Inuit teas

Hello everyone! This time let me mention a web site about kind of exotic teas...well, certainly exotic from my point of view...
Here is the link to the web site with some info about Inuit teas....Just click on it...
Northern Delights teas

Tea wine

Ingredients
1 gallon tea (some 16 tea bags per gallon)
0.5 lb raisins
3 lb sugar
2 lemons
yeast

Method
Dissolve the sugar in the tea. Chop the raisins, and add these to the tea, along with the juice of the lemon. Pour the mixture into a clean bucket and cover the bucket and leave to cool. Once it's at room temperature, add a teaspoon of yeast to the bucket. Leave the mixture for a week, stirring daily. Strain the liquid to remove the raisins, and pour into demijohns, sealing with a fermentation lock. Leave this until fermentation has stopped, then bottle it. The wine is usually ready to drink after a further 2 months.

source: The Penguin's Kitchen Companion

Green tea liqueur

First let me mention the ingredients you'll need...
6 tablespoons of quality green tea leaves
3 cups of vodka
1 cup of sugar syrup
2-3 drops of green food colouring

How to make sugar syrup? Mix equal parts of sugar (white or brown) and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Cool before adding to the rest of stuff in the recipe. By the way, you can also use an equivalent amount of honey.
Steep tea leaves in vodka for 24 hours. Do not steep for longer time cause the liquer will turn bitter. Shake the jar or bottle well when you add the tea leaves. Add the sweetener and colouring the next day.
Finally, for those who do not know or are not sure....1 tablespoon is 5 ml (1/6 ounce), 1 cup is 236 ml (8 ounces).

Pakistani Doodh path-ee

Greek Mountain Tea

Greek Mountain Tea (Shepherd's Tea) or Tsi to Vounou is made of dried leaves and flowers of Sideritis plants (Ironwort).
This tea is very popular in Greece. People use it especially in winter...in time of higher level of colds, aches, pains.
It is said that Greek Mountain Tea has positive effects on colds, respiratory problems, digestion, the immune system, mild anxiety and as an antioxidant. The tea is also good as an anti-inflammatory and to reduce fever.

Tetsubin

Tetsubin are famous Japanese cast iron teapots. There are two main types of Tetsubin - those that are used for brewing tea and those that are used for heating and carrying water (only) during Japanese tea ceremony.

Due to Tetsubin relief decorations on the outside, glazing with enamel on the inside, small size and often unusual shape they are popular collector item. Authentic products have the symbol of manufacturer on the base of teapot.

Tetsubin holds some 1/2 litre of water. It is usually sold with a tea strainer and and iron trivet.

First Tetsubin appeared in the 17th century. They were used to brew tea or just boil water. Those Tetsubin did not have decotrations like today's teapots.

In the 19th century infused tea became very popular. Tetsubin became primarily status symbol, rather then functional kitchen items.

Japanese prefectures Iwate and Yamagata are famous for their Tetsubin.

And now here are few guidelines on how to use Tetsubin...Do not place tetsubin directly on stove to heat. Instead, boil water separately and pour into Tetsubin.While water is being heated, pour some warm water into Tetsubin. This will warm the teapot which will keep tea warmer for longer period of time. If it is glazed, this will prevent Tetsubin's ceramic glaze from cracking when the hotter water is poured in.

How to clean Tetsubin? Just rinse inside with some water and pour out...Do not use soap and abrasive pads for cleaning. After rinsing, dry the inside and outside of Tetsubin with a piece of cloth.

Cute tea advertisment