TOXIC TEAS 



COMFREY: possible carcinogen, banned by FDA for 

 internal use. And never confuse comfrey leaf with 

 digitalis (foxglove) — the result would be lethal 



Lemon verbena: banned by FDA for anything but 

 alcoholic drinks 



MUGWORT: banned by FDA for internal use 



Pennyroyal: can cause abortion and kidney problems 



Sassafras (yes the famous sassafras of colonial 

 times): contains safrole, a possible carcinogen; 

 banned by FDA for internal use, although I re- 

 cently saw sassafras soda in The Vermont Country 

 Store in Weston, Vermont 



Sweet woodruff: overuse can cause symptoms of 

 poisoning and dizziness; banned by FDA for use in 

 anything but alcoholic drinks 



Tansy: toxic, banned by FDA for internal use 



Valerian: powerful narcotic; OK to use in small 

 quantities for insomnia if you're knowledgeable 

 about the use of medicinal herbs 



WoRJrfWOOD: toxic; banned by FDA for internal use 



going and quick to produce. A variety of thymes 

 would make a fine front edging and a large accent 

 plant of rosemary, a pineapple sage, and some scented 

 geraniums would make my tea garden complete. 



Mints should be there, but remember all the warnings 

 about mints and take them seriously. Contain them with 

 some sort of barrier or they will overrun the garden. I 

 use chimney tiles — the three-foot-tall in 12"xl2" or 

 16"xl6" are a generous size. Bury the tile, leaving about 

 eight inches above the ground, then fdl with good soil, 

 and plant a mint — in no time, you'll have plenty. 



I've seen a variety of well-designed gardens. Some 

 are very small and near the kitchen door. An old lad- 

 der laid on the ground with herbs planted in the 

 spaces between the rungs was charming. An old wagon 

 wheel — with herbs planted between each spoke — makes 

 a lovely garden. Bricks laid in a pattern work well. 

 And of course, the traditional knot garden is a perfect 

 tea garden. Let your imagination run wild. And don't 

 forget to place a bench nearby for sitting and enjoying 

 that summertime glass of iced herbal sun tea. 



The obvious advantage to growing your own herbs 

 is that you can control quality. You can be certain 

 that there are no chemical residues, that the herbs are 

 picked at the peak of their flavor, and are dried in a 

 clean environment. 



Fresh herbs are always available for summer tea, but 

 unless you have a greenhouse or live in a warmer cli- 

 mate, you'll need to preserve herbs for winter. The 



TEA TERMS 



Cambric Tea: a children's beverage of warm milk 

 lightly colored with China tea 



China tea: the dried leaves of an Asian shrub 

 {Camellia sinensis) that has fragrant white flowers 

 and evergreen leaves. Often referred to as "real tea," 

 the character of China tea depends on climate, alti- 

 tude, and the soil in which it's grown, on the man- 

 ner of harvesting and the method of processing 

 Decoction: a beverage made by simmering herbs for 

 lO-io minutes; this method is generally used to 

 bring out the full flavor of roots and seeds such as 

 clover blossom, horehounds, and bee balm 

 Green tea: China tea that has not been oxidized or 

 fermented 



Infusion: a beverage made by pouring boiling 

 water over herb leaves or flowers and seeping them for 

 5-10 minutes to release the aromatic oils; a general 

 recipe is one teaspoon of dried herbs or three tea- 

 spoons fresh, crushed herbs per cup of boiling water; 

 for stronger flavor, use more of the herb — steeping 

 longer may make it bitter 



Scented tea: dried tea, the flavor of which has been 

 enhanced by steaming it with fresh, fragrant flowers 

 such as jasmine or rose until tea absorbs the blossoms 

 fragrance and flavor; the leaves are then dried again; 

 the spent flowers may or may not be removed from 

 the final product 



Sun tea: tea made by adding herb or tea leaves to cold 

 water in a covered glass jar and setting the jar in fiill 

 sun for 4-8 hours. The sun warms the water and 

 causes gentle release of aromatic oils; teas made this 

 way are never harsh — and they rarely turn cloudy in 

 the refrigerator as steeped teas sometimes do 

 Tisane: an infusion of fresh or dried herbs used as a 

 beverage or medicinal tea 



Tonic: an invigorating, refreshing energizing 

 beverage or medicine 



Sources 



Maitland, Derek. Five Thousand Years of Tea. New 



York, Gallery Books, 1981. 

 Norwood, James. The Tea Lover's Treasury. San 



Francisco, lOl Productions, 198Z. 



