Borage Tea

General Information

The Romans mixed borage tea in their wine before battles for an adrenaline rush. The tea, first used in Europe gradually gained popularity worldwide.

Once Borage flowers are naturally sun-dried, they turn into a deep vibrant blue. The taste profile of this herbal ingredient is described as sweet and honey-like taste.

 

Serving Suggestion:

• Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time, the stronger the tea).
• Iced tea brewing method (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water].

 

Safety Precautions

• Side Effects

Borage tea, when consumed in moderate amount may have no side effects. Overuse or long-term usage should be avoided as borage leaves contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that may adversely affect the liver.

• Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Pregnant women should refrain from having this tea as it might be unsafe. Though borage tea might be effective in increasing milk supply, consult a doctor before adding it as a part of your diet.

 

Storage

Borage tea is available in various forms, including whole tea leaves, tea bags, and filtered iced tea. There are both single-origin and blend teas available. Whole leaf tea is usually the best quality tea.

Keep Borage tea in an airtight jar away from light in a cold, dry place. Unflavoured tea leaves should maintain well for a year or two under these conditions. You can store flavoured teas for six months to a year. After this time, the tea will not go wrong, but it will lose some of its flavours and taste stale.