Last week I had a tiny bit of a hangover after meeting friends for drinks the night before. The solution? I fried up two eggs, sunnyside up, toasted some bread and squished it all together into an oily, decadent sandwich. And because I was craving something greasy and yolky, it was seriously one of the best bites I can remember having in recent memory: it totally and completely hit the spot.
What does that have to do with tea? Well a week before last, both Craig and I were sick with nasty, ugly colds. And with our sore throats, we didn’t want coffee, we wanted tea. I reached into my cabinet and pulled out a gift that my friend Matthew Horovitz gave me for my birthday: tea from Mcnulty’s Tea & Coffee Co. in the West Village.
He actually bought me several different kinds, but because this was late at night, we didn’t want anything with caffeine, so we reached for the herbal option–a tea called Blue Eyes.
And, folks, much like that egg sandwich the morning of my hangover, this tea truly hit the spot. First of all, I’ve never seen a tea so beautiful–look at all the colors:
Second of all, the smell. This had a floral and fruity smell unlike any tea I’ve ever brewed; according to the website, it contains: Hibiscus, rosehips, cornflowers and rhubarb cream. How often do you find those ingredients in your tea?
This tea sustained us through our illness and though the tea, now, is all gone, we’re both much better. Is that a coincidence? Or did the tea cure us? Either way, it’s almost worth getting sick just to have some McNulty’s Blue Eyes tea: I plan to stock up next time I’m in the Village for our next bad cold. I’m almost looking forward to it!
Oh no, are you making tea stew? Don’t tell me that’s how you normally brew your tea! ;-) It is a lovely tea. I’m planning a trip to New York, so I’ll put that shop on my list of places to check out.
Oh dear, looks like I’m going to have to send you one of my dozens of teapots I’m told “I don’t need”….:) Also, those types of teas, also called Tisanes, are amazing chilled in the summer. Its like Koolaid for gourmets.
I’m a big fan of McNulty’s! It’s walking distance from my job. The tea is great and the store is fabulous – very old school with big jars of loose tea.
I will have to check them out. I normally buy all my tea from Tao of Tea and they have a couple blends that are very similar. The perfect fix for all your cures.
Eggs when I am hungover are bad for me. Normally I will lounge around the house not eating and moppy till early afternoon. At that point I will feel good enough to go pick up the greasiest food imaginable and do nothing but watch TV and gorge myself.
Rosehips have been recommended by herbalists as a curative for colds for hundreds of years. While colds must run their course, (they are viruses, after all,) rosehip tea can help you to feel better more quickly.
I already love rosehip hibiscus tea so I’m sure I would love this flavor! How do you strain the tea when you’re done, does a sieve work? I’ve never seen tea made this way.
A friend turned me on to a store called, “TEAVANA”. Is that name cool, or what? They have the most unbelievable loose teas, like a Roobios that tastes like Chocolate! They sell these amazing little tea steepers, you pour the boiling water and loose tea in together, and when it is done you place the pot over your mug, and as my little girl so delicately put it, “it pee’s the tea in to your cup”. Fun, if maybe now not so appetizing!