add in the chrysanthemum buds, dried longan flesh, wolf berries, yong sum soe and rock sugar. Boil for 5 minutes.
7.  Lastly, add in the Chinese tea leaves. Switch off the flame and cover the pot for 3 minutes.
8.  Pour out the drink through a sieve into a large jug. 
9.  Serve warm in individual tea cups.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013

hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover