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Bulgur: Origin, Sustainability and Nutrients

Bulgur is a popular alternative to rice, noodles and the like – with an oriental flair! Here you can find out what bulgur is, where it comes from and which basic recipe you use to prepare it.

Bulgur has its home in the Middle East, where it is still an integral part of the local cuisine. Bulgur has also found its way to us from Iran, Lebanon and Turkey. Bulgur is not only enjoying increasing popularity in vegetarian and vegan cuisine: for many, bulgur brings a refreshing change to the menu.

Bulgur – wholesome grain from the Middle East

Grains are the base from which bulgur is made. Traditionally, bulgur is made from durum wheat. How bulgur is made:
The whole grains are first soaked in water for several hours.
They are then dried and roasted for several hours.
Finally, the roasted grains are roughly broken up.
The gentle and lengthy production method makes bulgur particularly easy to digest.

Bulgur from the local field

In addition to bulgur made from durum wheat, there are also variants based on buckwheat, spelt and barley in organic quality. That means: Even if bulgur has its origins in the Middle East, you can buy it from regional cultivation. Locally produced bulgur means:
a lower energy consumption
shorter transport routes
and support for local farmers.
Conventionally produced bulgur is also often bleached with caustic soda to give it its light, almost white colour. You can get unbleached bulgur from organic farming. As a rule, caustic soda is not used here.

Bulgur is that healthy

Because the whole grain is processed, bulgur is packed with vitamins, fiber, minerals, and nutrients. Bulgur is a high-quality food and also keeps you full for a long time. 100 grams of bulgur contains about 76 grams of carbohydrates and has about 340 calories. If you suffer from gluten intolerance, you can use buckwheat bulgur.

Bulgur goes with (almost) everything

Slightly salted and sprinkled with some chopped parsley, bulgur is a delicious alternative to rice. The bulgur prepared in this way is also the main ingredient for tabbouleh, an oriental salad with bulgur, cucumber, tomato and mint. Due to its relatively neutral taste, bulgur can also be used to conjure up delicious desserts.

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Nutmeg: Origin, Effect and Use

Gingerbread or mulled wine would be unimaginable without nutmeg. But nutmeg goes well with many other dishes. Here we explain what you need to know about their ingredients and use.

Cultivation and origin of nutmeg

Strictly speaking, nutmeg is not a nut at all, but a seed from the nutmeg tree, which originally comes from Indonesia. The nutmeg that you find in stores in this country mostly comes from Africa or South America these days. Grenada is the main export country.

The five to eighteen meter high nutmeg tree is evergreen and very choosy: it does not like temperatures below 20 and above 30 degrees Celsius. It only bears the first fruits after eight years.

The seeds form from apricot-like fruits that burst open after about nine months, releasing the seed. The seed coat, called mace, is carefully removed and what remains is the core, which has to be dried for a few weeks until it separates from its shell.

Incidentally, nutmeg used to be a well-kept secret, which made the spice very expensive in the Middle Ages. The healing effects of nutmeg have long been appreciated.

Healing effects of nutmeg

Nutmeg is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and sodium, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and B complexes. Nutmeg also contains 16 percent essential oils. It is said to have the following healing effects:
Nutmeg is said to strengthen and strengthen the intestines, help with intestinal problems and stomach weakness and, due to special extracts, against flatulence.
Nutmeg is also said to help with gallbladder or liver weakness or cardiac insufficiency. But be careful, always consult a doctor first!
Nutmeg can have a calming and relaxing effect, for example in warm milk, so that it can also help with insomnia.
Early on, nutmeg was also considered a sexual enhancer and aphrodisiac.
Used on the skin – either in creams as nutmeg butter or as a powder stirred into warm water, nutmeg can also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Nutmeg toxins

However, the first rule with nutmeg is: in moderation, not masses. Because nutmeg contains the toxic substance myristicin, which can have a hallucinogenic effect and can thus cause intoxication or even poisoning.

The intoxicating effect can start from around four grams of nutmeg. The condition can last up to 48 hours and comes with a number of unpleasant side effects:

Consumption can cause hallucinations.
Nutmeg in too large amounts can bring on stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
It also causes heart palpitations and headaches.
The effects of a nutmeg intoxication are unpredictable and can lead to horrific trips through the combination of physical symptoms and hallucinations.

Nutmeg contains small amounts of the substance safrole, which is suspected of being carcinogenic. Myristicin also inhibits a certain type of enzyme called MAO enzymes, which are responsible for breaking down norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin.

This inhibition makes “normal” foods toxic. These include tofu, aged cheese, smoked or dried meat or fish products, some types of wine, sauerkraut, products containing cocoa or caffeine, or alcohol.

Buying and Using Nutmeg

Nutmeg can be bought in various forms: as a whole fruit, which you can grate yourself with a nutmeg grater, as a ready-to-go powder or as nutmeg butter. However, nutmeg is also sold as an essential oil or in spice blends such as garam masala.

You should make sure to buy fair trade and organic spices. Whole nutmegs keep for three to four years with almost no loss of flavor and thus significantly longer than already grated nutmeg or nutmeg butter. With whole nutmegs you also avoid the risk of getting bad products: The humid climate in which the nutmeg tree grows promotes some molds that can circulate through illegal processing of infested fruit.

In the kitchen you can use nutmeg in many dishes:
Christmassy in gingerbread and mulled wine
sauces, in particular béchamel sauce
Mashed potatoes or similar potato dishes
Vegetables: For example spinach, cauliflower, carrots or kohlrabi
stews

Mazis: The “mace” from the seed coat

Less well known is mace: The spice is also incorrectly called mace, although mace is actually made from the seed coat of the nutmeg seeds. The aroma of mace is similar to that of nutmeg, only slightly milder.

However, mace loses its flavor much faster than nutmeg. Maze is sold either in powder form or in strips of flowers.

You can use mace in just as many ways as nutmeg: in a quiche, in a risotto, with potatoes or spinach or in pastries.

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Fir Honey: Effect and Origin of The Special Honey

Fir honey is a special delicacy among honeys that are rarely available for purchase. Honey connoisseurs appreciate it for its special taste, but also for its health effects.

Fir honey – a special forest honey

Types of honey are divided into blossom honey and honeydew honey, the latter also being referred to as forest honey. While blossom honey is mainly obtained from the nectar of plant blossoms, so-called honeydew is the starting substance for forest honey. This is a sweet liquid excreted by plant-sucking insects. The bees collect this substance and use it to produce honey.

The honeydew for the fir honey comes from aphids that have settled on fir trees. These scale and bark lice feed on the plant sap, which is mainly found on the needle tips of the fir tree. What the microorganisms then excrete is ultimately the starting material from which the fir honey is made.

Fir honey is therefore a forest honey that can only be obtained in fir forests. In this country it is the silver fir, which is why the honey is often referred to as silver fir honey.

That is why fir honey is so precious

In Germany, “fir honey” is a protected term: beekeepers are only allowed to call their honey that if it actually comes exclusively from the honeydew of the silver fir trees. The Black Forest is the most notable area of ​​silver fir that is large enough for the extraction of fir honey. The designation Black Forest fir honey or Black Forest silver fir honey is therefore often found. In addition, there is sometimes fir honey from the Swabian Jura for sale.

But the fir honey is not only locally limited, but also dependent on the weather conditions. Because the amount of plant sap, but above all that of the settled aphids, is only sufficient under certain climatic conditions to extract the honey. In the Black Forest, this is only possible every two to three years.

This makes fir honey a rarity that also has its price: 500 grams of organic silver fir honey is not available for less than 10 euros.

