Basil tea: recipe, cooking features, useful properties

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 16:12

Basil is an excellent seasoning for many dishes, but it can also be added to drinks such as tea. We will consider recipes with basil for this drink in the article, but first we will understand the benefits and harms of the plant, because for some it may be contraindicated. Others, on the contrary, are recommended to use basil in any form, and you will learn how delicious it is to brew tea with it.

Benefits of basil tea

Drink made with this herb will keep you warm in winter and refresh and quench your thirst in summer. But this is not all that you can count on by drinking tea with basil every day, because the plant is very rich in vitamins (B_{12, PP, C, A, and so on), tannins, saponins, phytoncides, essential oils and other plant nutrients. Many will say that during heat treatment all these components will evaporate, and the fresh plant brings a lot of benefits. But today we will talk abouthow to properly collect raw materials, and how to brew tea with it in such a way as to get the maximum benefit.}

Basil is famous for its essential oil, which is a natural antibiotic. This oil has antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antispasmodic effects on the body. Together with other substances, essential oil can increase immunity, speed up metabolic processes, and increase overall tone.

Basil tea is recommended for the following symptoms:

• lack of appetite, failure in the digestive system;
• increased body temperature in ARVI, acute respiratory infections, influenza, inflammatory processes;
• cough (improves breathing);
• complex therapy in the treatment of cancer (basil destroys free radicals);
• cholesterol plaques, circulatory disorders;
• stress, depression, nervous strain;
• desire to lose a few kilos;
• arthritis, arthritis, other diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• hormonal disorders in women;
• disturbed menstrual cycle, feeling unwell these days;
• menopause;
• fragility of nails and hair.

I would like to note that a more useful variety of basil is the one that has a purple color.

How to properly prepare a plant

As we wrote earlier, basil tea will be useful only when using properly harvested raw materials, this will be discussed further.

Purchase the best fresh plant, notdried. In this form, you can store it for 7 days on the refrigerator door or in the compartment for vegetables and herbs.

Dry the basil properly. Spread the leaves on a surface covered with paper or cotton cloth. Pieces of the plant should lie freely. Store in a cool, dark and ventilated area until completely dry. You need to store them in a cotton bag or in a glass jar with a lid with holes. Put the dried plant in a closet where there are no extraneous odors.

As for the difference between fresh and dried herbs, the matter is mostly in taste: fresh basil is brighter, richer, tea with it is tastier. No benefit is lost with proper drying, just don't dry in the oven as many might suggest to speed up the process.

Who is basil contraindicated for?

Whether it's basil tea or basil soup, it's high in essential oils that can trigger allergies. Therefore, the plant is not suitable for allergy sufferers. Pregnant women and children under the age of 7 should completely abandon or reduce the use of the plant to a minimum.

Basil has a tonic effect on the body, so it is contraindicated in people with heart disease, stroke or heart attack.

Basil is also contraindicated in the following diseases:

• poor blood clotting;
• hypertension;
• dystonia;
• diabetes.

Even if there are no contraindications, start drinkingbasil tea is needed from small portions (or low consistency). It would be better to consult a doctor.

Next, we propose to find out in which preparation basil will be more useful, how to brew tea with this plant.

Classic cooking

If you suffer from insomnia, suffer from vitamin deficiencies, or have problems with the digestive system, then take this drink one cup a day, regardless of food intake.

1. For one liter of boiling water (as soon as the water boils, turn off the gas, let the liquid stand for a couple of minutes - this will reduce the temperature to 98-97 degrees, while maintaining the maximum benefit when brewing basil) you need to take 50 grams of fresh basil greens.
2. Cover the container with a lid, insist for 20 minutes, be sure to strain.
3. To improve the taste, you can add honey, sugar, pieces of fresh or dried fruit to tea.

With strawberries

Green tea with basil and strawberries is an excellent option for refreshing and quenching your thirst on a summer day. The recipe is:

1. Combine 400 grams of strawberries, 7 teaspoons of tea leaves, 70 grams of fresh basil greens.
2. Pour the composition with a liter of boiling water (according to the same principle as in the first option), leave for 10 minutes, strain.
3. Then cool, add ice cubes to the drink.

Black tea will warm you in winter:

1. Mix 400 grams of berries, 70-80 grams of basil and 6 tablespoons of black tea leaves (you can use 8 iflike a richer tea).
2. Pour boiling water, strain after 10 minutes.
3. Add milk.
4. Honey or sugar optionally added.

Tea with lemon

A universal drink that will refresh you in summer and invigorate, strengthen your immune system and warm you in winter.

1. In 350 ml of boiling water place five sprigs of herbs. Remove after 2 minutes.
2. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice, optional sweetener of your choice.

This tea is very good to drink in the morning for those who want to lose weight. The sour basil tea will wake up the metabolism, and you need to take it every morning before breakfast for 20-30 minutes. If you decide to drink such a drink to help you lose weight, then do not add sweeteners in the form of honey or sugar to it.

With herbs

This drink will help you relax after a hard day, calm down after nervous tension. Stable consumption of this tea (1-2 cups a day) will help to cope with depression and stress. Herbs will help to calm down, warm up, and just enjoy the taste!

1. Mix 20 grams each of basil, black currant leaves, raspberry leaves and 10 grams of mint.
2. Pour a liter of boiling water, strain after 20 minutes. You can drink.

This tea will help reduce body temperature, and if you add linden to the composition, the fever will subside even faster.

With ginger

In the teapot, put as much black or green tea leaves as you normally use. In general, for 1 literwater add 50 grams of basil and 20 grams of ginger root, you will adjust the proportions based on the volume of liquid used. Drink like regular tea, you can add honey, sugar or lemon.

This composition is useful for colds, helps in weight loss, warm in winter.

We learned about the benefits and harms of basil tea, shared the simplest and most useful ways to brew a drink. We wish you a pleasant tea party!