The infussion. A global drink.

By Amelia Pérez
 

How to prepare homemade infusions for winter: benefits and herbal recipes.

This is the third post in my four-part beauty series featuring flowers and plants. Tincture, Salt maceration, Infusion, and Oil maceration.

The autumn months bring days of varied weather conditions that cause a change in our habits. From our choice of clothing to our regimen, everything adapts to the cold. With sunny days and low temperatures, colds and chills also arrive. Today, I am talking about a faithful companion for winter and colds: the infusion.

 

Enjoying my favorite infusion in my favorite mug makes the moment even more special. The secret is in the details.

  

 

When I serve an infusion, I always do it differently.

 

A global drink.

Japan, Argentina, Morocco, or the United Kingdom, winter or summer, in some corner of the planet, there is someone currently enjoying an infusion. Infusions are the most consumed beverages in the world, surpassed only by water. Every culture has its version or way of preparing, serving, and drinking them—customs that are part of their cultural and gastronomic fabric. Some of the best-known are:

• Moroccan mint tea
• Japanese green matcha tea with many benefits - present in our green tea soap
• Mate, popular in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil.
• English tea, a true event.
• Coffee. Yes, coffee is also an infusion.

 

Mint in the garden and an afternoon of tea in the workshop.

 

 

What is an infusion?

The simplest way to extract the essential components of fresh leaves and flowers is by preparing an infusion. A drink obtained from the leaves, flowers, roots, barks, fruits, or seeds of certain herbs and plants, which may or may not be aromatic. Specifically, hot water—without reaching the boiling point—is poured over these leaves, flowers, fruits, or seeds.

 

"I love offering an infusion to my guests; they still haven't said no to me."

  

 

Is there a difference between tea and an infusion?

All teas are infusions, but not all infusions are tea. In other words, tea is an infusion made with the buds, stems, and young leaves of the botanical species Camellia sinensis, a subtropical evergreen plant native to Asia but now cultivated all over the world. You might be more familiar with its first cousin, the camellia that we can find in our garden.

 

Pancakes and mate. My husband's favorite breakfast.

 

Preparation of my favorite infusion.

We will need:

• 2 sprigs of mint.
• 1 slice of fresh ginger or a pinch of ginger powder.
• 2 lemon verbena leaves.
• 1 sprig of rosemary. Learn more about the properties of rosemary.

 

 

 

Place them, washed and chopped, in a glass bowl and add hot water just before boiling (about 30g of fresh leaves or flowers for every 500ml of water; or 15g of the dried plant). Let the infusion steep, covered, for about 8–10 minutes, or until the water changes color. Strain them through a sieve lined with muslin. It should be drunk the same day.

 

Our green tea soap is made with matcha green tea and white tea. Learn more about the properties of green tea.

 

Chamomile has been traditionally recommended for indigestion and gas in nursing infants. It can be added to bathwater as aromatherapy or used in hair and facial lotions. The applications are endless. I only hope that this post has motivated you to learn more about aromatics, plants, and the endless world they have in store for us.

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I look forward to seeing you in my next post: Oil maceration