Tea "Matum": useful properties and how to brew it

"Matum" must try every tea lover. In addition to the amazing taste, this drink has an amazing vitamin composition.The inhabitants of India and Thailand discovered the taste of the fruits of the matum tree; they were the first to use it as a medicine. Useful properties of the tea "Matum" are connected with the simplest method of welding.

Tea "Matum" comes from Thailand, and the locals sometimes call it differently - "Bael" (Bail), in honor of the tree on which the fruits grow, also known as "stone apple" and "Bengal quince." It is made from the fruits of the tree of the same name and has a history of two thousand years long - that is how many indigenous people of Thailand eat it and use it as a medicine.

Interestingly, the tree matum is considered sacred, and it can not be cut down. Its fruits are used as an offering to god Shiva, who bestows good fortune and fortune for it. A number of Indian legends and traditions are associated with the name of this plant.

And also this Thai drink is distributed in India and Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but for Europe and the post-Soviet space it is a kind of novelty. The fruit of the matum itself looks unusual for our eyes - it is a ball with a hard, peel-like shell, skinned, twenty centimeters in diameter. The peel is so hard that you can only open it with a hammer. The color of matum changes with time of its maturation - from the gray-green peel becomes yellow, and the flesh becomes jelly-like, soft, orange hue.

At first glance, matum can be confused with an apple - hence the second name “stone apple”, but it is much harder than it, and inside there are segments for white seeds.

The tea harvest is usually collected closer to the fall, but given the warm climate of the countries of Southeast Asia and the simplicity of the plant, this can be done even year-round. In India, matum is consumed along with milk or ice cream because of its astringent taste, while in Thailand it is preferred to candied.

Tea is made not from leaves, as is the case with other teas, but from dry fruits, dried fruits. The taste of tea, in spite of this, does not resemble the taste of compote and is more similar to the taste of herbal tea or herbal tea. Other parts of the tree - the bark, leaves and roots - are widely used in traditional medicine.

"Matum" - tea is traditionally Thai, in Thailand it can be found at almost every step. It is sold on the shelves of supermarkets with various additives, packages of various volumes and sizes (100, 300, 500 g and 1 kg). And also it can be found in pharmacies and tea shops of this country.

In addition to Thailand, "Matum" is widespread in the cities of India and Indonesia. In each of these three countries you can also find fresh matum - the blessing bears fruit almost all year round. If you wish, you can buy fruits and dry them yourself, then use them as a brew.

If you do not have the possibility of going abroad, take a look at the large supermarkets of your city or tea shops. Often, even if they do not have this tea in stock, you can try to order it through a supplier, find it in stock.

The third option is to find "Matum" on the Internet. These can be specialized tea shops or shops of Thai, Indian or Indonesian orientation (located both in your country and abroad). It is important to know that the tea itself in Asian countries is cheaper than ours or online stores - because in these cases, the cost of goods is added to the cost of shipping and purchasing. The price of goods increases by 3-4 times.

Matum is a low-calorie product, it also does not contain caffeine, and when brewing, no chemical or flavor enhancer is added to it, which already makes matum tea incredibly useful.However, in addition to the absence of minuses, this drink has a lot of advantages.

Tea "Matum" is especially popular in Thailand as a means of traditional medicine. The first mention of the use of this tree in medicine dates from ancient times. Special mention worthy of teas from this miraculous plant.

Matum is useful in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to its rich composition, it is considered an excellent helper for diarrhea, ulcer, intestinal and rotavirus infections and parasites. It has a laxative effect, so it can also help with bloating, and will be indispensable for poisoning.

It is one of the best teas for lowering blood sugar levels, which makes it an excellent fighter against diabetes.

In diseases of the respiratory system, tea is no less useful. Firstly, it has expectorant properties, secondly, it will be especially good for patients with tonsillitis, sinusitis, helps with bronchitis, pneumonia. It will bring a separate benefit to heavy smokers - if you constantly smoke, drink “matum”, thus reducing the harm from nicotine.

Due to the high content of vitamin C, tea is used as a natural restorer and immunity enhancer.

The phosphorus contained in the matum is responsible for the metabolic processes in the human body, is part of ATP, DNA and RNA, having a direct effect and on the preservation of the genetic information contained in our cells.

Matum is recommended for use with constant stress and mild nervous excitability - riboflavin or vitamin B2, the daily dose of which is contained in 100 g of the fetus, soothes the nerves and plays a large role in the nervous system, reduces anxiety and stress. It also activates brain activity, increases the body's nervous resistance, soothes, it is recommended to drink it before exams, passing a diploma or a project at work, as well as before an exciting trip or event.

For women, matum will be useful for its effects on the skin - all the same vitamin B2, which is called beauty vitamin, gives the skin elasticity, smoothness and softness, has a sunscreen effect, is used as a means of restoring skin cells in psoriasis and other skin diseases. This tea will also help to delay the time of appearance of the first facial wrinkles.

Separate benefits of tea will bring pregnant women - primarily because of its excellent vitamin composition. Vitamins and minerals contained in matum, participate in the formation of the musculoskeletal system of the baby, as well as carefully take care of the mother's well-being during pregnancy. Thanks to calcium and vitamin B2, the fragility of nails, hair and other unpleasant consequences caused by the postpartum period can be minimized.

As for the composition of the drink, iron is present here in large quantities, and therefore tea helps people who suffer from anemia (anemia) so well. And also in matum there is a lot of calcium and phosphorus, which are responsible for the normal state and growth of bones, teeth, nails, and also affect the elasticity and strength of the hair and provide normal blood clotting. The high calcium content makes tea useful for children.

With all the many beneficial properties of this tea, there are contraindications. It is contraindicated in people with individual intolerance or allergies to matum. All others can use it and even need it.

For brewing tea, you need the dried fruits of the same name plant.They can be purchased at a pharmacy, a tea shop or, having a fruit with you, you can make it yourself, after cutting the apple, into slices, and dried to the state of a dried fruit.

There are several ways to brew Matum tea. At first glance, each of them is similar to the previous one, But in fact, the amount of fruit and the amount of water depends on the intensity and taste of tea - in each case it will be different.

• For the first you need plastic dried matum, it should be poured 200 ml of hot water for ten minutes. Further, this water is drained, the fruit is again poured boiling water and now infused for 2 hours.
• In the second method, you will need to wash two slices of fruit under water and boil for 5 minutes.
• Again, take two plates of dried fruit, dip in warm water for 10 minutes. Next, put them in a thermos, pour hot water. You can drink this tea only after an hour, before it does not infuse.
• For the fourth option, you will need three to four slices of dried fruit, pour 400 ml of hot water and bring to a boil, then remove from the stove and add lemon, and when it cools down, honey.

It is very important that the fruit share its beneficial properties with the drink - it is not difficult to control it. The slices of the matum will turn pale, as if giving the juice, and the drink will turn a bright orange shade.

The taste of this tea is very exotic - there are citrus notes, a little cinnamon and, of course, all this gives a stunning spicy aroma. If desired, cinnamon, mint, lemon or ginger can be added to this tea. In summer, ice is added to Matum and consumed as a refreshing drink.

The longer brew the drink, the stronger will be its taste. However, re-brewing one serving is not worth it - tea loses its usefulness already for the second re-brewing. It is noteworthy that tea can be drunk both hot and warm, and even cold. It is tasty in any condition, and the temperature does not affect its properties and composition.

In Thailand, this tea can be found on almost every corner. It is very popular among Asian peoples and is almost unknown in our country, therefore it is a good gift to friends, colleagues and relatives after a trip to this country.

How to make tea "Matum", see the next video.