This beneficial bancha tea recipe with use of the umeboshi plums comes from the macrobiotic cooking expert, Susan Waxman. Susan is co-founder of SHI Macrobiotics and has dedicated her life to creating dynamic and healthy meal plans.
Ume Sho Bancha Tea
Bancha or Kukicha Twig tea is made of the stems and twigs of the same plant that produces green tea. Bancha is alkalizing, good for digestion, and balancing out acidity. If you do not have umeboshi plums, it is still beneficial and refreshing to just drink the bancha tea.
Umeboshi plums are a salt-pickled plum that has both a sour and salty flavor. The red color of the plums comes from being pickled with shiso leaves. It aids in digestion, strengthens blood quality, and is highly alkalizing. Umeboshi plums have the ability to neutralize the harmful effects caused by animal foods, dairy foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners. We mainly use umeboshi as a condiment, eaten with grains to help make them more digestible. Additionally, umeboshi plums can be added to bancha twig tea to be used as a simple type of “Home Remedy” helpful for everything from indigestion, headaches, menstrual cramps, general fatigue and the all too common hangover from over indulgence. This simple and ultra powerful remedy also has the ability to counterbalance some of the harmful side effects from chemicals and medical treatments.
Ume Sho Bancha Tea Ingredients
- Water
- Organic naturally fermented Soy Sauce (Shoyu)
- Umeboshi Plum
- Bancha Twig Tea
Recipe for just Bancha Drink
- Boil 4-6 cups of water
- Add 2-3 Tbls of bancha tea
- Cover
- Reduce the flame and let it simmer for 3 minutes
- Then strain the tea to catch the stems and twigs of the bancha tea
Tip: Do not leave tea to sit in the water. This makes the tea very dark and creates a drying effect instead of refreshing. Only let it simmer for those 3 minutes and then drain it
Recipe for the special drink “Ume Sho Bancha” – drink it while it’s hot!
- Grab your favorite tea cup or mug
- Add 1/2 of an umeboshi plum inside the tea cup and mash with a spoon.
- Add 3 to 5 drops of Shoyu
- Pour 6 ounces of Bancha tea overtop
- Stir to blend all the ingredients and drink.
If you are looking for another beneficial drink try kuzu and learn more about alkalizing effects of special foods within the Macrobiotic diet.
If you want to build a more broad understanding of a macrobiotic diet plan, please let us know. And check out all of our online macrobiotic courses!