Fir honey: properties and effects

Fir honey is not only special in its origin, but also in its other characteristics:
Appearance: As is typical for forest honeys, fir honey has a dark colour. Depending on its origin, it is reddish-brown to almost black, but sometimes also dark green.
Taste: Fir honey has a strong, tart, spicy taste with resinous aromas and an unmistakable note of fir. As forest honey, it has more acid and therefore tastes a little less sweet than blossom honey.
Consistency: Like all forest honeys, fir honey has a slightly firmer consistency, but remains liquid longer. If it does crystallize, you can liquefy it again in a warm water bath (below 40°C!).
Components: The high fructose content is characteristic of fir honey. The fructose-glucose ratio here is about 1:3. It contains healthy essential oils and is particularly rich in enzymes. As forest honey, it also provides more trace elements and minerals than blossom honey, according to the Bavarian Consumer Advice Center.

But fir honey is not only appreciated for its special taste – it is also said to be particularly healthy:
Since forest honey generally contains more trace elements and minerals, it is generally considered healthier than blossom honey.
What is special about fir honey, however, is the high content of essential oils: For this reason, it is considered a good home remedy for respiratory diseases.
Furthermore, the enzymes it contains are relevant to its health effects: Its antibacterial effect is mainly attributed to the enzymes glucose oxidase and catalase.
Fir honey is also said to have an anti-infective effect and also provide relief for urinary tract disorders.

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Turnip Greens: Origin, Nutrients and Recipes

Turnip sticks or turnip greens are vegetables that very few people know. Here you can find out all about its distribution, nutrients and which recipes it goes with.

Stick Mushrooms: Vegetables with a long tradition

Turmeric has been cultivated for many centuries, especially in the Rhineland and North Rhine-Westphalia. Since the vegetable grows in many areas of Germany, it does not have to be transported far to be sold. This makes turnips particularly sustainable.

Rübstalk is a type of turnip. In the past, these were planted so close together that the beet fruit could no longer develop. The leaves grew bigger and bigger. Today, turnips can grow up to 25 centimeters in size – the beets remain very small and tender.

Buy seasonally: Season has turnips from spring, around mid-April, through summer, late May to early June. There is a second harvest in October. The best place to buy turnips is at weekly markets or from well-stocked greengrocers.

Grow turnips yourself: If you have a garden or a balcony, you can simply grow turnips yourself. The best way to get organic seed is from an organic farmer near you.

It is best to sow the vegetables in early March or early September. Since turnip butter is very frugal, it grows in practically any location in any soil. You should only water it regularly – then you can harvest the healthy vegetables after about five to seven weeks.

These nutrients make turnips so healthy

Turnip sticks are a real nutrient bomb. It can be integrated particularly well into a conscious diet. Per 100 grams turnip greens contain:
30 calories
0.2 grams of fat
3 grams of protein
3 grams of carbohydrates
2.3 grams of dietary fiber
In addition, turnip butter is rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A). According to the BzfE (Federal Center for Nutrition), it also contains significant amounts of folic acid, calcium, iron and the secondary plant active ingredient mustard oil glycoside.

Health-promoting properties are ascribed to all ingredients: Due to the high vitamin C content, turnip butter is said to promote the immune system and the beta-carotene protects the body’s cells by binding free radicals. Calcium strengthens and builds bones and teeth and mustard oil glycoside even has a slight antibacterial effect.

Preparation and recipes for turnip greens

You can prepare turnips raw, boiled or cooked. In principle, you process it just like Swiss chard. Raw turnip butter goes particularly well with salads. To do this, wash the turnip leaves and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Then serve them with onions and tomatoes, for example.

You can also use turnips as a side dish with fish and poultry and as a soup vegetable.

Tip: If possible, do not use meat from factory farming, but use organic quality products. The DGE recommends consuming a maximum of 300 to 600 grams of meat per week – this also protects the climate. In Greenpeace’s fish guide, you can find out which types of fish are still ecologically justifiable to buy and which ones you should better keep your hands off.

