Wintersweet, ginger and lemon balm tea. Do you know wintersweet, Calycanthus praecox? Its name means winter flower; you immediately recognise it by the wonderful scent it gives off. You also notice its bare branches covered in small wax-like blossoms. Wintersweet blooms in January, even in the frost, so it is a plant full of energy and it can give a little of that energy to us.
There is a very sweet legend about wintersweet, do you know it?
It is said that God wanted to reward the wintersweet because it had given shelter to a small robin in a cold January. No other tree had wanted to welcome the little bird; only the wintersweet was moved and offered the small robin shelter among its now-bare branches and dry leaves. Then God was touched and made a shower of shining, fragrant stars fall upon its branches, which became the little yellow flowers of the wintersweet.
So, if you have a blooming wintersweet plant in your garden or someone you know does, keep the little flowers (be careful: do not use the seeds, which are toxic) only the flowers, dry them, and use the petals to prepare this tasty tea with fresh ginger and lemon balm leaves.
You can also prepare wintersweet oil: in 100 g of almond oil put one cup of fresh wintersweet flowers. Close in a jar and leave in the dark for 20 days. Then strain; it’s excellent for the face and for hands chapped by the cold.
If you like preparing herbal teas you can also see:
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 1
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
- Energy 0.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 0.18 (g) of which sugars 0.02 (g)
- Proteins 0.04 (g)
- Fat 0.01 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 0.02 (g)
- Sodium 8.17 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp edible flowers (calycanthus (wintersweet))
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 tbsp lemon balm (leaves)
- 3/4 cup water (boiling)
Tools
- 1 Cup
Steps
Bring the water to a boil. In an infuser add the tablespoon of grated fresh ginger, a tablespoon of lemon balm and a tablespoon of wintersweet flowers.
Let steep for 10 minutes and pour into a cup.
Tips from Thyme and Lentils
Remember: before taking herbs and flowers, seek advice from an herbalist and, if you are taking medication, also consult your doctor to ensure there are no contraindications.
