296138 Fri Feb 13 20:25:16 -0800 2004 26 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1630185 Since I can no longer have caffeine, I have had to give up my daily black tea ritual. I've filled in with honeybush, rooibos, barley tea, rosehip, and the occasional decaf assam (but "decaf" teas still have too much caffeine for me). . . Wondering if there's something else really good that I'm missing. I don't like herbal tisanes like chamomile, hibiscus, etc. It needs to be full-bodied like tea. I'm open to crazy ideas; I recently tried a recipe in a Persian cookbook for "jujube panacea tea" made from dried jujubes simmered with sugar. Any suggestions? Fri Feb 13 20:25:16 -0800 2004 0 LisaPizza 1 1630187 This may not be what you are after, but I love a nice cup of hot milk. I also like hot apple cides and I have been known drink plain hot water. Good Luck! Fri Feb 13 20:30:12 -0800 2004 1630185 0 WC 2 1630188 there are lots of good tasting herbal teas- Fri Feb 13 20:33:56 -0800 2004 1630187 0 hildegard 2 1630238 I'm not a big fan of milk, but when I go to a coffeehouse, for example, and everything is either caffeine or "orange spice herbal tea", then I like to order hot almond milk. It's very soothing and feels like I'm drinking hot chocolate. Hot cider is another good option. Thanks! Sat Feb 14 11:01:16 -0800 2004 1630187 0 LisaPizza 1 1630198 LisaPizza: May I suggest that you try a "Ginger Drink" the best would be one that you prepared at home with a mixture of Fresh ginger, Lemon and Sugar that you prepare into a syrup and brew into a tea for your taste. The alternative is purchasing "Ginger Drinks" as Asian Markets the best are imported from Indonesia that have a strong Ginger Taste but there are many varieties. If you make the Syrup it's good as Iced Tea, Hot Tea and even your own Ginger Ale by just adding any carbonated water. This beverage apparently has all sorts of positive health benefits. Also there are Caffeine free "Chinese Green Teas" and "Barley Teas". Another excellent refreshing beverage very versatile is easily breded from "Dry Crab Apples" it's very popular in China and it's quite delicious. Irwin Fri Feb 13 21:42:35 -0800 2004 1630185 0 Irwin Koval 2 1630201 Ginger Tea is a great idea. Here's how I make it: In a small pot of boiling water, add about 10 slices of 1/8" thick fresh ginger (you don't even have to peel it), a couple cloves, a few green cardamom pods, and several whole black peppercorns. You can add a cinnamon stick (or portion thereof) if you like. Simmer together for about 15-20 minutes. Strain and pour into your mug. Add honey if desired. You can omit or add more of any of the above ingredients, keeping the ginger base. You can add more water to it several times and it still holds its potency. It's spicy and really warms your innards- and is especially good if you are not feeling well. Fri Feb 13 22:21:21 -0800 2004 1630198 0 h2obemo 3 1630453 It's nice to know that you don't have to peel the ginger. It's such a pain in the butt. The black pepper sounds like a fascinating idea. Will have to try this. Mon Feb 16 23:57:16 -0800 2004 1630201 0 bryan 1 1630222 I like to sip broth during the day. I had a friend come back from china with a bunch of packets of coconut drink--basically hot cocoa but coconut--I'm sure you could devise something along those lines w/coconut milk and some sugar. I also tend to bung whole spices--usually cardomom or star anise--into tea. if you're getting bored with the teas you've got, I bet you could mix and match them with what you've got in the spice cupboard. Incidentally, I too am completely sick of the taste of rosehip that seems to be in every packet of herbal tea I buy. Sat Feb 14 04:46:30 -0800 2004 1630185 0 drdawn 2 1630237 That sounds pretty decadent - sipping hot coconut milk! I also like the idea of adding different flavorings to what I'm already drinking - the honeybush, especially, can be blended with almond, vanilla, chai spices, etc. and it has that same rich, full body that tea has. Sat Feb 14 10:59:01 -0800 2004 1630222 0 LisaPizza 1 1630226 I like just hot water with a big strip of citrus zest steeped in it. A little honey can be added. It's sounds boring, but it's really good. I also use a microplane to zest lime and lemon to put in my little tea ball. That worked great. Sat Feb 14 07:45:57 -0800 2004 1630185 0 Pat Hammond 2 1630423 Sounds like those Korean citron honey teas, actually...rinds of citrus in honey, sold in glass jars. it looks kind of like marmalade, but put it