Contents :
- What properties does honey have?
- Tea – the second most popular drink in the world
- Tea with honey and its antioxidant properties
- When to add honey to tea?
- What teas go well with honey?
- What honey goes well with tea?
- What other additions go well with tea with honey?
- Summary
Tea with honey is a popular combination in Poland, especially during the fall and winter . It's often recommended for colds and flu. On colder days, a warming cup of your favorite tea certainly improves your mood and can help fight infections.
There are countless ways to prepare tea, both in terms of brewing and the additions to the infusion. Examples include milk, spices, citrus fruits, and honey.
From this article you will learn :
- Is it worth adding honey to tea?
- is tea with honey healthy,
- Will honey lose its properties when added to hot tea?
- does the addition of honey reduce the antioxidant properties of tea,
- what kind of tea should you add honey to?
- what honey goes well with tea,
- what other additives can be used.
What properties does honey have?
Honey is likely the oldest sweetener known to humans. It has been used for medicinal purposes and in religious ceremonies since ancient times. It is also a nutritious food for many animals and humans.
The average bee produces about 1 level teaspoon of honey during its lifetime.
The properties of honey depend on the raw material from which the bees produced it . Each type of honey also differs in taste, color, aroma, and consistency. Different types of honey share certain health benefits.
Natural honey has antibacterial properties thanks to enzymes from the bees' salivary glands, which aid in the treatment of infections and colds. Honey also contains significant amounts of trace elements and vitamins. It positively affects blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improves circulation. It strengthens the body's overall immunity, improves digestion, relieves tension, and aids sleep. Honey also has antioxidant properties.
Tea – the second most popular drink in the world
Tea is a beverage known for over 4,500 years, originating in China . Over the years, the tradition of drinking tea has spread from Asia and is now practiced around the world.
Infusions are prepared from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis shrub in a variety of ways. Depending on when the leaves are harvested and the drying and fermentation times, different types of natural tea are produced – black, green, red, and white. Each type is further divided into types based on their origin.
Tea leaves on the plantation
Various types of tea are valued primarily for their flavor, but they also contain valuable nutrients . Tea aids digestion, helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and provides a mild stimulation thanks to caffeine.
Tea is also a rich source of antioxidants , which fight free radicals, which contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer, stroke, and atherosclerosis, and accelerate the skin aging process.
Tea with honey and its antioxidant properties
Both black tea and natural honey are sources of polyphenols , compounds with antioxidant properties. P. Dmowski and A. Wilczyńska from the Gdynia Maritime University investigated whether the addition of buckwheat and multifloral honey altered the antioxidant properties of black tea infusions.
The study showed that a 10% addition of honey significantly influenced the antioxidant activity of tea infusions. An increased amount of polyphenols was observed compared to pure Chinese and Indian tea infusions, but only with the 10% addition of honey solutions. A 5% addition reduced the total amount of polyphenols.
G. Toydemir and co-authors examined the effect of honey addition on the antioxidant properties of various herbal teas (lemon balm, green tea, rosehip, sage, echinacea, fennel, linden, daisy, and ginger). Multifloral and pine honey were added at various temperatures.
The total phenolic content and total antioxidant power of the honey-added tea samples were shown to increase (up to 57% in both cases), especially in the case of pine honey and at higher honey addition temperatures.
Tea is a natural source of antioxidants
S. Sady, M. Sielicka, and T. Pawłowski conducted a study to determine whether the addition of honey and sugar affected the phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity of green tea infusions. They found that the addition of honey and sugar significantly reduced the antioxidant properties of the green tea infusions tested.
MW Korir and co-authors reached similar conclusions. They showed that the addition of sweeteners such as milk, sugar, or honey reduced the antioxidant activity of tea, depending on the concentration. Stevia may be a recommended sweetener for tea – no significant reduction in antioxidant activity was demonstrated.
Therefore, the question of whether tea with honey enhances or weakens the antioxidant activity is difficult to clearly explain . The mechanism by which glucose affects antioxidant activity is not yet fully understood. This topic requires further research.
If you are interested in details, check out the research studies:
- P. Dmowski, A. Wilczyńska, The effect of honey addition on the antioxidant properties of black tea infusions , Problemy Higieny i Epidemiologii, no. 96 (3), 2015, pp. 688-692.
- S. Sady, M. Sielicka and T. Pawłowski, Assessment of the antioxidant potential of green tea with honey and sugar , Farmacja Współczesna, no. 9, 2016, pp. 169-175.
- W. Korir, FN Wachira, JK Wanyoko, RM Ngure, R. Khalid, The fortification of tea with sweeteners and milk and its effect on in vitro antioxidant potential of tea product and glutathione levels in an animal model , Food Chem, Feb 15, 2014, pp. 145-153.
