Food and Drink History : The Evolution of Tea

With regard to the evolution of tea, we all know (or most of us are in agreement) that the Chinese invented tea. That was the beginning. :)

But did you also know that, in the beginning, before there were loose tea leaves, there were tea bricks; and these bricks were deemed so valuable that they could be used as currency.

In addition, there is a legend passed down through the ages (for about 5000 years) which credits a Chinese emperor named Shennong with the discovery of how to make a tea infusion. Yah! It seems the emperor was added to an extensive list of discoverers who discovered how stuff works by accident! :)

Fortunately, the rest of the world benefits and we can all enjoy cups of wonderful brewed tea.

♦ Lawrence Jean-Louis published Cool Mix Mingle; a cultural blog mainly about the diversity of the South Florida community - the Hispanic and African influences, the blend of East (Asian) and West (European and North American), the food, art, music and more. The preceding paragraphs above are a brief summary of her post which discusses the evolution of tea.  My discovery of her blog was also accidental. But what an awesome find!  :)

REFERENCE: Jean-Louis, Lawrence. "Tea: It's Evolution from the Tree to your Cup." Cook Mix Mingle. 15 Apr. 2015. Web.

♦ ♦ ♦

Related or Similar Links:

How the Tea Bag Was Invented

Is a Season Your Reason to Drink Tea?

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Traditional Christmas Holiday Drinks: Eggnog and Wassail

Since I was born and raised in the USA, when it comes to traditional Christmas drinks I am only familiar with two: eggnog and wassail. I never even think about these two drinks any time of the year other than Christmas time.  Do you? 

Did you know?

• Eggnog is a creamy drink and mostly Americans and Canadians partake.
• Wassail is a fruity drink and mostly people in the USA and the UK partake.

Image credit:  HolidayGold Double Old Fashioned 4-Piece Glass Set by Lenox  

EGGNOG:
Even though it's tradition, eggnog is not a traditional drink in our home. Why? Because only one of my kids likes this drink, so he buys his own eggnog to enjoy. Me? I like the fact that eggnog can be used in lots of dessert recipes. Cookies, cakes, etc. However, because certain members of my family have dietary restrictions I can not make those desserts. But if other people make and serve them at a holiday gathering, I can indulge myself without feeling guilty.

You can buy eggnog ready-made in the grocery store or make your own. Once again because of special diets, many people choose to make their own ~ with or without raw eggs, with or without alcohol, some with ice cream, some with no cream, etc. Here is a traditional recipe.

Old Fashioned Homemade Eggnog

https://myfoodieluv.tumblr.com/post/702912862673387520/decadent-thick-old-fashioned-homemade-eggnog-is

WASSAIL:
As for wassail, in addition to it being a delightful warm drink, I discovered accidentally that it is wonderfully soothing for sore throats. That was an unexpected health benefit.

Most people buy a spice blend and make their own wassail using the juices they like and mixing the spices into the liquid. Some people have their own spice blends and swear that it is better than anybody else's blend. Everybody has different methods. I find that using a slow cooker works great and I let my daughter pick the spices she wants to put in the pot. Here is a link to a traditional recipe.

Old Fashioned Wassail - Accidental Happy Baker

https://myfoodieluv.tumblr.com/post/702912753395990528/old-fashioned-wassail-takes-apple-juice-cranberry

Original source


glitter-graphics.com

Wassail is a Wonderful Way to Celebrate Winter and the Holiday Spirit!

Did you know that a cup of warm wassail is very soothing to a sore throat? Yes. One time it was a Christmas holiday and I was under the weather. I had a sore throat and my daughter came over and made some wassail in a crock pot. I took one sip and it felt so good going down my throat. Who knew?

Sore throat or not, a drink of warm wassail is delicious, especially during the wintry months. There are so many recipe variations.

"Wassail is a beverage of hot mulled cider, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval Christmastide English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year." (Source: Wikipedia)

The Christmas tree and other decorations are up and I am counting the days until December 25th. For this blog post, I simply must share a wonderful wassail recipe that a friend shared with me in response to a question I asked about celebrating the Winter Solstice. I know some people don't care too much for eggnog but most people really enjoy a delicious wassail drink.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with this Wassail Recipe by Spiderdust:  Core out of some apples (not the whole way through), stuff them with sugar, put a bunch of cloves in an orange, and then roast all of the fruit for half an hour. Put the roasted fruit in a gallon of cider with some cinnamon sticks, allspice, some pieces of crystallized ginger, a few pieces of star anise, and then grate some nutmeg over it all. Optional: Throw in some fresh or frozen cranberries. Let it simmer on low all day long. People can serve themselves as they please. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.

