On the Use of Herbs as Tisanes

Tea, is a drink made from steeping tea leaves (Camillia sinensis) in hot water. When tea leaves are missing, it just isn't so apt to call them tea anymore. Some people call these herbal teas but I personally insist that we should call them tisanes to make a distinction of the presence of tea (hence caffeine).

The steps to make fine tisanes are fairly easy:

1. Grow the herbs
2. Use scissors or appropriate tools to snip off healthy leaves or plant top with healthy leaves
3. Wash the leaves [optional]
4. You can steep your tisane if you prefer using fresh leaves (please wash leaves if you skipped step #3)
5. Air dry the excess/leftover leaves for 1-3 weeks away from sunlight(sun drying might destroy or evaporate some nice compounds) 
6. Keep dried leaves properly in a sealed container
7. Pick some dried leaves to steep when required (please wash leaves if you skipped step #3)

These are some of the common herbs that can be grown in Malaysia with some of their benefits. I'm writing this from memory and impression, so there will be a lot more benefits that I may not remember.

Basil

Be it Thai, Indian, sweet or lemon basil, as long as it is basil (Ocimum) genus, you can get tasty tisane out of it. These herbs are generally warming to the body.

Benefits: respiratory & digestive problems such as cough, sorethroat, indigestion, strengthens the spirit

Bitter gourd leaves

This one, I've researched and tested once, it seems bitter gourd leaves are edible. They are just as bitter as the gourd. It is a cooling herb.

Benefits: similar to bitter gourd, it is good for digestive problems as well as diabetes

Guava Leaves

Not just guava fruits are edible, their leaves can make tasty tisanes too.

Benefits: good for curbing diarrhea, said to be beneficial for blood cholesterol and diabetes

Jasmine flowers

Make sure you get the actual Jasminum genus. Orange jasmine or citrus jasmine is NOT of Jasminum genus. Jasmine flowers are best picked early in the morning when they are about to bloom. The fragrance of jasmine is pleasant & relaxing.

Benefits: Relaxing, calming, anti-stress, aphrodisiac

Lemon balm

This plant has a very strong lemony fragrance to it. It can be used as substitute for lemongrass in cooking.

Benefits: Very calming, suitable for insomnia, also useful for strengthening the mind

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is trickier than other herbs, you need to cut off the young leaves and use only the main stem. Those who cook should know about this. Preferably, use lemongrass fresh. Smash the stem and cook for 5 min. Lemongrass goes well with pandan leaves. Lemongrass is warming.

Benefits: respiratory & digestive problems such as cough, sorethroat, indigestion, strengthens the mind

Mint

Peppermint, spearmint, pudina, applemint, pineapple mint and many other varieties are available. Personally, I love peppermint because of the peppery and cooling taste to it. Mints are fairly easy to grow so it is a very good choice. Mints are cooling when warm, warming when cool.

Benefits: respiratory & digestive problems such as cough, sorethroat, indigestion, calming to the body & mind

Misai Kucing

Cat's whisker is a local plant that can be grown very easily.

Benefits: Said to be good for cholesterol issues & diabetes

Pegaga

Personally, I have yet used this herb before, neither have I researched deeply in it. However, given all the popularity in this website, it is a herb worthy of note.

Benefits: Mood regulation (this is the only one I know... LOL)

Rose flowers

Rose flowers should be picked either before they bloom (to avoid having bugs in the buds) or after they have bloomed (and pluck off the petals). Roses are actually quite nutritious and can be used as a good tisane supplement. Roses are warming.

Benefits: tonic to the heart & liver, promotes intestinal flora health, calming, aphrodisiac

Rosemary

Rosemary is often used in cooking and can also be enjoyed as tisanes. The sharp fragrance is a good wake up call to the body. This herb has a very warming effect.

Benefits: has quite a lot of antioxidants, promotes blood circulation, has been claimed to improve memory (via better blood circulation and oxygenation of the brain)

Sage

This plant can be quite productive if you can manage to establish the plant. My sage plant is producing much more than enough for my own consumption. Sage can smell awful to some people, so mixing sage with tulasi (Indian basil) can make the taste much more palatable.

Benefits: causes sweating to break fever, antiseptic, good for mouth ulcer

Stevia

This plant is a great natural sweetener to substitute for sugar.

Benefits: useful for diabetic patients

Thyme

Although the leaves are small, this plant has fragrance that can give you a punch. This herb is warming.

Benefits: useful for mouth ulcer, respiratory issue such as cough & cold

That's all for now... I will add more information when I have time. Happy gardening & happy being healthy. ;) 

On General Cultivation of Herbs

Definitions of Herb

1. any non-woody flowering plant, regardless of its flavor, scent or other properties, and thus includes only grass-like plants and forbs.
2. any plants with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume or parts of such a plant as used in cooking.
3. a plant used for adding flavor to food or as a medicine.

These are very general definitions and I will speak briefly, in general sense, on the cultivation and care of general herbs. Some herbs may have special/specific needs, so do study them well if you intend to make them thrive like rabbits on steroid.

Sourcing of herb plants

1. buy from nursery.
2. exchange with/buy from/get free from MG members.
3. buy fresh herb from market/supermarket, strip off the leaves to cook/eat and just stick the stems into soil. Keep in shade and water sparingly (make sure the soil is moist) for 2-3 weeks. Those that survived should have roots and can be transplanted at this stage.
4. snatch from road side, if you are so lucky to find them around unowned.

Encouraging growth

1. Make sure the conditions are right. Factors to consider: light exposure, temperature, air humidity, water requirement, soil requirement, soil space requirement (Big/small pot? Deep/shallow pot?).
2. Fertilisation done at appropriate interval with appropriate amount definitely helps.
3. Snipping off the tip of the plant to encourage branching. Refer to these two links to see how:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151534364834616&set=o.264226477027092&type=1&theaterhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151293017701348&set=a.497514111347.303280.557876347&type=3&permPage=1
4. Propagate more plants to get more harvest.

Propagation method

1. Just stick your cuttings into the soil. Cuttings should be around 2-5 inches. To increase success rate, it is recommended to snip off some leaves to reduce water loss during this period. If you want your plant to grow upright, snip off the older big leaves and keep the tiny tender leaves. If you want your plant to grow into a bush, snip off the young top and leave 2-4 larger leaves. This will force the plant to save up energy for branching.
2. Some herbs will flower & seed, such as Thai basil, Indian basil (tulasi). So, you can just use the seeds to grow more.

Tips on herbs

1. If you intend to keep your herbs, air dry them instead of sun drying. This will help retain fragrance & nutrient better
2. Some herbs grow "old" while others will wither (annuals, biannuals and so on), so you should harvest them and propagate them as needed so that they remain in prime health. One of the most common plant I have problem with is mint. Mints will start to become unhealthy once they reach a certain age/size. But I am not sure if it is my problem of not providing them with enough nutrient or what. So, I make do with harvesting them once they reach prime condition.

I think this is all I can think of for the moment. I hope this simple compilation is useful for everyone. :D Gimme feedback if there is anything I can add. Or if anyone has anything better or useful to put in. Thanks.

Easy Fruit Juice

This is a quick and simple recipe.

Green apple x 1
Orange x 1
Banana x 1

Peel and cut out accordingly, put into a blender with a bit of water and salt. BLEND!

Simple and yummy juice!