Sea buckthorn is also known as Seaberry and Siberian pineapple. I really wanted to start growing my old sea buckthorn plant this year. But it’s a bit too late now, so I’ll have to wait until spring of next year.

Here is a small sea buckthorn plant at the International Fruit Orchard. I think it’s about 2-3 years old. Maybe in a few more years there will be bright berries on them.

I picked a handful of leaves from the bush to make tea. I used the dried leaves and steeped them in hot water for about 5 minutes. It tasted very pleasant, reminded me of raspberry leaves tea. I wouldn’t mind making tea from my own sea buckthorn plant soon enough.

The Republic of Tea has green tea mixed with sea buckthorn berries. Starting at $10 for 3.5 oz tin.

“Sea Buckthorn is native to the shores of the Northern Baltic Sea in Germany where locals consume the berries to ward off cold and flu. Sea Buckthorn berries are mildly tart, like an apricot, and rich in vitamin C and E.”

Not to mention, sea buckthorn is also grown naturally in Siberia and Mongolia.

Sea buckthorn is more popular in Europe, where they make them into fruit drinks and jam. Here in the U.S., they are showing up more in the natural health and beauty department.

Since it’s a very labor intensive harvest, the cost for both oils (berries, leaves, and bark) of this plant is still very expensive.

It’s October and the weather is finally starting to cool down. Time to take out the sweaters, scarves, and drink more tea.

I came upon this herbal Noni tea at the local Asian grocery store. Noni juice has been available in America for some time now. It’s been marketed as a super health supplement. The bottled noni juice are usually from Fiji and Tahiti. But some are from Hawaii and other tropic countries.

Here are some benefits to drinking noni tea:

• Rich in antioxidants
• Promotes feelings of relaxation
• Supports proper digestion
• Relief from menstrual cramps

The scientific name for noni is “Morinda citrifolia”. It is native to Southeast Asia and can be found growing in any tropical climate.

The noni tree bears flowers and fruits all year round. The fruit is really made of multiple fruits and reminds me of a large mulberry.

I’ve never tasted any real noni fruit and based on the description I’ve read so far, it doesn’t sound too appealing.  As the fruit ripens, it is described to have a strong “cheese-like” smell and bitter taste.

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I’ve added a new herbal tea to the list of my current tea selection. It is made with dried raspberry leaves. Not to be confused with the common “raspberry flavored” tea usually found at the grocery store.

It is the dried leaves of these red raspberry that makes healthy tea.  Great for women’s health.  Photo by Juhanson via Wikipedia.

My raspberry leaves were loose leaves. I use a French Press to brew the tea. This tea has a surprisingly pleasant taste, reminds me of light black tea. It never gets bitter. It may become one tea I will enjoy drinking often.

To add a little twist to the raspberry leaves, I blended some dried hibiscus flowers to it. The hibiscus gives it a little fruity tang and a hue of reddish color. Not to mention some extra Vitamin C.

Raspberry leaves tea is rich in minerals (especially calcium) and Vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E. Great way to help keep bones and teeth strong. It would also be good to drink during the cold/winter season to stay healthy.

Herbalist usually recommend raspberry leaf tea for pregnant women. As it helps with toning the uterus in preparation for childbirth. It is also a good tea for relieving menstrual cramps. I think this would make a great tea for overall women’s health.

Directions for brewing raspberry leaves tea:

1 cup of boiling water, 1-2 teaspoon of dried raspberry leaves.

Steep for 15 minutes.  Filter and drink at least 3 cups per day for health benefits.

Other benefits of raspberry leaves include treating sore throats, canker sores and stomach upset. You can also brew raspberry leaves to make your own herbal mouthwash. It would help sooth your teeth and gum.

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Fruit leaves of all kind are traditionally used as herbal remedies.  One I like to include on this list is peach (Prunus persica) leaf.

It’s is mainly used as a sedative (calming effect), laxative (digestive aid), and mild diuretic (increase the flow of urine).

