Interesting Blend Of Teas: Cinnamon With Laurel
Cinnamon and laurel are two spices that are not normally combined with each other, but they go well together.
When you think of cinnamon, you think of Christmas, winter and cinnamon stars. When it comes to laurel, our mouths water because we think of delicious fish dishes or game specialties. But both seldom come together on the table. Try a tea blend with these ingredients.
Cinnamon and bay leaf: the delicious duo of the tea mixture
Up until now you thought that the only connection between cinnamon and bay leaf is that both spices are preferably used in winter?
But never combined in a single dish? Then it’s probably just because you haven’t tried the combination yet!
In this article, we would like to provide you with some interesting information about cinnamon and bay leaf and encourage you to discover these two spices combined with each other – as a delicious, warming tea mixture!
Also discover what else you can use bay leaf and cinnamon for!
Interesting facts about cinnamon
Cinnamon is mainly sold and used ground as a powder, but cinnamon sticks are also common in order to cook them in hot drinks or desserts or to create fragrant decoration ideas during the Christmas season.
They also give off a spicy scent when smoked or in potpourris.
However, one thing is important if you want to consume cinnamon and not just use it for decoration: there are basically two different types of cinnamon that are commercially available as a spice.
Look carefully at the packaging to see which type of cinnamon you are putting in your shopping basket!
The classic Ceylon cinnamon grows in Burma, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka and has a finer, more noble and velvety aroma.
Cassia cinnamon, which comes in large quantities in often dubious quality from China, spices more spicy, almost penetrating and cheaper. The latter is ideal if you only want to use it for decorating but not for eating.
You can also tell the difference in the rolls that are formed from the bark: Cassia cinnamon is cut into thicker slices of bark before it is formed into rather massive, not very delicate and break-proof rolls. Ideal for decoration or room scenting!
The thinner, more fragile, more fragile and finely-leaved, the higher the probability that it is Ceylon cinnamon, which is ideal for consumption.
Basically you should always only use Ceylon cinnamon for consumption and only choose the cassia variant for decoration purposes and for scenting.
The latter contains considerable amounts of coumarin, which is naturally toxic.
After a test, the Stiftung Warentest warned of many cinnamon stars and other Christmas cookies that were seasoned with the cheaper cassia variety and contained up to 37 times higher coumarin values than allowed!
So be sure to pay attention to which cinnamon you buy for consumption!
Interesting facts about laurel
In Europe, laurel only grows in the Mediterranean area because it is not really hardy.
Depending on the location, it can grow into a tree up to 10m high, but you will never succeed in this in a flower pot, so you don’t have to worry if you decide to take the evergreen plant with you.
The leaves contain essential oils that release the spicy, characteristic aroma when heated (for example in soup or tea).
The fruits are fatty, they are used to make laurel oil, which can be used in many ways, but of course does not refine the tea. You will need bay leaves for this.
Don’t be afraid to try laurel and try everything you can season with it! For example, if you cook boiled potatoes as a side dish to fish, you should try seasoning the potatoes’ cooking water with a bay leaf.
Laurel needs liquid to develop its aroma, which is why you can fully savor all of its aromas in tea. The longer the cooking time of the dish, the better for the bay leaf!
If the cooking time is only short, you will therefore need more leaves to achieve the same flavorful result.
Recipe for bay leaf and cinnamon tea mixture
For a delicious tea blend that you can drink both as a cold refreshment and hot, you need:
- 1 liter of water
- 5g cinnamon (whole or ground)
- 6 bay leaves
If you don’t have a cinnamon stick, you can make the tea mixture with a teaspoon of ground spice, but this will make the tea a little cloudy and a kind of sediment will form.
The aroma of bay leaves unfolds optimally if you enlarge the surface of the leaf. So before cooking, tear it from the edge to the midrib so that it appears feathery and is only held together by the midrib.
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and let them simmer together for at least five minutes. Then pour the finished tea mixture through a tea strainer and enjoy it hot or cold.
Tip: Try the tea together with the following spices: vanilla, lemon, orange, …
