Tea Like Grandma Used To Make - A Glimpse Into South Africa

There is nothing better than a memory of something that made you happy as a child. Some of my best childhood memories come from visiting my grandparents. My grandfather would tell me silly stories, the garden was massive, and the house always smelled faintly of lavender, and 'til this day it's a smell that brings me comfort. My grandmother used to use some of the lavender to make a tea, and it was my favourite thing to drink. Recently, I added a lavender plant to my garden; and I've been trying to recreate the tea.

I think I've gotten pretty close, so I thought I'd share it with you.

• After picking a small amount of lavender, and thoroughly rinsing it, I put some water in the kettle to boil. I seem to recall my grandmother making it in a big pot, but that was for a larger quantity.
  Next, I put a paper coffee filter into a mug, along with the flowers and a rooibos tea bag.
  Rooibos tea is a staple in South Africa. I have no idea how to describe it, but it is medicinal, and has a slightly herbal but sweet taste. "Rooibos" translates to red bush, and if you hold the tea bag in the light you can see beautiful auburn flakes.

• you can easily leave out the rooibos, and have it with chamomile or any other herbal tea, this is just how I prefer it.

• I add boiling water to the cup, just enough to cover the teabag and cutting, and I leave it to steep. You can leave it for as long, or short, as you want. It all depends on how strong you want the tea.

• I usually leave it in for about 5 minutes or so.

• once at the required strength, add honey or sugar, and lemon juice if you'd like.

• and you're done! So quick and easy; and delicious when warm, but you can take it further, and make it into iced tea by simply placing it in the fridge and adding ice.

Since we're in the middle of spring here,and it's warm, I opted for the chilled version.
It is also my favourite drink after yoga. It is so refreshing, and it has no caffeine, so it is very calming after a workout.

I transferred it to a glass,so that you can see the beautiful colour.

And there you have it! A glimpse into South Africa.
Be sure to keep an eye out for my next post, which features the beginnings of a South African summer storm, (and me trying to do yoga in it).

Have a good one guys! Thanks for reading.
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Namaste