Sausep tea: properties and subtleties of brewing
After a hard and stressful working day, it is so nice to spend the evening with a cup of hot tea! Who among us does not love this tart, invigorating drink, and yet the vast number of varieties and blends can pleasantly surprise every tea lover, because you can always choose the flavor to your taste. In addition to taste, tea is a healthy product, rich in antioxidants, it removes toxins and heavy metals from the body, has an antibacterial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, and also tones and improves blood circulation.
One of the amazing varieties is Sausep tea, which is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.
What's this?
Sausep (soursop, graviola, annona) - a tropical tree, reaching a height of up to 9 meters, grows in the Bahamas and Bermuda, in India, on some Pacific islands and in the tropical region of South America. Annona fruits grow to truly impressive sizes - weighing up to 7 kilograms and up to 35 cm in length. They have an unusual appearance: the oblong fruit is covered with thorns, the dark green peel lightens slightly when the fruit ripens, and the pulp resembles cotton wool in consistency.
Inside are black seeds - they are not suitable for eating, as they are poisonous. The fruits have a pronounced taste that resembles strawberries, pineapple and citrus fruits, collected in one fruit.
Unfortunately, this fruit will not be seen on the shelves of our stores, as it is absolutely unsuitable for storage and long-term transportation, so we can only try soursop in tea - it is added there in dried form.
Eating soursop
Unfortunately, in our country, sausep can only be found in the composition of tea, and even then more often in the form of tea leaves soaked in the juice of this plant. But in tropical countries where sausep grows, its fruits are used in the preparation of a wide variety of desserts, such as sorbet, cakes, sweet nectars and syrups. Also, an alcoholic drink is made from soursop in terms of strength, approximately like beer. And freshly squeezed fruit juice is often mixed with milk and sweetened to make a refreshing drink.
Benefit
Sausep is a dietary product, it contains only about 50 kcal per 100 grams. However, it is 85% water. The fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins and trace elements, mainly B vitamins, vitamin C, choline and vitamin PP. Also, Annona fruits are rich in potassium, magnesium and sodium, useful for the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, calcium, phosphorus and iron, which have a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system.
Thanks to such a rich chemical composition, Sausep actively fights many ailments, such as:
- acute respiratory and viral diseases (increases immunity);
- depression;
- excess body weight (accelerates the metabolic process);
- liver disease (except liver failure);
- edema (effectively removes excess fluid from the body);
- inflammation of the joints and bones (for example, gouty).
Also, from the positive effects of soursepa on the body, one can still distinguish:
- beneficial effect on vision;
- reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks;
- positive effect on the skin, slowing down the aging process;
- normalization of the bacterial flora of the intestine;
- intensification of cerebral circulation, which is useful for increased psychological and mental stress.
There is also a theory, which has not yet been confirmed by doctors, that soursop is an effective remedy for curing breast cancer. True, the merit in healing from this serious illness is attributed not so much to the fruits of sausep as to its leaves.
So far, the researchers of this conjecture claim that the cure of cancer with the help of this plant, in comparison with chemotherapy, is several times more effective and has no side effects. However, a full-fledged study and confirmation of the theory will take several more years.
Contraindications for use
In addition to a large number of positive effects on the body, negative ones can also be distinguished:
- a large amount of caffeine is present in the sausep, so you should not use this product for people who are contraindicated for this substance;
- sausep is able to reduce pressure, so it is worth using it with hypotension with caution and in a limited amount;
- in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with high acidity, it is also worth excluding the use of this fruit;
- with renal and hepatic insufficiency, it is categorically contraindicated to use this product;
- with increased nervous excitability and insomnia, you should not drink tea with sausep, as it can harm the body;
- do not drink a drink from sausep to preschool children, and after 6 years it is advised to give children weak tea to increase immunity;
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding is not the best time to use soursop, as its effects during these periods have not been fully explored.
Since soursep can be attributed to medicines, it should be used with caution in food and drinks, despite the fact that it is a tasty and unusual fruit.
History of soursop tea
The history of drinking unusual tea with sausep begins in Tibet and Mongolia. Initially, the juice of this plant was used for the production of medicinal ointments and was the basis for medicines. It is known from archaeological sources that tea from sausep was originally made in the form of large pressed tiles. It is also known that in China the addition of a small amount of jasmine was considered an excellent addition to fragrant soursop tea.
Tea production with soursop
In the production of tea with soursop, the familiar green tea is most often taken as the basis, since it is believed that it is in combination with it that the maximum benefit of the resulting drink is achieved, but black tea is also allowed. Green tea is much richer in nutrients than black tea, as it undergoes a shortened fermentation cycle. In most cases, Ceylon tea is used in the production of this type of drink.
There are two options for making tea with soursop.
- Large twisted, already fermented tea leaves are taken and soaked in the juice from the fruits of sausep. Since the juice has a fairly rich aroma and taste, a drink is obtained that is in no way inferior to tea with artificial flavors.
- Dried pieces of sausepa fruit are added to the finished tea.
When choosing tea in a store, you should pay attention to the composition, since in our time there is a huge amount of artificial additives in tea leaves. Therefore, it is worth making sure that you buy tea with soursop without synthetic additives.
To assess the quality of the purchased product, you need to pay attention to the tea leaves - they must be whole, twisted and large enough. If the drink you purchased leaves a bitter aftertaste, then the raw materials from which it is made are low-grade. Tea leaves should not be unnecessarily brittle and crumbly.
Technology of brewing tea with soursop
The optimal temperature for brewing tea is from 80-90 degrees. For each glass of water, you need to take 0.5-1 tablespoons of dry tea, tightly close the vessel with hot water filled with tea leaves and leave for about 5 minutes - that's all, fragrant tea is ready!
However, this tea has a secret: after the first brewing, it does not lose its properties, and by pouring the remaining mixture with water of the same temperature for the second time, you can get an even more delicious and rich drink. The only point: during the second brewing, it is recommended to hold the water longer, optimally even use a thermos. Often, special connoisseurs of this tea even pour out the first portion of tea in order to enjoy only the bright second brew.
Be careful with the amount of steeping, as some people like a very bright flavor of tea and brew it quite strong. With the same tea, you should be careful, because with a large amount of tea leaves, the taste of the drink only worsens - it becomes cloying.
Use
The most important thing in drinking this tropical tea is moderation.So, it is limited to 3 cups of the drink per day, since some studies have shown that if you consume more daily, you may be at risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Regarding consumption, you should not add toppings for sweetening, citrus fruits and dairy products to the drink, as any additive can distort the initially delicate and unusual flavor of soursep.
Common soursop tea makers
In stores you can find the following brands.
- Heladiv - one of the most affordable types, which is easy to find in supermarkets and online stores. Made on the basis of Ceylon tea with the addition of dried fruit sausepa.
- Mervin - large-leaf tea with the addition of pieces of fruit, can be found in bags and in loose form.
- Mlesna - long leaf Ceylon tea soaked in soursepa juice.
- Hyson - an affordable product with large pieces of soursop fruit.
- Gutenberg - Ceylon tea impregnated with the aromatic oil of sausepa.
For information on how to properly brew Sausep tea, see the following video.