Although Australia has not been under British rule for over 120 years, there is still a lot of British influence in the Land Down Under. For one, Australia has a robust tea culture, thanks in large part to its British colonial roots. When the British first settled in Australia in the late 1700s, they couldn’t live without their tea and biscuits, but at the time, the continent had no commercial tea plantations. So the British began importing tea from the UK, China, and India, as it was much cheaper than growing and packaging it locally. But in 1878, that changed forever when Alfred Bushell established an Australian tea plantation and became the first commercial tea seller. You can still find the Bushells brand in Australian supermarkets today.
With the rise of local growers and processors came a uniquely Australian ingredient: Eucalyptus. It turns out that koalas aren’t the only creatures in Australia with a penchant for eucalyptus. Eucalyptus trees, or gum trees, make up ¾ of Australia’s tree population, so it makes sense that tea lovers turned to the herbaceous leaves when experimenting with tea flavors.
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Eucalyptus brings flavor and medicinal properties
The practice of using eucalyptus leaves for medicinal purposes is attributed to Indigenous Australians and dates back to long before the arrival of British colonists. However, entrepreneur James Inglis is largely credited with making Billy Tea synonymous with Australian culture. Billy Tea was brewed using loose gum leaves, giving the tea a stronger, fresher tea flavorAlthough billycans are no longer used to brew tea and billy tea is largely a thing of the past, the Australian Tea Centre is bringing back tea with chewing gum.
Gum leaves are known for their medicinal properties, such as clearing up respiratory infections, soothing colds, and even helping with pain management. These beneficial properties are the reason these gum-infused teas became so popular in the first place, but now with standardized health care, not as many people are turning to tea to cure their cold. You may have heard that it dangerous to consume eucalyptus leavesBut don’t worry; the amount used in tea is well below what’s considered toxic. So if you’re in the mood for a cup of loose leaf tea full of outback flair, be sure to head to an Australian coffee shop that specializes in preserving traditional tea-making methods.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.