Other benefits of peach leaf include treating gastric and stomach irritations and abdominal tenderness, irritation, or congestion.

The peach leaves infusion is also used in treating chronic diarrhea and dysentery.  Peach leaf are also used to treat throat and bronchial irritation.  Also used to treat chronic hepatitis and bronchitis.

Recommended usage is 2 tsp. of dried leaf to 1 cup of boiling water. Infuse for 20 minutes. Use as a gargle for sore throat every 1/2 cup per hour.

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I know that drinking guava leaves has many medicinal benefits.  One of which is to help ease painful menstrual cramps.  I have only tried the packaged guava leaves sold in tea bags and think they are helpful.

But I wonder if these Brazilian guava leaves would also do the same.  So I picked a handful of guava leaves and took them home with me.  I have made a few cups of tea with them.  They taste a little bit different then the packaged guava leaves.  It’s not as bitter and taste much more light with a bit of tang.

Photo of Brazilian guava leaves and also little buds of either fruit or blossom.  They look more like the flower buds.  Photo taken by Cambree in San Jose, Ca.

The leaves are also a bit fuzzy all around.  But it’s not itchy unlike other hairy plants.  Even if the trees won’t bear any fruits, I still think a good idea to grow it for the leaves.  This way you have brew your very own cup of guava leaves anytime.

The photo of leaves I took in San Jose, CA look a bit different then these leaves from Trades Wind Fruit.  But as long as the fruits are guavas, then I think the leaves have the same benefits.

Ripe and round Brazilian guava.  Trades Wind Fruit describes them as, “Round or pear shaped fruit similar in size and appearance to the common guava. The rind is yellow, enclosing a white acidic pulp with a guava-strawberry flavor. “  I can’t wait to go back to the orchard when these are ripe and ready for picking.  These little fruits are also pack with vitamins and nutrients.

Photo from Trades Wind Fruit.

Pomegranates are amongst one of the most popular superfruits. These superfruits are classified as fruits with very high antioxidant levels. They include blueberries, Acai berries, and goji berries. I remember years ago not many people heard of this fruit, let alone knew how to eat them. One summer I bought a huge pomegranate for my friend as a treat and she didn’t know how to eat it. The fruit ended up being part of her home decor.

Now you can find just the seeds (packaged in plastic containers) at the super market. It is commonly used in salads. The fruit itself consist of many small seeds. The colors range from white to deep red, and are called arils. I have found that the deeper the color, the more tangy the seeds. The ones my mom grows in her garden are very sweet. The skin is light red and the seeds are almost white to pink. It gets even sweeter when it ripes and the skin starts to crack a bit.

Just like the loquat fruit I mentioned earlier, the leaves of the pomegranate can also be used to make tea. The pomegranate leaf is narrow and glossy. You can use fresh leaves to make tea as well. Drinking tea made from the leaves also help with stomach disorder and digestive problems. A study came out in 2007 and was published in the International Journal of Obesity suggesting that the leaves of the pomegranate may also be a novel appetite suppressant. The same can be said for green tea as well. But you may have to drink at least 3 cups per day to get all the benefit of the tea.

This photo is taken from Mighty Leaf Tea of “Acai Pomegranate Black Tea” $9 for 4 oz. I think it’s very pricey, but it is premium whole leaf tea. Which many claim to have a fuller and better tasting cup of tea. I have yet to tell the difference!

“Made with black tea and superfruit Acai, this fruity and decaffeinated black tea blend combines antioxidant-rich pomegranate and Brazilian Açai (ah-sigh-ee) berries with rich black tea leaves. The tart notes of pomegranate are balanced by the slightly blueberry and chocolate notes of açai for a rejuvenating infusion. Açai berries, hailing from Brazil are known for possessing more antioxidants than pomegranates or blueberries and are also rich in omega fats.” - Mighty Leaf Tea Read the rest of this entry »