When you cook turnip greens, you should separate the leaves and stalks first, then wash them well. Put the stalks in boiling water first. They take a little longer to finish cooking. If you want to use the leaves as well, just add them 3-4 minutes before the end of the cooking time, depending on the recipe.

Always use fresh turnips. You shouldn’t keep it in the fridge for more than a day or two. Wrapping the veggies in a damp kitchen towel will keep them fresh a little longer.

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Bhut Jolokia: Origin, Scoville, Use and Cultivation

Bhut Jolokia has over a million Scoville and is considered one of the hottest chillies. But where does the chili plant come from and can you grow it in your own garden?

Bhut Jolokia: The hottest chili?

Bhut Jolokia is one of the hottest known chili varieties. With over a million Scoville units, use this chili with caution. Scoville measures the degree of spiciness of pepper plants, which include the Bhut Jolokia.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment classifies too much spiciness or foods with too high a capsaicin content as harmful to health. However, there is only a risk if you consume an excessive amount of it.

The chili plant Bhut Jolokia comes from north-east India. Hot chili varieties and spicy food are widespread there. Meanwhile, you can also find Bhut Jolokia outside of India. You can recognize them by their wavy exterior.

Cultivation and use of the Bhut Jolokia

The chili fruit, which belongs to the Capsicum chinense family, is said to grow up to four meters high in India. One to two meters is actually normal. The fruits are between five and eight centimeters long.

Traditionally, Bhut Jolokia is grown in intercropping, mainly between rice plants. It is harvested in August and September. The advantage of mixed cultures between rice plants is that the fine leaves of the chilli plant do not burn. If Bhut Jolokia is not grown in paddy fields, you will find it in shady places in gardens.

If you want to plant the chili in your own garden or on your balcony, you should pay attention to a few things:
The germination temperature of the seeds should be between 26 and 32 degrees Celsius.
The chilli plant also likes it moist, which is why it feels so at home in the rice fields.
Give her time to germinate. This can take up to 36 days.
If you prefer to start seedlings, they should be around two months old before planting them in the garden.
The time between sowing and harvesting can last up to 160 days.
Whether you get a successful harvest depends mainly on whether your soil reaches the desired germination temperature.

Preserve Bhut Jolokia

If your experiment is successful and your harvest is productive, you can use the fruits of the Bhut Jolokia fresh or preserve them. So you can enjoy spicy dishes all year round.

Since it is also monsoon season in India during the harvest phase, chillies are not dried there. In Germany, of course, things are different. Maybe you even have a dehydrator, which is a big energy guzzler.

Instead of drying the chillies, they are often smoked or preserved in oil. In the country of origin, mustard oil and lemon juice are often used for pickling.

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Basmati Rice: Nutrients, Origin and Preparation

Basmati rice is present in almost every kitchen today. The Indian fragrant rice goes well with curries and oriental dishes. You can read about the growing conditions and how healthy basmati rice is in our guide.

Basmati rice: The aromatic type of rice from India

Basmati rice is an aromatic fragrant rice grown mainly in India and Pakistan. It is known for its slightly nutty aroma and originally comes from Afghanistan. People there use it mainly in oriental and Indian dishes.

Basmati rice is one of the long grain rice varieties. That is, the rice grains are long and narrow and hardly stick. Therefore, the rice remains fluffy and grainy after cooking.

Like most rice varieties, basmati rice is grown in flooded fields. Regions at the foot of the Himalayas and areas on the banks of the Ganges are particularly suitable for this. The rice fields are supplied with sufficient water by the melt water, the monsoon rains and the water-rich river.

Growing Basmati Rice: How Sustainable is it?

1. Water: Since Basmati rice requires a lot of water to grow, it is referred to as wet rice cultivation. However, the high water requirement of the rice fields is a major problem in many growing areas. If the monsoon rains aren’t that heavy, the farmers have to tap wells or rivers to supply the fields with water. This lowers the groundwater table and exacerbates water shortages.

