Tea matum from Thailand: how to brew?

The tea market is amazing with its variety. Here you can find not only the usual black and green varieties. Recently, the assortment has replenished with a huge number of exotic species, among which Thai tea matum.

Fruit tree bail: historical facts

The Hindustan Peninsula is the birthplace of a tree of baile, which also carries other names: a wooden or stone apple, matum. Its fruits are used to make medicinal tea. Mention of the medicinal properties of the plant can be found in the earliest treatises of the medical system of Ayurveda, which were written in Sanskrit. The fruit was used as a useful food, and also used in medical practice.

Over time, the plant spread to other regions of South Asia, including Thailand.

Description of the plant

Tree bail is a representative of the family of ruth. Its fruits are considered very useful for health, therefore the inhabitants of Thailand prepare from them tea matum.

Appearance of fruit resembles an apple or quince. The diameter is approximately 20 cm. The color range varies from gray-green to yellow-brown hue. Fruits have a rough and dense skin, in its structure it can be compared with a nut shell. If you open an unripe fruit, the flesh of the fruit will be divided into segments of orange color. Bones have a white color. In the mature fetus the pulp has a sticky structure and is colored brown. Ripe fruit is sweet and sour to taste.

Where are the fruits used?

The plant is cultivated in many Asian countries:

• Sri Lanka.
• Thailand.
• Malaysia.
• India.
• Indonesia.

Quite often a tree can be found in the wild.

Fruits have a very hard shell, because of what the plant is often called a stone or a wooden apple. Without special tools, it is very difficult to open them.

Fruits are used in the production of a variety of foods and beverages. Of these, ice cream, compotes and jams, fruit salads are prepared. But especially popular was the tea matum, which uses dried fruits of the tree bail. Buy these markets in Thailand, fresh fruit is almost impossible. Fruits are sold either in dried form or as a tea.

Beneficial features

The fruit of the tree baile, as noted in Ayurveda, is among the ten most useful. Diseases such as diarrhea, stomach and duodenal ulcer, dysentery and other digestive disorders, were cured using matum tea. The properties of the plant are really unique:

• Fruits contain a huge amount of useful minerals, as well as vitamins.
• Drink from the dried fruit of the tree bail helps to restore intestinal peristalsis, normalize the work of the digestive tract. Such a remedy is effective for pain in the stomach, swelling, colic and diarrhea.
• Tea matum has an anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect, so it is used to treat colds. They treat bronchitis, tonsillitis, tonsillitis and other respiratory diseases.
• Dried fruits have a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, improve the immune processes in the body.
• In an avid smoker, the lungs will be cleared of nicotine if he regularly consumes matum tea.

Useful properties contain not only the fruit of the tree of baile. For many centuries, people in South Asia have used the bark, roots and leaves of this plant for medical purposes.

Vitamins and minerals

The composition of the fruits of the matum includes important microelements and vitamins necessary for the normal life of a person:

• Iron. This substance is responsible for enriching the body with oxygen. Its lack leads to such diseases as anemia.
• Calcium. It is a fairly important microelement that affects the formation of bones, participates in the processes of blood clotting and in the metabolism of carbohydrates, water and sodium chloride. The lack of substance provokes the development of osteoporosis, leads to deterioration of the teeth, worsens memory and increases nervousness.
• Phosphorus. This microelement is an integral part of ATP, an acid responsible for metabolic processes in the human body. Phosphorus is a part of DNA and RNA, which are carriers of genetic information, participates in the formation of bone and dental tissues.
• Vitamin C. It helps to fight with various infections and does not oxidize to vitamins that get inside the body.
• Vitamin A is a regulator of immune processes.

Tea matum thanks to its unique properties has become very popular in Thailand and beyond. Many tourists who have visited this country, returning from a rest, bring it as a presentation to their friends and relatives. Indeed, this is an excellent gift, as this drink is not only delicious, but also useful.

Ways of brewing

To get tea leaves from an exotic fruit is not everything. You need to know how to properly prepare tea matum. How to brew a drink, we will consider in more detail.

There are several ways to prepare:

1. Take 2-3 slices of dried fruit and pour 1 liter of boiling water. We infuse the drink for 20-30 minutes.
2. Pour 1 liter of water into the pan. Add 3-4 pieces of tea matum. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
3. Put one piece of exotic fruit in a 200-300 ml cup. Pour into a container of boiling water and allow to boil for 5-7 minutes.

The taste of tea is pleasant and sweet, a bit like an infusion of licorice root. Aroma with thin notes of vanilla and cinnamon. To give the drink a more refined taste, it is added mint, lime or lemon. Sweeten tea with sugar or honey.

In a hot period, it is customary to add a few pieces of ice to the drink.

Contraindications

Tea matum from Thailand is useful for adults and children alike. The only contraindication to taking the drink is the individual intolerance to the fruit.

Benefits for pregnant women and children

Since the fruit of the tree contains important, useful microelements and vitamins, a drink of them is recommended for pregnant women. Tea will help strengthen the body of the future mother and child.

For the full development of the baby requires a huge amount of microelements and vitamins, which he borrows from the mother. Tea matum will help to fill their reserves.

In the fruit of the bayle contains calcium, so necessary for the formation of the skeleton and bone tissue of the child. However, the lack of this microelement leads to the fact that a woman's condition worsens teeth and hair, there is a fragility of the nails. Pregnant is not just possible - they need to drink matum (tea).

Reviews about the drink

Many of our compatriots who have tried the action of Thai tea leave only positive reviews about this drink. It is highly appreciated for its unusual taste qualities, as well as its positive properties. Most consumers note that tea is very effective for colds. After several drinks, an improvement in the patient's condition is observed. Also tea positively affects the work of the gastrointestinal tract and helps strengthen the immune system.

Other popular teas from Thailand

Thailand is very fond of various teas, which have an exotic taste (at least for the citizens of Russia and Europe). Consider the most popular drinks in this country:

• Ginseng tea. This drink has a specific taste and aroma. But, according to the Thais, it has a rejuvenating effect and helps keep the body in good shape. Ginseng tea has a beneficial effect on vision and hematopoiesis, it helps to improve memory. Thai doctors recommend drinking this drink in order to improve immunity.
• Oolong. This is a tea of green varieties. The drink is distinguished by its creamy aroma and light milky flavor in taste. It is not recommended to add spices or sugar to it, as tea will lose its natural zest. Although the drink has a mild flavor and a slight sweet aftertaste, it is a potent stimulant. It is recommended to use it for people involved in sports.
• Lemongrass. This drink has antidepressant and analgesic properties. It is brewed from dried leaves of tea and lemon sorghum. The ready-made drink has a lemon flavor, and in taste there are notes of lemon-coffee mixture and spices. Served in a cold.
• Thai blue tea. Prepare this exotic drink from the leaves of the orchid. Tea has a unique blue tint. Its useful properties include cleansing the blood, improving memory, maintaining tone and improving eyesight.
• Jasmine tea. The composition of the drink includes the petals of jasmine and leaves of young green tea. The smell is a bit sweet, but the taste is tart. The drink helps to relax, helps with neuroses, insomnia and depression.