in hot water and its really good. it's pretty versatile, you can add a teabag, use cold water, or stir it into seltzer, or whatever you fancy. Good stuff. Mon Feb 16 17:41:22 -0800 2004 1630226 0 soopling 1 1630227 Lemongrass (two three inch sticks per much), dried lemon and/or orange zest, lemon/orange juice, and ginger syrup/sliced fresh ginger. A caradmom pod is also nice. Sat Feb 14 07:48:16 -0800 2004 1630185 0 EMDB 2 1630228 Also-- hot apple cider, infused with chai spices-- crushed peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon chunks/stick. Pear nectar is good this way, too. Sat Feb 14 07:50:01 -0800 2004 1630227 0 EMDB 1 1630248 Hot milk and dulce de leche. I just discovered this. It is like drinking a sugar baby. Unbelievably good! Sat Feb 14 12:03:17 -0800 2004 1630185 0 hillvalley 1 1630264 Republic of Tea has a pink grapefruit tea that is very good. It's a naturally flavored green tea, so I think I think it's caffeine free. It is full flavored, and has a lovely grapefruit aroma as well. Sat Feb 14 17:46:45 -0800 2004 1630185 0 LBQT 2 1630268 Green tea is much lower in caffeine than black tea, but it's not caffeine-free. Sat Feb 14 18:42:53 -0800 2004 1630264 0 Caitlin McGrath 3 1630284 Thanks for the info. I just looked at the Republic of Tea's site, and they offer a wide selection of caffeine free and decaf teas - herbal, greean, and black. Sun Feb 15 00:29:48 -0800 2004 1630268 0 LBQT 4 1630879 Decaf tea isn't caffeine free either. It can have up to 20% the caffeine of normal black tea. Thu Feb 19 20:42:31 -0800 2004 1630284 0 chococat 1 1630274 I buy a ground roasted soy product called Rocamojo at my market. You brew it in your coffemaker, just like coffee, and then add milk or half and half if you like. It has an intriguing nutty flavor that I enjoy (although my husband doesn't care for it at all). It's very high in protein.They do also make a blended version that is half soy and half caffeinated coffee. Link: http://www.rocamojo.com Sat Feb 14 22:36:13 -0800 2004 1630185 0 AshleyC 2 1630383 That sounds really interesting! I'll be on the lookout for it. Mon Feb 16 12:00:16 -0800 2004 1630274 0 LisaPizza 3 1630411 If you can't find it in your market, they do sell it online on their website. I think Whole Foods carries it. Mon Feb 16 15:54:22 -0800 2004 1630383 0 AshleyC 4 1630523 I picked some up yesterday at a local natural foods store. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited about it! Tue Feb 17 13:33:15 -0800 2004 1630411 0 LisaPizza 5 1630654 I made the Rocamojo the same way I (used to) drink my coffee - lots of milk and sugar. I also added about a 1/4 tsp of vanilla to smooth it out a little. I'm enjoying it. It's similar to barley tea or barley coffee subsitutes, which I also can't tolerate well first thing in the morning because of the gluten. Thanks for this suggestion! Wed Feb 18 11:44:24 -0800 2004 1630523 0 LisaPizza 6 1630723 I'm glad you like it. It took me a couple of cups to acquire a taste, but now I enjoy it as a coffee alternative...and I like knowing that I'm getting some extra protein to boot. Of course I do put lots of half and half in mine, so I guess that negates any health benefits of the soy! Wed Feb 18 16:16:29 -0800 2004 1630654 0 AshleyC 1 1630505 Your local Korean store will have a package of roasted corn which makes a very nice tea. Tue Feb 17 12:07:11 -0800 2004 1630185 0 PollyG 1 1630936 Two other choices 1. You can get a "water chestnut beverage" powder at most Chinese oriented Asian food stores. Also, at herbalist shops. Can be drunk warm. 2. Sahlep (aka Salep, sahleb, etc). I've seen it from Israel (telma brand), Turkey, and other Levantine countries. It's really a winter drink. It's traditional made from the tuber of an orchid, Orchis mascula, known in Arabic and Turkish as Sahlep. The ground tuber is mixed with sugar and hot water or milk. Stirred and it then forms a thick drink, almost pudding like. You can drink it, or let it sit and thicken and cool, and eat it with a spoon. A bit of ground cinnamon is an easy way to accompany it. Should be available at stores which stock a good variety of Turkish, Arabic, Israeli, or Armenian products. Not that well known in Persian circles. Fri Feb 20 18:33:35 -0800 2004 1630185 0 Jerome 2 1630969 Thank you for your creative suggestions! Our Asian market has a lot of middle eastern products, and the sahlep sounds familiar. I'll look for this as well as the water chestnut beverage powder. Sun Feb 22 21:25:35 -0800 2004 1630936 0 LisaPizza