The Narrative Within

La Sussurrata, Paros

This is one of our beautiful bougainvilleas. Sometimes the wind blows the fallen petals into the house making it look like the set for a Bollywood wedding. So we are always sweeping them up. Recently I learned that tea could be made from these petals. In Mexico, Té de Bugambilia is widely used for coughs. But apparently these petals offer other health benefits such as relieving a fever, clearing the respiratory system, detoxing the body, easing joint pain, and reducing the stomach’s acidity.

On internet, some articles suggest using dried flowers to make the tea whereas others suggest using  flowers freshly cut. But the process is basically the same. First the flowers should be washed then placed in boiling water until the water turns the color of the flower. Let it seep for awhile then filter the flowers out. Serve hot. Honey and cinnamon can be used to improve the taste. Obviously, just one cup of tea will not work miracles so the tea should be sipped at various times during the day until the unwanted symptoms disappear.

So many different kinds of flowers can be used to make teas. Some examples: lavender, hibiscus, rose, calendula, chamomille, jasmine, and mint flowers. Different flowers provide different benefits.

I wonder what a tea made from various kinds of flowers would taste like.

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