Solving problems in tea in three parts
I used the Star-Support-Splash steps to blend my way to a solid foundation.
When I was creating what is now our Ground Work blend, I wasn’t blending a floral tea infusion. I was solving a problem.
I needed a not-tea to balance all the other tasting and developing Joanna and I were doing in 2024 on baking, teas, cocoas, spices and other sweet things. I needed something to support me through all of those challenges of having to eat fine chocolate and cookies and such all the time. The struggle was real!
Seriously, though, doing that and operating our storefront and all the other things 2024 included–I was having trouble staying hydrated and resilient, and water wasn’t cutting it. I also just needed something somewhat anti-sweet to my palate.
Blending guide and AMOT tea blending class assortment
Star - Support - Splash
Using our version of the classic three part tea blend structure, I needed to focus Star Solution power on hydration with foundation, which for me means minerals and collagen encouragement. That took me right to starring roles for butterfly pea and supportive grasses, like lemongrass and oat straw. The core of the blend was set, along with a mouthfeel, a little silky from the butterfly pea and oat grass, and a flavor tone from the lemongrass.
For our Supporting Cast, tulsi, or cinnamon basil, is a personal favorite. I find it hard to leave out for the mint-adjacent flavor and adaptogenic reputation. I also added bitter notes like chrysanthemum, sparking liver function to help me deal with all the hard work I was doing tasting chocolate and shortbread all day…sigh.
The Splash of Flavor in Ground Work is already there, in the lemongrass and tulsi, tempered with a bite from the chrysanthemum, but variations of this blend have also had a dose of lemon balm, and even honeysuckle or kafir lime leaf. The latest versions have landed on organic rosemary as a final splash to elevate the astringent and crisp aromatic notes in the blend that remind our noses and mouths what this semi-savory refreshment is all about.
Dry and steeping flowers for tea
The result?
A brisk clean sip that brews up a calm oceanic blue, smooth and cooling. As one taster at a recent market said:
“This is what water would taste like, if it had a choice.”
That’s exactly what I wanted from this one, and it also happens to be amazing as a blend-in for green tea.
But the foundation also sets the tone, so Ground Work is also quite the drama queen given a hint of tart, turning shades of indigo and purple with a twist. Sweeten it up with honey and give us a ginger curl, and we’re in a whole other universe of ready to face anything.
Our Essential Starting Point
In workshops, this is the foundation hydrator that sets our workshop tone, surprise to the eye, pleasant to the taste, yet welcomed deeply by the body! Then there’s the fun drama of color changes and taste twists, and a deep breath ends with a smile. We are ready to begin!
Finding a blend that does the work we need in our workshops and in your home means making sure we can feel good about the quality of the ingredients we can get to do that job. In today’s dynamic times, it’s good to partner with organizations like Mountain Rose Herbs and Frontier Organics for the ingredients and education we trust.
