HortPark is a very new park open last November and some of the areas are still under renovation when we went over this afternoon to attend an hour workshop on "How to make speice tea." This 23-hectare regional park in South-Western Singapore is also a park connector, connecting Telok Blangah Hill Park to Kent Ridge Park. We walked regional park and it was interesting to see many kinds of flowers and parks.

During the class, we learn how to make tea using the various herbs and spices found in the Herb & Spice Garden at HortPark. Below are the receips for the three types of teas we learnt during the workshop. Personally, I prefer Mint Tea, not really like the Orange Spiced tea and Masala Tea, I guess it is not my "cup of tea".

Mint Tea

4 cups water

2 pandan leaves - tie into a knot

3 sprigs fresh mint

2 small thin slices of old ginger - crushed

3 tea bags (preferably green tea or black tea but not chinese tea)

sugar or honey, to taste

Garnish

Mint leaves

Method

1. Add pandan leaves, mint and old ginger to boiled water.

2. Add tea bags and boil for 3-5minutes.

3. Add sugar, stir and leave it to brew for a few minutes.

4. Strain, pour into a teaport and the tea is ready to be served.

Pour the tea into individual cups and garnish with remaining mint leaves.

Orange Spiced Tea

3 cups water

2 oranges - to make 1 cup of orange juice

2 tbsp leamon juice

4 pinch of cloves - crushed

3 cinnamon sticks

3 tea bags (preferably green tea or black tea but not chinese tea)

sugar or honey, to taste

Method

1. Add cloves and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil.

2. Add tea bags, orange juice and lemon juice stir and boil for 3-5 mintues.

3. Add sugar, stir and leave the tea to brew for a few minutes.

4. Strain, pour into a teapot and the tea is ready to be served.

Masala Tea (the kind of indian tea we drink at the hawker centre)

Ingredients:

3 cups water

8 cardamoms-crushed

3 sticks cinnamon

3 teabags

1/3 cup condensed milk

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 pinch of cloves

Method

1. Add cardamoms and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add tea bags, stir and boil for 3-5 minutes.

3. Add condensed milk and evaporated milk.

Notes:

It said that ginger help to aid digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea and nauseas. Ginger has also been used to help treat arthritis, colic, diarrhea and heart conditions. It also believed to help the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches and even painful menstrual periods. Do not take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood thinning medications, including aspirin.

Cinnamon helps to reduce blood sugar, cholesterol, and Type II diabetes. It is also used alone or in combination to treat diarrhea. Chinese herbalists tell of older people, in their 70s and 80s, developing a cough accompanied by frequent spitting of whitish phlegm. A helpful remedy, they suggest, is chewing and swallowing a very small pinch of powdered cinnamon. This remedy can also help people with cold feet and hands, especially at night.