Now that winter is finally here, I am upping my intake of tea.

That’s saying a lot, because I drink a lot of tea throughout the year. Green, black, herbal—I drink it all. However, it was only recently that I started drinking Tulsi tea.

Tulsi (aka Holy Basil) is a member of the mint family that is found throughout India. It’s used frequently in Ayurveda. It’s said that it can help with relaxation and supposedly has all sorts of medicinal properties, but I drink it simply because I like it.

I do admit, though, when I first tried it I did not like it, because I found it to be too sweet.

Turns out that was due to the frequent use of honey or stevia in most recipes. While this may be some people’s, ahem, cup of tea, I prefer a less intense sweetness. It took some experimenting, but I finally found that adding fennel seeds gave it that necessary kick without being too overwhelming.

Therefore, without further ado, here’s the recipe. It’s so simple that anyone can do this. Cheers!

Serving size 16 ounces (approximately 2-4 servings)

1 teaspoon of tusli

1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds

1. Add ingredients to a tea strainer and pour 16 oz. of boiling water over it.
2. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove strainer and enjoy hot.
4. Note: This also tastes good chilled in warmer weather.

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Relephant Read:

All the Health Benefits of Tea & How to Get Them.

Author: Kimberly Lo

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Flickr/Harald Groven