As the name suggests, acorn tea is tea made from acorns.
Drinking acorn tea is good for your stomach and digestive system. Problems like stomach pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and other digestion-related problems can be alleviated by drinking acorn tea.
Acorn Tea Trivia
- It may sound like it is something new but it appears that acorn tea – although not heavily documented – has been around. Books published as early as 1881 already made mention of acorn tea, like Francis Beatty Thurber’s Coffee; from Plantation to Cup: A Brief History of Coffee Production and Consumption. It reads: “For aught of common between the two substances, the acorn drink might as well be termed acorn tea, acorn chocolate, or acorn soup.”
- Acorns are mentioned in the Miguel de Cervantes novel story Don Quixote.
- Thomas Sullivan invented the tea bags in 1908.
- Before, people drank tea exclusively as a tonic. Years passed before people started drinking tea for the same reason they drink coffee or hot cocoa.
- Because of hard times during the American Civil War, soldiers resorted to using acorns to make coffee to drink.
Acorn Tea Buying Guide
Locals and those visiting Texas can order acorn tea in several farm-to-table restaurants and local tea houses. They can also buy bottled acorn tea in select groceries, supermarkets, specialty stores, and online.
Acorn tea is seasonal. There is no large-scale commercial enterprise on producing acorn tea enough to make it available all year long, so when buying, make sure you have enough stock, especially if you like drinking this tea because once the stock has run out, you will have to wait for the next production schedule which will depend on when the next acorn harvest is going to happen.
Acorn Tea Production & Farming in Texas
Acorns are harvested in the fall. Live Oak Wellness Concepts, LLC uses acorns from oak trees in Austin, Texas. Oak is found everywhere in Austin. In a good location, an oak tree can live many years; some even trees are now 1,000 years old.
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals:
Acorn tea companies promise the customers that the beverage does not contain any artificial flavoring, preservatives, or food coloring.
Geography
You can buy acorn tea here in Texas. Books about the use of acorn tea even years ago suggest that acorn tea is already a thing in the North American continent. The short story Bessie’s Bonfire by Helen B. Dole which appeared in the 1893 anthology St. Nicholas For Young Folks (Volume 20 Part 2) reads: “Oh, Grandma, why won’t you let me go Now, Bessie’s grandma had promised to down to the oak – trees this afternoon and get make her an acorn tea.“
Literature also suggests that acorn tea is already part of the European diet in the 19th century. The story Six Weeks at Heppenheim involving an Englishman in Germany, published in the 1871 anthology The Grey Woman: And Other Tales, made mention of acorn tea. “This cup to the left holds the tisane, that to the right the acorn – tea.”
Packaging:
Acorn tea concentrate is sold in a plastic bottle. There are also acorn tea bags sold in a box. The packaging contains important information for the customers like best before or expiration date, production date, batch number, ingredients, nutritional information, information about the company and contact details, among others.
Enjoying Acorn Tea
Acorn tea is rich in vitamins B and C as well as antioxidants. This drink also has calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and other minerals. Acorn tea has antiseptic, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Drinking acorn tea helps the body control blood sugar levels. It also helps with diarrhea and poor digestion.
Storage:
Keep the acorn tea concentrate refrigerated. Acorn tea bags are shelf-stable. Storing it in the pantry or cupboard is ok, as long as the tea bags are in a sealed pack or container with a lid. Avoid storing tea bags where they are exposed to direct sunlight.
Make acorn milk tea at home
Milk tea is all the rage now among the young and old alike. It is because it is delicious, refreshing, and nutritious. Perhaps you have tried making milk tea at home from scratch, but have you tried using acorn tea?
For convenience, let us leave making acorn tea from scratch to professionals and use a store-bought roasted tea bag.
Here is an important thing to remember about acorns, especially if you want to make your homemade acorn tea: acorns contain tannins, defined by the USDA Forest Service as “are complex chemical substances derived from phenolic acids.” An online article describes the effects of tannins, ranging from hindering the body to absorb iron to causing nausea. Other effects include stomach irritation and vomiting.
Yield: This recipe makes 1 glass
Ingredients:
- 1 acorn tea bag
- Milk
- Ice
- Sweetener
Method
Step 1. Steep a teabag of acorn tea in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 2. Remove the tea bag and let the tea cool down.
Step 3. Put ice on a tall glass enough to cover 3/4 of the glass.
Step 4. Pour the cold tea.
Step 5. Pour milk. How much milk depends on how strong or sublime you want the acorn tea to taste in this drink.
Step 6. Add your preferred sweetener. Again, this depends on your preferred sweetness.
Step 7. Stir and enjoy!
