Keep calm, the kettle’s on

In a noisy supermarket, amidst grocery and grains, I found to my delight appliquéd handtowels that read: Keep Calm, the Kettle's On.

The resurgence, since 2000, of pre World War ‘Keep Calm’ motivational catchphrases onto merchandise is smart marketing and stirring, like this one that took me straight into the heart of a singing kettle.

From the time we recited Polly put the kettle on we have all been having tea that stimulates and calms.

This Janus like quality of tea is its most intriguing feature. A brew that — to borrow a thought from Samuel Johnson — “welcomes the morning and solaces the midnight” thrills and tranquilizes alike. The question is, what is magical in the brew that lifts the spirit and also stabilises the frayed mind.

The beverage’s complex character is due to the combined actions of caffeine and theanine (L theanine) present in the leaf. Caffeine, as one is well aware, is a stimulant for the mind. Theanine is the anti-stimulant or the one that composes.

Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant is the only one among its 80-odd sisters that contains caffeine. The other components are vitamin like polyphenols called flavonoids that are powerful anti-oxidants and theanine, known to fight the effects of caffeine.

For those who need a cup that plainly calms, decaffeinating tea is a simple process. A cup of black tea roughly contains 55 mgs of caffeine, which is highly soluble and about 80 per cent of it dissolves within the first 20 to 30 seconds of steeping. This, highest in caffeine, first infusion makes for the perfect eye-opener or pick-me-up cuppa. To decaffeinate, discard this caffeine rich infusion after the leaves have been steeped for a minute. Then pour fresh water over decaffeinated leaves. Theanine and polyphenols, the chemicals that soothe and relax are extracted between three and five minutes of steeping. This cup calms and makes for a soothing night cap or postprandial drink.

Remember: Keep Calm the Kettle’s On.

The anti-anxiety cup - Take green tea leaves and steep for three to five minutes in boiled water. Strain and serve. Honey and lemon can be added if required. You can use green tea bag too. To deal with anxiety one can have three to four cups of green tea in a day.