Tag Archives: green tea

Serpentine’s Restorative – Neverwhere

“Richard knocked back the green liquid, which tasted of thyme and peppermint and winter’s mornings. He felt it go down and prepared himself to try to keep it from coming back up again. Instead he took a deep breath and realized, with a little surprise, that his head no longer hurt, and that he was starving.”

–Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

There is always a challenge in creating real world versions of food and drink that is probably mystical in origin. In this case, I wanted to include the elements in the description, namely the mint & thyme, and the green color. And then, if possible, I hoped to capture a bit of that restorative power.

Spirulina proved to be the key ingredient, as it gives the drink that Emerald-City-green, and the combination of protein, vitamins, and minerals helps restore what one’s body has lost as a result of over-indulging. The flavor is fairly pleasant, owing mostly to the mint and copious amount of honey (which helps keep the green powders in suspension).

This restorative beverage is lovely the morning after heavy drinking, but is also very effective when taken before going to bed. I personally recommend taking half warm before going to sleep, and chilling the other half for the morning after.

Recipe for Serpentine’s Restorative

Boiling: 10 minutes       Cooling: 15 minutes

Makes 1-2 servings, depending on your headache

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 Green Tea bags
  • 1 sprig each mint & thyme, crushed
  • 1 tsp. willow bark
  • honey, to taste, but at least 1 tsp.
  • 1/2 tsp. spirulina powder
  • 1/2 tsp. wheatgrass powder (optional)

Combine the tea bags and herbs in a small saucepan with the boiling water. Simmer for around 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Strain into a bowl, and stir in the honey while the liquid is still warm. Allow to sit until it is still warm, but cool enough to touch. Stir in the spirulina, and if using, the wheatgrass. Stir until it’s completely combined, and serve. , blend, and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain, chill and serve seriously ice cold.

Mongolian Milk Tea

The Dothraki milk based beverages in the books are, I believe, entirely of the fermented variety. We’d certainly give it a go, but mare’s milk is a bit hard to come by. Still, Sariann has in fact milked a horse before, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. More on that later, if you’re lucky. :)

While not strictly in the books, this Milk Tea is a perfect pairing for our traditional Blood Pies (recipe forthcoming). I came across it while doing research into the blood pies, and thought it really fit the Dothraki setting. What’s more, the Mongolians know what they’re about: it is great with the meat pies!

Thoughts:

Don’t think of it as tea, or as milk, and you will probably like it as much as I did.

The roasted millet gives it a slightly earthy, nutty taste, while the small amount of butter provides richness. The tea is not all that prominent, but just present enough to lend the drink a decidedly foreign feel. For something extra, spoon up the millet in the bottom of your cup; the merest of pops should remain in what your brain will register as a type of hot breakfast cereal.

It puts me in mind of dark, musty yurts on the Dothraki Sea, a fortifying drink before the day’s ride, or a refreshing sip to wash the dust from one’s throat in the evening. I had two servings.

Drink like the Dothraki!