During the recent cold weather, I gathered silver birch twigs from outside my local police station, under the constabulary’s watchful eye.
I took those twigs home, uncertain about what to do with them.
And as is often the case, I keep them within easy reach when I am flummoxed by a plant.
I know and trust that they will whisper to me through my imagination after some time.
There’s nothing woo-woo about it.
It’s the way the creative muse communicates with us all.
How does the muse speak to you?
Do you listen to her?
And so it was on this ice-cold day. In an unexpected moment, a muse filled me with images of a Japanese tea ceremony—so strong I could almost smell the tea.
At 19, I was a cabinet maker. Horst Hammitzsch’s book Zen in the Art of the Tea Ceremony deeply inspired me.
It captured my imagination.
Teas are one of the great pleasures in my life.
Simple. Meditative. Calming.
In 2017, I posted my experiment making beech leaf tea. Many have reported how much they enjoyed drinking it.
I’ve also made Japanese cherry blossom tea called Sakura. That one is divine.
So recently, the muse nudged me again. This time, I had to make tea with the silver birch twigs I had gathered.
Search “birch twig tea” online and you’ll find lots of stuff, usually from gruff survival types.
They plonk freshly picked twigs (with buds) into boiling water, and that’s it.
Some say it’s very bitter and not worth the time. I don’t know; I’ve not made it that way.
But as a lover of tea, I knew in my bones that this method was missing something.
We usually must process the teas by steaming, toasting, roasting, or fermenting them.
So, I decided to play with the silver birch twigs. What I discovered is a wild tea that would be acceptable at any tea ceremony.
The flavour is quite exquisite. A real find if you love Japanese or Chinese tea.
From something so simple came something extraordinary.
Click here to learn how to make roasted silver birch twig tea.
Talk soon,
P.S. Reclaim your wild heritage. 48 essential plants, 1 stunning book – your colourful key to ancestral wisdom.
I wrote this book so you wouldn’t be confused or frustrated when identifying plants.
And I did that by including four pictures for each plant I covered.
I cover the historical uses, the nutritional profile, and the safety aspects you might need to be concerned about if you’re on pharmaceutical medicines.
I tell you how our ancestors used these plants. I also explain their use in modern society.
It covers 48 of the most common plants you will find around Britain and Ireland.
And I wrote it to be clear and succinct.
I intended you to put it in your backpack, find the plants, and come home. Then, break bread with your friends and family.
And build a sense of community again through the gathering of wild plants.