Fennel

A herbal infusion — Kräutertee in the European classification. It contains no tea leaf and no caffeine.

Ingredients: fennel. In the cup this reads as a soft anise sweetness.

There is no caffeine at all, so the drink suits children and anyone who drinks tea late in the evening.

Preparation: 15–20 g per litre, 5–10 minutes, water at 100 °C. Herbs need boiling water and a long steep: in two or three minutes the material simply does not release its flavour or its beneficial compounds. A herbal infusion is almost impossible to over-steep.

The proportions are a starting point, not a rule: adjust them by up to 20 % to suit your water and your taste.

For a venue this is an item for everyone: it can be offered to a child, to a guest avoiding caffeine, and to a late-evening visitor.

Storage: in a tightly sealed opaque container, away from light, moisture and strong odours. Tea readily absorbs foreign aromas, so it should not be kept next to spices or coffee.

Packaging: sold loose, the price is given per 100 g. Alveus supplier code — 82156.

The supplier is Alveus (Germany), one of Europe’s largest tea houses. Packing and dispatch from the Verdamare warehouse.