How elevating a cup of tea can be! Whether or not you want to be warmed up or cooled down, perhaps a pick me up caffeine rush or a calm me down herbal relaxer, choose your tea! Tea is one of the most practical ways to add ritual or health promoting benefits to your day.

In this Kitchen Witchery post we’re differentiating “Magic Teas” from “Healing Herbs” because of the way they are used. For example, Osha root is one of the most powerful herbs you could possibly make a tea out of, but you ain’t going to drink it for pleasure. On the contrary you would most likely enjoy it soley in nurturing an upper respiratory infection. I look at Osha in the way of being purely medicinal, spiritual as well. The etiquette for harvesting Osha and even purchasing it requires as much too. Kuding tea may somewhat remind you of the flavor of Osha root as the name translates to “bitter nail tea.” However Kuding is considered an all around health tonic that one may want to drink daily.

But how could I possibly drink Kuding daily? It tastes like shit? Yes, it does. But it makes you feel so good you acquire a taste for it very quickly. I first discovered it at Wing Hop Fung in Monterey Park. I had been referred there by a client and proceeded to try and hold myself back from a manic shopping spree upon discovering the vast wonders inside. I bought Kuding because it was on sale. Serving it for my friends at my 2018 Philoso Tea, it was delightful to watch people’s faces cringe as they drank it for the first time. Not to be sadistic, but you can clearly feel the powerful Chi moving mechanisms at play with just one sip. I also made it way too strong the first time, oops. Kuding is such a powerful tea it feels like you are putting something very good in your body when you drink it. In the evolution of my taste for it, I went from “oh God, this has to be good for me cause it tastes like shit” to “fuck yeah, this tea makes me feel amazing” very quickly. I crave it now. I still drink my daily espresso but afterwards I like to tonify my system with some Kuding. It’s especially helpful if you are craving a pick-me-up, chi mover, system purifier, and often without the caffeine. Kuding has been taken to assist with a variety of health issues. Toothache, headache, dry eyes, hormonal heat flushes, gastrointestinal, vertigo, tinnitus, bad breath, infertility, cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure and more.

But what about a magic tea that tastes good? Hojicha Tea, let me count the ways. Hojicha Tea has an earthy quality but it’s super smooth. The dominate tasting notes are caramel and cinnamon; oh yeah baby! It’s a roasted green tea but with minimal caffeine. The taste is so scrumptious it’ll rival your chai tea latte! Like most teas, it’s a great source of antioxidants which may assist a variety of metabolic processes from cardiovascular, immune, anti-aging and more.

Tea can help strengthen the body. Green tea leads the way with some of the highest antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Tea can alkalize the body and provide antimicrobial properties. From fighting cancer to insulin sensitivity, studies have produced significant data on the possible benefits of tea. Beware however of your cheap teas. Organic is best but especially if you’re going to drink black tea, take the time to consider which one. I personally love the spices in Chai. I find it invigorating, but I don’t drink Chai to alkalize my body. Black tea can actually lower the ph in your body, ie. make more acidic. Black tea in the form of Pu-erh however has many health benefits associated with it.

Pu-erh can be of green or black varieties but is aged and naturally fermented. The fermentation brings out high amounts of polyphenols, catechins and flavonoids. Pu-erh for that reason has been revered in China for centuries now. I haven’t seen it a ton in the US. The first time I had it though, I was certain I was drinking pond water with a strong aroma of barnyard. In it’s purest form you may need to acquire a taste. The good news though is that there are companies that provide Pu-erh tea with other ingredients that can help with the earthiness. Chocolate Pu-erh is one of my favs. The benefits of drinking Pu-erh haven’t been studied extensively in modern times yet. But it has been shown to lower your risk of heart disease. It can even help the body produce statin, lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. From weight loss, immune support, even stress reduction and many forms of toxin elimination, Pu-erh continues to amaze scientists. There has been at least 2 studies where Pu-erh was used successfully to inhibit cancer cell proliferation.

For the love of tea, I am thirsty writing this! The following images are from my witch’s kitchen. Sipping tea is like a lil dance with nature. I so enjoy the delight of pouring myself a health promoting natural drink. It’s like a smoke break or a sanctuary space to me. Click on the images below to display more about the represented tea and associated benefits.

Cheers - xoxo F