2. Methane: The cultivation of wet rice harbors another environmental problem: methane is produced because the plant remains are decomposed by small bacteria in the standing water of the rice fields. According to the Max Planck Society, wet rice cultivation is responsible for ten to 25 percent of global methane emissions. Methane makes a significant contribution to the man-made greenhouse effect and, according to the Federal Environment Agency, is 25 times stronger than CO2.

3. Pesticides: Since many farmers use large amounts of pesticides in conventional rice cultivation, you should look for organic quality when buying. Stiftung Warentest has found pesticide residues in many cases in 31 basmati rice products tested. Here you will find an overview of which basmati rice is particularly contaminated. Sprays are not only problematic for the environment and consumers, but above all for small farmers. Because the pesticides get into the drinking water and endanger the health of the local people.

4. Transport route: The ecological balance of rice is poor – also due to the long transport routes to us on the supermarket shelf. How sustainable rice actually is depends largely on the type of cultivation. There are various organizations and initiatives that support organic farming under fair working conditions and wages, such as the “Khaddar” project in northern India or the Indian “Navdanya” foundation. The foundation pays fair wages to the farmers and sells the rice to international buyers at reasonable prices.

Basmati Rice: Nutrients and Health

Rice is a popular accompaniment to various dishes. It is high in carbohydrates and contains little fat. However, there are hardly any vitamins and minerals in basmati rice. Parboiled and brown rice are therefore the healthier alternatives:
In the case of brown rice (also whole grain or brown rice), the grains are still surrounded by the silver skin, which contains most of the vitamins and minerals.
With white rice, this husk is removed by polishing and most of the nutrients are lost.
In the parboiling process, the rice grains cook in steam and are exposed to great pressure. In this way, the valuable ingredients are pressed into the interior of the grain. However, the parboiling process is rarely used for basmati rice.
Here is an overview of the nutritional values ​​of 10 grams of white basmati rice:
Calories: 351 kcal
Carbohydrates: 76 g
Protein: 9 g
Fat: 0.3g
Fiber: 2.2 g
Vitamins, minerals and trace elements in white basmati rice:
Rice contains vitamins B1, B2 and E, which are mainly found in the silver skin. The grain provides minerals including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus. Wholemeal rice contains significantly more vitamins and minerals, which is why you better reach for it.

Arsenic in Basmati Rice

Rice is known for its comparatively high arsenic content. Inorganic arsenic compounds are highly toxic and carcinogenic. According to the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety, the following maximum levels of arsenic in rice products are set according to the EU regulation of 2016:
max. 200 micrograms per kilo of white rice,
max. 300 micrograms per kilo of rice cakes.
For comparison: The limit value for arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter (Federal Environment Agency). Rice absorbs arsenic better than other grains. Therefore, you should ensure a varied diet and not use rice as the only side dish that fills you up.

The arsenic content of basmati rice is extremely low, explains Stiftung Warentest. The experts suspect that this is due to the low arsenic content in the Basmati cultivation area. More information on arsenic in food.

Cooking basmati rice: easy instructions

You can cook basmati rice in a number of ways. If you don’t have a rice cooker available, you can choose between the following methods:
source method:
You need:
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water
possibly some salt
Here’s how you do it:
Wash the rice in a colander until the water runs clear. This way the rice will be nice and fluffy after cooking and won’t stick.
Put rice, water and some salt in a saucepan and let the rice soak for ten minutes. Basmati rice has a great aroma on its own, so you can do without salt completely. Spicy sauces go well with it.
Turn the stove to high and let the rice boil. Then immediately switch back to medium to low level. Because basmati rice should not boil, but cook slowly.
As soon as there is no more water in the pot, the rice is ready (after 15-20 minutes). If the grains are still a bit too al dente, you can add a few tablespoons of water and let the rice cook a little longer.
Cook rice like noodles:
You need:
1 cup basmati rice
6 cups of water
possibly some salt
How to cook the basmati rice:
Wash the rice first.
Then add 1 part rice to 6 parts water in a saucepan. How much salt you add is up to you.
Bring the rice to the boil on high, then reduce the heat to low-medium. After about 15 minutes the rice is done.
Drain off the remaining water with a colander. Note, however, that some of the nutrients are lost when the water is poured off. Therefore, the source method is the better alternative.

