{"id":1477,"date":"2015-05-31T09:00:57","date_gmt":"2015-05-31T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/?p=1477"},"modified":"2015-05-30T11:09:41","modified_gmt":"2015-05-30T15:09:41","slug":"kuzu-tea-reintroduce-a-belly-soother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/?p=1477","title":{"rendered":"Kuzu Tea: Reintroduce a Belly Soother"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This past week I found myself stirring in care for a friend who had just had a colonoscopy a nice batch of Kuzu tea.\u00a0 It would be her first of which she hopes will be many to come.\u00a0 As I made my tea for my friend I thought of the countless, endless times I have performed such for myself.<\/p>\n

What care comes\u00a0over my body just knowing that this magic potion will be\u00a0delivering\u00a0its soothing properties to my belly.\u00a0 I\u00a0stir in\u00a0a bit of sun from the window, my gaze, \u00a0a nice tune\u00a0and the ingredients and my morning begins.\u00a0 I truly\u00a0feel the difference and the distance I find myself with my body\u00a0when I am rushed or hurrying and the kuzu tea misses my lips; which by the way is fairly rare.<\/p>\n

So, I thought it\u00a0might be time\u00a0to reintroduce this wonderful tonic to you all again.\u00a0\u00a0 Apparently Mercury is in retrograde which means that doing a lot of\u00a0 RE….redo, rewind, revisit, research is part of the climate of the day.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, with my kuzu tea I like to make it in the morning when I first wake up and wander down to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Setting the Intention<\/span><\/p>\n

Setting an intention for your tea is a nice way to begin.\u00a0 Of course we don’t always have the luxury to create the “ambiance” for a morning opening but in our own minds we can take a moment to be deliberate.\u00a0 We can open ourselves to the day internally with a bit of time spent acknowledging ourselves and the day.\u00a0 Perhaps this is with a bit of stretch in the morning, a yoga pose or two or just siting for 5 minutes with a journal.\u00a0 At times I might take my kuzu tea and drink it while I am setting my intention of the day.\u00a0 However you begin, know that this is a practice that will become a ritual in the manner that is personal and best to you.\u00a0 Don’t stress over it, just begin.<\/p>\n

Tools<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is what you will need in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

1. a pot<\/p>\n

2. spoon (preferably wood)<\/p>\n

3. bag of kuzu (Starch) (also called Kudzu-Japanese arrowroot)<\/p>\n

4. umeboshi plums (with leaves)<\/p>\n

5. water<\/p>\n

6. small bowl<\/p>\n

7. Tamari<\/p>\n

Directions are simple and easy to follow.<\/p>\n

First. Prepare Kuzu- Take 1-2 Tablespoons of kuzu.\u00a0 Place in small bowl.\u00a0 Add a bit of cold water and stir.\u00a0 This will break up the kuzu piece that will probably come in chunks.\u00a0 With the spoon break up the pieces and stir until becomes liquid.<\/p>\n

Second: Umebosi Plums- Place a 1\/2 cup of water\u00a0or less into the pot.\u00a0\u00a0Take bits of umeboshi plums and leaves.\u00a0 You don’t\u00a0need a large amount\u00a0– possibly a\u00a0half to a 1\/4 of a piece of 1 plum.\u00a0 Break up with your fingers and add to the water.<\/p>\n

Third:\u00a0 Add Kuzu Mixture- I like to add a bit of\u00a0the mixture into the pot\u00a0and stir it in.\u00a0 As\u00a0I see the consistency of the water thicken with the starch I add a bit more and more water.\u00a0 Keep stiring.<\/p>\n

Fourth: Stir slowly- Stirring the pot with the mixture is very important.\u00a0 There is a rhythm to it. You will develop your own.\u00a0 What I can say is slowly and deliberately is the way to go.\u00a0 As you do you will see the kuzu tea thickening and changing color from white to opaque.\u00a0 You know it is done when there is no more white to be seen and you have just a nice thick pot of opaque tea.<\/p>\n

Fifth: Add Tamari- When you are ready to enjoy it add a little bit of tamari to your cup.\u00a0 Stir into the kuzu tea and enjoy.<\/p>\n

I drink this tea in the morning and make a nice cup for bedtime.\u00a0 Kuzu tea is a perfect beginning and ending to my day as I and my belly\u00a0 feel supported and loved.<\/p>\n

Hope\u00a0Kuzu\u00a0Tea becomes your healthy brew today and for many to come…<\/p>\n

In health,<\/p>\n

Safara<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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