“It is important that I have my tisane punctually.” ~David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
Best Tea for Solving Mysteries
by Abigail Beck
Agatha Christie’s portly detective is notorious for drinking his herbal infusions, so I suppose I was in good company when I got up in the middle of watching The Clocks and said, “Anyone else want tea?”
No matter that it was the middle of July. My family and I drink tea whenever we please – morning, noon, and evening, summer, winter, and summer (we live in California).
That night, we were in the mood.
A short time later, I heard the familiar click of my electric kettle turning off, so we paused the movie and prepared our fixings. I studied the colorful assortment of teas and tisanes, finally settling on an herbal infusion from DavidsTea: Forever Nuts (Noix Magiques to Poirot). When I tore open the yellow package, it was as though I had just pulled a pan of oatmeal-cinnamon cookies out of the oven – cookie dough, cinnamon rolls, and autumn cheer all condensed in one small silk pouch. I dropped the sachet into my bright orange mug and poured.
The visions of autumn that this blend conjures up stem from the traditionally October-through-December ingredients: apples, cinnamon, almonds, and beetroot. Steeped, the tisane is a delightful pink color (á cause de beetroot) with the same rich aroma as the dry blend. I was glad to find out that Forever Nuts doesn’t have a ‘vanilla’ condition; by that, I mean its Cinnabon quality actually makes it to your taste buds, not just your nostrils. Add a little sugar to enhance the flavors and you’re ready to go.
With his fondness for tisanes and “the little gray cells,” Poirot wouldn’t want to miss this blend amandes en folie, because it turns out that almonds, apples, and beet juice promote brain health.
Almonds have long been known as a power-snack, rich in vitamins, protein, and healthy fats, and the Vitamin E they contain can help maintain cognition, boost memory and make you feel more alert. Apples, especially the peels, contain a crystalline pigment known as quercetin, which guards your brain’s cells. Researchers from Wake Forest University discovered that dietary nitrate (hint: beets have lots of that) can increase perfusion to the white matter in older adults’ brains.
Of course drinking an infusion is not the same thing as eating those three foods in their full, raw glory, but who knows? Maybe Forever Nuts does give your brain a pick-me-up.
So the next time you sit down to unravel a mystery, take a hint from Poirot and bring along a cup of this tisane. You may end up solving the case before he does.
Tea Info:
Forever Nuts
Can Be Purchased: in store or online
Website: www.davidstea.com
Cost: $6.75 for 1.76 oz. loose leaf (or 50g)
Available in individual sachets
RedFence Rating: 9 (out of 10)