“Here We Come A-wassailing (or Here We Come A-caroling) is an English traditional Christmas carol and New Year song, apparently composed c. 1850.  (Source)

More Wassail Recipes:

* Original acrylic elf painting, Wassail: Santa's elves at workbench, Woodworking tools, Alphabet letter W, Gift for Dad, Fantasy Christmas ~ Found on Etsy

Celebrities Who are Vegan

It's the New Year.  Everybody is thinking about making changes to their diet.  Right?  Well!   Most people are thinking that.  Sharing a link to an interesting article.

Plant-Based and Loving It! Here Are 50 Celebrities Who Went #Vegan (and MightInspire You to Do the Same)

Frankly, I could never become vegan. But I have cut down on meat and I am eating lots more fruits and veggies these days. I don't know about where you live but Where I live food prices are going up and the grocery store shelves are kind of bare. You could say my change in diet was simply adapting to whatever food is available and reasonably priced.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems. They say you should eat That's 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. A portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.

** Do you follow the “5 a Day” rule? 

This year I am going to try to DRINK my fruits and veggies, using my blender and making smoothies.

** Do you have a favorite healthy drink recipe?

Foodie Friday : Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks | Well Good

Lucky me. Years ago, had a friend who worked for Starbucks, but also worked with me at a temp job. One of his perks for being a Starbucks employee was getting a free of bag of coffee. At our temp job he would bring it in and let us brew a pot. What a friend huh??

However ... do you only go to Starbucks for the coffee? OK. It's true. They do have great coffee! But that's not all they've got!

The secret immune-boosting smoothie you should be ordering at Starbucks | Well Good

For Foodie Friday ~ 

Wishing Everybody a Happy Smoothie Friday!!

#Breakfasting ❣️🍇🌾

It's all centred around the #Wheatgrass #smoothie

~ With which I've fallen in love. pic.twitter.com/xDUNnSiZP4

— Catherine Skye Knott (@catskye88) August 11, 2017

How to make #smoothie pic.twitter.com/ezHFHGkqpk

— Mr. (@9oltan) August 3, 2017

A green #smoothie a day keeps #doctor away: https://t.co/JGmKCFv3YT #NonGMO #Organic pic.twitter.com/qskNLQJUJi

— Organic Live Food (@OrganicLiveFood) August 9, 2017

Visit our blog to make the perfect #hemp, mint and watermelon recovery #smoothie! https://t.co/LihkDNbPrI pic.twitter.com/kr1uDjm2c4

— Mettrum Originals (@mettrumoriginal) August 11, 2017

Guide for using LEAFY GREENS in #SMOOTHIES. I start every day with a different #greensmoothie blend- a great way to increase your greens pic.twitter.com/t4nJtL50JY

— The Blender Girl (@theblendergirl) August 6, 2017

Sip on This All-Natural and Not-so-Sugary #unicornfrappuccino : https://t.co/0wrVziFK5n #healthy #starbucks #Coffee #smoothies #Foodie

— Michele Capellupo (@PlanAhead_) April 29, 2017

Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Maria Nasir Shares Her Recipe for a Refreshing Summer Drink Made With Mango and Chia Seeds

Maria Nasir Shares Her Recipe for a Refreshing Summer Drink Made With Mango and Chia Seeds.  The mango fruit is surely a delight to anybody's taste buds.  If you have never tasted a mango you are missing out and there is no reason why you should.  If you can not find them at your local grocery store they can be purchased online.  (See below.)

Mango and Chia Seed Drink, a Gold Mine of #Vitamins ~ https://t.co/eouclym1AL ~ Maria Nasir Shares Her #Recipe for a Refreshing #Summer #Drink Made With #Mango and #ChiaSeeds … #foodanddrink pic.twitter.com/AY599RngYs

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) April 21, 2019

Food Gifts : Mangos - 4 lbs ~ Available at The Fruit Company
Grown in tropical regions, we bring in the most delicious mangos available. Hand selected by our team, we only ship mangoes that have their well known distinctive sweet taste and are ready to enjoy. Send a mango gift box rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and so delicious.






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Food Blog Spotlight : From My Own Kitchen: Pomegranate Milkshake (Reblog)

Years back I started a pinboard dedicated to pomegranates. (See board description below.) I heart pomegranates.  Pinned this post to my pinboard and I am also reblogging the link here.  "From My Own Kitchen" is a wonderful food blog.  The post archives date back to 2012. Have you ever had a pomegranate milkshake?

From My Own Kitchen: Pomegranate Milkshake

Here are a few more pomegranate recipes found at the same blog.

Check out my collection of POMEGRANATES on Pinterest  (Recipes, products made with pomegranates, pomegranates in art, etc.)

DESCRIPTION:  Pomegranates: wonder fruit; super food; delicious! ~ Researched the history of this exquisite exotic wonderful fruit and fell in love with it! ~ As if the crimson red color were not enough to make me hopelessly devoted. ~ Now on a mission to find and share all things foodie for this fruity delight! ~ http://wizzley.com/exotic-fruit-pomegranates/ ~ Board maintained by http://everydayspices.webs.com/

Do You Know the Truth About Pomegranates?
Take a fun quiz.