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Pecan Nuts: Origin, Uses and Nutritional Values

Pecans are part of many traditional dishes in the United States. They are also becoming better known in Europe. Here you can find out all the important facts about the popular nut.

Origin of the pecan nut

The pecan nut belongs to the walnut family and grows on the pecan nut tree, which is originally native to North America. The harvest time of the nut extends from October to December. Today, pecan trees are also grown in other countries, such as Australia, Brazil, China and South Africa.

Pecans: what’s in them?

With around 700 kilocalories per 100 grams, pecans are among the most calorie-dense nuts and should therefore be consumed in moderation. But they convince with a high content of various minerals, such as zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. Like all nuts, they are also rich in B vitamins and consist of almost ten percent fiber.

Pecan nuts contain about 70 to 75 grams of fat per 100 grams. However, this is not a cause for concern since the nuts are mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids

Pecans: tips for use

Pecans taste like walnuts, but are much milder. You can simply enjoy them as a snack or sprinkle them over your muesli or yoghurt. In the US, they are also used in many different typical baked goods, such as cinnamon rolls

The nuts are also well suited as a topping for desserts and ice cream. You can also use them for hearty dishes, such as salads, casseroles or to prepare a vegan burger patty.

Recipe: Classic Pecan Pie

You need:
240g flour
220g cold butter
55g sugar
1 pinch of salt
120ml sugar beet syrup
3 tbsp honey
10 tbsp whole cane sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g pecan halves
That’s how it’s done:
Cut 170 grams of the cold butter into small cubes and place them in a bowl with the flour, sugar and salt and mix with the hand mixer to form a crumbly dough.
Gradually add some water until the dough becomes a little sticky. However, be careful with the water, otherwise the dough will be too runny. 40 to 80 milliliters are usually sufficient.
Form the dough into a ball and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Then roll it out on a work surface into a circle about 28 centimeters in diameter.
Then carefully place it in a 9-inch baking dish or tart pan and let it rest in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Put the remaining butter in a saucepan with the syrup, honey and whole cane sugar and heat the mixture while stirring. When the sugar is completely dissolved, take the pot off the stove and let the mixture cool.
Beat the eggs with the vanilla extract and carefully fold the mixture into the cooled sugar mixture.
Arrange the pecans decoratively on the tart pan and then pour the egg and sugar mixture over it.
The tart goes into the oven at 165°C for 45 to 60 minutes.

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Vanilla: Cultivation, Origin and Use

Vanilla is particularly popular in desserts. But hardly anyone knows what the spice is all about. We’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Cultivation and origin of vanilla

We all know the black vanilla beans that you can buy in the supermarket in a small glass tube. Only very few people know how and where vanilla grows.

The Spice Vanilla is an orchid plant that climbs trees and poles. This has green to yellowish flowers and seed pods. Vanilla originally comes from Mexico. The Aztecs already appreciated the spice, the Spaniards made it known in Europe.

Meanwhile, Madagascar is the largest growing area because the weather conditions are ideal. There, however, the plant is artificially pollinated, since it can only be pollinated by Central American bee and hummingbird species. Vanilla is grown in huge plantations. This is so complex that vanilla is considered the king of spices.

Vanilla: Processing into a spice

The taste is in the seed pods of the pods, but it takes a while before they are edible. They are ripe in August, but it is only through moonlighting that vanilla becomes the spice we know:
First, the seed pods are treated with hot water or steam.
The fermentation then takes place in airtight containers. This process, which can take up to four weeks, creates the flavor-giving vanillin in the pods.
To keep the vanilla flavor for a long time, it is sold in glass tubes. Incidentally, the real vanillin tastes more aromatic than the artificially produced one.

