A Smoke Cleansing Tea
February is behind the corner, and with February will the season of light finally begin. Today, sunshine as clear as glass makes frost glitter like fairy dust everywhere around me. As it often happens, February also brings in a spell of freezing weather, just so you don't get your hopes too high as the light comes back. Yes, it might be brighter now, but you're still gonna hate getting out of the house; for a bit, at least.
My Smoke Cleansing tea recipe is just perfect for this time of the year. It is inspired by the colour and smell of embers in a fireplace, as well as the cleansing properties of smoke and fire. Moreover, oranges are a symbol of good fortune in China, and lemon just feels clean and cleansing. As a whole, this tea scratches the itch to get rid of the stale and start anew. It won't clear you of toxins, but the good news is: you don't need a tea to do that for you, because your liver and kidneys are already doing a good job of that.
Lapsang souchong is a smoked tea originating from the Fujian region of China. The first time I was introduced to it, it was presented as "scotch-flavoured tea", and that's a very fitting description. It really does smell like Laphroaig, just without the alcohol sting. This tea shouldn't be too hard to find, but if you can't, or don't like it, just use normal black tea.
Ingredients
- Lapshang souchong (alternatively, black tea), 1 part
- Dried orange peel, 1 part
- Dried lemon peel, 1 part
- Optional: a dried wheel of orange or lemon
Instructions
Break the citrus peels into small pieces, then mix all ingredients in equal parts in a glass jar. Let the mixture rest for at least a day to allow the flavours to combine.
Use one teaspoon of the mixture per cup. Steep in water at 95° C for 3-4 minutes. Pour in a black or white cup and enjoy as hot as you can handle.
If you made a big batch, you can store it in a glass or tin container with a tight lid. You can use the dried citrus wheel as decoration and to reinforce the tea's meowgical properties: use an orange wheel to emphasize good fortune and the colour of fire. Use a lemon wheel to focus on cleansing and mimic the sun.
Enjoy it for real. Hide away your phone, make yourself comfortable and just do nothing but drink the tea and sit with your thoughts. Inhale the smoky aroma. Feel the heat of the cup on your hands. Notice the hot liquid as it travels down your throat and warms you from your core. In a world that spins faster and faster, there is great power in just sitting still.