In the Garden District yesterday I came across a couple mulberry trees. Mulberries look like slightly elongated blackberries, and they taste delectable - almost like a sweeter version of a blackberry. The trees can grow pretty tall, though, and my friend Elizabeth and I could only reach one or two of the ripe fruits (which we ate).
Instead, I took some of the leaves home, washed and dried them, and brewed a tea. The dried leaves are very crumbly and easy to pulverize. My partner and I tried it last night and found it similar to green tea in taste.
The health benefits of mulberry leaves and tea are numerous, even more so than loquat leaves. According to http://www.mulberrytea.org/, the leaves have 10 times as much iron as spinach and 25 times more calcium than milk. They are rich in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamins A, B, and C, and other nutrients.
Mulberry tea can help with weight loss. It reduces unhealthy cholesterol, balances blood sugar, and can help fight cold symptoms. And it tastes delicious.
(Interesting bit of trivia: mulberry leaves are the sole fruit of silk worms.)
During my walks around uptown and the Garden District, I've found a lot of fig trees (on public property). The figs aren't quite ripe enough for harvesting, but you can eat the leaves and use them to make a wonderful tea - one that tastes a little fruitier than other herbal teas.
Some health benefits of fig leaf tea include treating bronchitis and diabetes, lowering blood pressure, and beautifying the skin. You can learn more on the natural health sites here or here.
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| Figs are starting to grow on this tree in the Uptown/Riverbend area of New Orleans. |
Mulberry and fig tea or capsules cost $6 and up at the grocery or natural food stores. Why not forage for free?
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