Downsides of vanilla cultivation

Ideally, vanilla farmers in Madagascar receive the equivalent of ten euros per kilogram of vanilla. Dealers keep pushing prices down. The spice is then sold on the world market for up to 600 euros per kilogram. The main buyers of vanilla are large corporations such as Nestlé and Unilever.

Farmers complain that the cultivation is hardly worthwhile for them because of the low wages. Many of them have to live on less than a dollar a day. In addition, natural disasters such as cyclones make work difficult. If the harvest fails, vanilla becomes even more expensive. But the farmers do not benefit from it.

Therefore, when buying, you should make sure that you choose Fair Trade vanilla. This is the only way you can be sure that the farmers can sell their vanilla at a fair price.

This is where vanilla comes into play

Pudding, cake, ice cream: In addition to desserts, vanilla is also used in salad dressings and fish dishes. Depending on the recipe, you can either use the whole pod or just the pulp. You can carefully scrape this out with the tip of a knife.

You can then use the pod to make vanilla sugar yourself. Since vanilla has come a long way before it ends up in our kitchen, it is better if you use the entire vanilla bean. Vanilla should also be an exception in your diet.

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Oolong Tea: Origin, Effect and Preparation

Oolong tea is a Chinese specialty. It combines the flavors of green and black tea to create a whole new flavor. You can find out everything you need to know about the hot drink from China here.

Oolong tea: a Chinese specialty

Oolong tea is a semi-oxidized tea from China. It is made in a similar way to black tea. With oolong tea, however, the oxidation is stopped prematurely, so that the tea leaves are only half-oxidized. The short oxidation time creates a more floral note, while a long oxidation provides a more intense taste. Depending on the type of oolong, this can create a very unique aroma: the taste ranges from green tea (not oxidized at all) to black tea (completely oxidized).

Oolong originally means black dragon. In Chinese mythology, this is often depicted as being elongated and twisted, making it very similar to the oolong tea leaves. The special leaf shape is well known among tea lovers and has become the trademark of oolong tea.

Origin and growing conditions

The history of oolong tea can be traced back to the 14th century. The specialty originally comes from China. There, the tea variety is mainly grown in the mountains of Fujian. The Chinese monks in Fujian developed the classic production method of oolong tea as early as the 16th century. From Fujian, the new tea variety spread across China to Taiwan. The most famous cultivation areas are still in the mountains of Taiwan.

Oolong tea is produced in many complex steps. Depending on the variety, you have to vary the sequence, duration and temperature of the individual processes.

The harvest of the oolong tea still takes place exclusively by hand. The larger tea leaves in particular are picked because they contain more tannins. These ingredients give the tea its classic mineral note.
Immediately after harvesting, the tea leaves are dried in the fresh air. They begin to wilt slightly.
During oxidation (formerly called fermentation), the tea leaves are repeatedly rubbed and shaken. This squeezes cell sap out of the leaves. The escaping juice oxidizes with the oxygen from the surrounding air. The duration of the squeezing and shaking determines the degree of oxidation.
To stop oxidation, the leaves are heated.
In the next step, the still moist tea leaves are rolled by hand or machine. This destroys the cell structures and further cell juice can escape.
The oolong tea is then roasted and thus dried and preserved. The duration and temperature depend on the degree of roasting and thus the taste of the tea.

Oolong tea and its special effects

Oolong tea has been a very popular drink in China for centuries. But not only its unique taste is responsible for this. The Chinese classic can also convince with its rich ingredients. The following examples show you how versatile the effect of oolong tea is:
Traditionally, oolong tea in China is served with greasy meals. This is due to its activating effect. Oolong tea is said to stimulate the production of fat-splitting enzymes and contribute to an increased metabolism. Fats can supposedly be digested better this way. Therefore, oolong tea is particularly recommended for diets.
Oolong tea contains a particularly large number of secondary plant substances that have an antioxidant effect. The antioxidants help bind free radicals in the body. This should also slow down the aging process and strengthen the immune system.
Due to the low acid content in oolong tea, it is gentle on the stomach and is particularly well tolerated.

