Stevia Leaf and Cassia Seed Tea

Why people make this tea

Stevia is a marvel — a few grams of leaf are 200–300 times sweeter than sugar, so a handful of leaves makes a cup taste sweet. It’s a natural, no-sugar sweetener, and traditionally it’s favoured by people watching their blood sugar. Nourilo pairs it with toasted cassia seed for a tea that’s especially suited to those with heat-and-yin-deficiency signs — dizziness, headache, eye strain, thirst and constipation.

Method

1. Put the stevia leaf and toasted cassia seed into a pot.
2. Rinse once with boiling water, then refill with water at about 80°C and steep, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve. Re-steep until the flavour fades.

Nourilo’s Tips

Stevia leaf is a semi-fermented leaf, so to preserve its goodness brew it with water around 80°C rather than fully boiling water. But because stevia is cooling in nature, those with a cold stomach or cold constitution should not over-drink it, and pregnant women should avoid it.