- G. Toydemir, E. Capanoglu, S. Kamiloglu, E. Firatligil-Durmus, AE Sunay, T. Samanci, D. Boyacioglu, Effects of honey addition on antioxidant properties of different herbal teas , Pol. J.Food Nutr. Sci., No. 65 (2), 2015, pp. 127-135.
When to add honey to tea?
So , is it worth adding a little honey to your tea? Absolutely.
Should you add honey to hot tea? Not necessarily.
Both tea and honey are delicious and healthy—alone and combined. However, it's important to remember that the enzymes in honey break down at high temperatures, starting at 40°C .
Adding honey to hot tea loses much of its valuable nutrients. To benefit from them, you should wait for the infusion to cool slightly.
Honey is a tasty and healthy addition to tea
What teas go well with honey?
Black tea is most often paired with honey. It naturally has a slight bitterness, which can be offset by a sweet addition. It's worth considering adding a dark, rich honey, such as honeydew or buckwheat, to black tea.
For green tea, consider light, delicate-tasting honeys, such as acacia or multifloral honey. Honey enhances the tea's freshness and lightness without overpowering its aroma.
However, in the case of white tea, adding honey may not be the best choice. It has a very subtle flavor, and the honey could completely dominate its flavor.
Honey is typically not added to more delicate teas. This combination isn't to everyone's taste. However, you can test it yourself to see if you like it. The same applies to rooibos , which has a slightly honey-like flavor on its own.
If desired, you can also add a teaspoon of honey to fruit teas and natural herbal teas . Fruit teas are sweet on their own, but herbs can have a rather unpleasant flavor. Then, you can balance the herbal flavor with linden, heather, or goldenrod honey.
Yerba Mate connoisseurs like to experiment with flavors and combine the classic dried yerba mate with various additions – dried fruits, herbs and spices.
If you happen to drink yerba mate, look for recipes with unusual combinations. In addition to honey, they use dried elderberries, raspberries, or currants, linden, thyme, or sage, and spices like cloves or cinnamon.
What honey goes well with tea?
It really depends on what you prefer. Each honey has its own unique flavor and aroma, which can influence the taste of your tea. Below are a few examples of honeys you might enjoy:
- Linden honey is a popular honey with a sweet and delicate flavor. It pairs well with many types of tea, especially mild ones like green or herbal teas.
- Acacia honey – this is a honey with a mild flavor and light color that goes well with black tea and oolong.
- Buckwheat honey is a dark honey with an intense flavor that goes well with stronger teas such as black tea and pu-erh.
- Honeydew honey pairs well with teas with a strong, distinctive flavor that won't be overpowered by its aroma. You can try adding honeydew honey to black tea, especially with lemon or raspberries, for its warming properties. You can also add honeydew honey to herbal teas, such as those with nettle, sage, or rockrose, which will support your immune and digestive systems.
- Rosemary Honey – has a distinct herbal flavor that pairs well with herbal teas such as mint, lavender, and chamomile.
- Eucalyptus honey – honey with an intense flavor and aroma that goes well with herbal teas that have a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract.
Choose any type of honey and test it in combination with your favorite tea 😊
What other additions go well with tea with honey?
Besides honey, there are many other additives that can be added to tea to enhance its flavor and aroma and add additional health benefits.
Here are some ideas for adding honey tea :
- Lemon adds freshness and a delicate tart flavor to tea. You can add lemon slices or squeeze the juice into your tea.
- Mint is also a refreshing herbal addition.
- Ginger – Adding fresh ginger to honey tea can add a spicy flavor and aroma. You can add ginger pieces or use ground ginger.
- Cardamom – similar to ginger, the addition of cardamom will add a spicy flavor and aroma to your tea.
- Cinnamon – adds sweetness and aroma to teas. It also has antifungal and antidiabetic properties, and improves digestion. You can add pieces of cinnamon sticks or use ground cinnamon .
- Flowers – the addition of dried flowers such as lavender, chamomile, rose or jasmine will give your honey tea a delicate flavor and floral aroma.
- Quince – adds acidity and vitamin A, which improves the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
- Raspberry juice adds sweetness and color to teas. It's rich in vitamin C, iron, and anthocyanins, which have antioxidant properties.
There are many additions to tea
You can also experiment with other additions, such as lemon balm, cloves, vanilla, or other spices. Remember that the choice of tea additions depends on your taste and preferences, and these additions can be selected and combined in various ways to achieve a unique tea flavor and aroma.
Summary
To sum up :
- Adding honey to tea can improve its taste and support treatment during infections;
- honey loses its healing properties at high temperatures (+40-50°C), so it is worth adding it to chilled tea;
- whether tea with honey strengthens or weakens the antioxidant effect is still a controversial issue – there are studies supporting both theories;
- honey is most often added to black tea, but it can also be used with fruit teas and Yerba Mate;
- the choice of honey depends on your own preferences or medicinal needs,
- Honey is not the only noteworthy addition to tea.