Preparation: This is how your oolong tea succeeds

In order to prepare oolong tea correctly, you have to dose it correctly and pay attention to an appropriate water temperature and steeping time. For example, if the tea steeps too long, it can quickly become bitter.

In order for the taste of the oolong tea to develop optimally, you should consider the following points:

The dosage of oolong tea is a matter of taste. Basically, however, you have to dose the tea lower than, for example, green tea. Too much will make it bitter. Depending on the variety, the dosage recommendations may vary. A heaped teaspoon per cup (250 milliliters) is recommended as a rough guide.
The tea leaves can only develop their flavor optimally if they have enough space. You should therefore avoid using a tea infuser or classic tea bags. It is advisable to put the loose tea leaves directly into the teapot.
The water temperature should be around 80 to 95°C when you infuse the tea. Only through the heat can the ingredients of the oolong tea dissolve and develop the typical taste.
If you’re only going to infuse the tea once, you want it to steep for 2-3 minutes. Traditionally, however, oolong tea is infused up to eight times. The brewing time is about one minute.
Tip: Pouring out the tea several times is time-consuming, but worth it. Up to three infusions intensify the aroma of the oolong tea. After more than three repetitions, the intensity decreases again. Depending on your taste, you can infuse the tea as often as you like and at the same time have some of the tea leaves for longer.

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Ceylon Tea: Origin, Effect and Preparation

Ceylon tea originally comes from Sri Lanka. But black tea is also a popular drink in our latitudes. We tell you how the tea affects your body and how you prepare it.

Where does Ceylon tea come from?

Ceylon tea originally comes from Asia, more precisely from Sri Lanka.
Alongside China, India and Kenya, Sri Lanka is one of the most important tea producers in the world.
The tea is still grown there today. Especially in the west and south-east of the country. The main growing areas are: Uva, Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya. The choice of regions is by no means random, but depends on their altitude. The higher the tea is grown, the better its quality.
Both black tea and green tea can be obtained from the Ceylon leaves.
Ceylon tea stands out from other types of black tea because of its lemon taste.
Important: If you buy Ceylon tea, prefer tea that is traded freely. So you can be sure that the tea farmers in Sri Lanka are paid fairly for their work.

Effect of Ceylon Tea

Ceylon tea has a similar effect to coffee. Finally, both drinks contain a large percentage of caffeine. The difference: coffee works faster, but the effect does not last very long. Ceylon tea, on the other hand, requires a little more time for the caffeine to develop and, however, breaks it down over several hours. A number of studies have already dealt with the invigorating effect of caffeine:
The caffeine in Ceylon tea promotes concentration.
The blood vessels are dilated so that blood circulation is improved.
It can cause heart palpitations.
Blood pressure can be increased.
Too much caffeine consumption can lead to sleep disorders.

Preparation: This is how your Ceylon tea succeeds

You need these ingredients for one liter of Ceylon tea:
11 g Ceylon tea blend
1 liter of water
1 dash of cream/sugar/milk
The following kitchen utensils should not be missing:
Kettle
teapot
tea strainer
Bring the water in the kettle to a boil. Ideally, the water should have a temperature of 90 degrees.
Pour the boiling water over the loose tea.
Let the tea steep. If you use Ceylon leaves, you shouldn’t let the tea brew for longer than a minute; if you use chopped leaves, you can take up to four minutes. As with any black tea, the longer you let it steep, the more bitter it becomes.
Remove the strainer or tea bag from the teapot.
Sweeten the tea with a dash of cream, milk or sugar as you like. There are regional differences here. In Great Britain, Ceylon tea is traditionally drunk with milk, in India, milk and sugar are a must, and in northern Germany, a shot of cream is a natural part of the tea ceremony.

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