Pitta Soothing Tea

Cucumber water is getting boring. Mint and lime are delicious, but overdone. I have been craving something…more. A little more body, a little more flavor, something to really cool me down. Luckily, I came across Amadea Morningstar’s Pitta Soothing Tea recipe at exactly the right time.

I decided to brew up a batch before a day at the river. The heat was scheduled to be over 90 degrees that day—hydration was going to be essential. Creating the blend and following the recipe was simple. The only difficultly had been boiling a kettle full of water in my kitchen with no air conditioning! As soon at the tea had steeped for 10 minutes, I put it in the refrigerator to chill.

On first sip, I was surprised to find that the flavor of the tea was slightly bitter and herbaceous, despite the sweet guise of the deep pink hue from hibiscus petals. This makes sense, as bitter is one of the three tastes that balance excess Pitta (sweet and astringent are the others). While I enjoyed the combination of flavors in the original recipe, I decided to add a touch of honey to the cool tea, just to suit my own tastes.

Pitta Soothing Tea

Ingredients: 4 c. water 2 T. dried alfalfa leaves 3 T. dried comfrey 1 T. spearmint 1 T. red clover 1/8 t. fennel seeds 1 T. dried hibiscus flowers 1 T. rose petals

Bring water to a boil in a stainless steel saucepan. Remove from heat and add herbs. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes or more. Strain, squeezing the tea out of herbs well. Sweeten with a little maple syrup if you like. Good hot or cool.

Comment: This is a particularly nutritive tea for Pitta, for overall strengthening and tonifying. It is a strong brew. If you like, you can dilute it with an additional two cups of water. Plain chamomile or mint make good simple teas for calming Pitta, when simplicity is the priority.

Reference: Recipe reprinted with permission from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar, Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, WI 53181.©1995 All Rights Reserved.

The tea was a hit on the river that afternoon. Not only was it nice to have a cool drink, but I could feel the refrigerant effect inside my whole body as well. No overheating for me! When I got back home, I made a double batch of the loose tea blend to have on hand for the next heat-scorching day.

Would you try this tea to cool off? What else have you been sipping on in the shade this summer?