Orchard Training Homeschool Garden Club - Tea

New growth and fresh early shoots are beginning to emerge, signaling the promise of brighter days ahead as spring approaches. This year, members of the Orchard Training Garden Club are also joining the Orchard Training Cookery Club.

Last month, we embarked on a year-long project where we identified 12 foods we frequently use in our cooking but cannot grow in the homeschool garden.

1.     Tea

2.     Coffee

3.     Chocolate

4.     Pineapple

5.     Mango

6.     Avocado

7.     Vanilla

8.     Banana

9.     Oranges

10.  Black pepper

11.  Cinnamon

12.  Turmeric

We will explore these foods from various educational perspectives, such as the environmental impact—air miles, geographical origin, and historical research into what was used before these foods arrived in the UK. From a Design and Technology perspective, we'll consider how we might substitute these foods in recipes if we choose not to buy or can no longer purchase them. We will then experiment with some popular recipes using alternatives that we could grow in the Orchard Training Homeschool Garden.

This month, we are focusing on tea. We will explore tisanes and the history of herbal drinks dating back to Ancient Egypt and Ancient China. We will learn about the differences between tea, herbal infusions, and tisanes, and what the British consumed before tea arrived in the UK.

We will then cultivate the ingredients needed to make our own tisanes.

If you have a delightful tisane recipe made with a plant we can easily grow here, please share it with us.