Birch Bark Tea

[ajb1978]

I previously tried rose hip and reishi tea, just to see what they were actually like in real life, and now it seems fitting that I give birch bark tea a try.

It's store bought, so I'm basically trusting that the manufacturer portioned it out appropriately.  I'm not sure what "real" birch bark tea would be like, but I figure it's pretty hard to screw up putting tree bark in a bag.  Anyway, here's my initial analysis.  Color is very pleasant, kind of a pale pink/orange.  The color is actually very similar to rose hip tea, although much paler.  The flavor reminds me of super watered down maple syrup.  It's ever so faintly sweet, and has a kind of woody aromatic quality to it.  Not like chewing on a pile of sawdust or anything, more like the fragrance of...well...fresh cut birch.  It's basically exactly what I expected it would be like.

[MrsValkyrieCat]

if you enjoy using nature then I recommend Pine tree it has many uses. Like the syrup has some medical benefits.  Ofc like everything use with care (unsure about the word) Tea is tasty and rich in vitamin C. Ofc it depends on when you harvest it. I also love elderberry. It has many of the same uses.  Considering the amount of trees in game well it should be just a matter of time before they let use the pines.   

[Guest kristaok]

@MrsValkyrieCat Yes Pines are good for Vitamin C! so are Dandilions! - I also love Elderberry! Of course I am BIG into taking Vitamins etc. 

[Grignard_TN]

4 hours ago, kristaok said:

@MrsValkyrieCat Yes Pines are good for Vitamin C! so are Dandilions! - I also love Elderberry! Of course I am BIG into taking Vitamins etc. 

Can't you just eat a balanced diet and limit processed food consumption? If you eat decently you don't need vitamins.

In TLD world its hard to access fresh food which leads me to think your next physical problem you're going to run into is the scurvy. I think it would be an interesting game mechanic as well. We already have cures available such as canned food. My understanding is that rose hips are full of C as well.

It would probably be difficult to implement and add less to the game but apparently over consumption of vitamins, particularly A, is a problem. I know eating the livers of some animals, namely polar bear liver, can poison you with A if you consume much of it.

 

[ajb1978]

2 hours ago, Grignard_TN said:

Can't you just eat a balanced diet and limit processed food consumption? If you eat decently you don't need vitamins.

Speaking generally this is true, although dietary requirements and other health conditions can throw a wrench into things.  For example I take an iron supplement once a week on the advice of my doctor.

[Guest kristaok]

@Grignard_TN I wish I could say eating veggies and fruits is enough, I mean it used to be... but now I believe Vitamins are also needed because foods are no longer pure as they now contain msg and gmos. The sad truth is, the foods we have today contain a lot less of the vitamins they used to contain. 

[ajb1978]

1 hour ago, kristaok said:

@Grignard_TN I wish I could say eating veggies and fruits is enough, I mean it used to be... but now I believe Vitamins are also needed because foods are no longer pure as they now contain msg and gmos. The sad truth is, the foods we have today contain a lot less of the vitamins they used to contain. 

That's not entirely accurate.  It is true that many fruits and vegetables produced today--especially massive agri-business--are less rich in micronutrients today compared to say 50 years ago.  However GMO's and MSG are not to blame.  A GMO, or Genetically Modified Organism, is simply an organism that has been altered from its original state, to better suit our needs.  Larger yields, natural pest resistance, that sort of thing.  Corn is a perfect example of a GMO, as are eggplants.

MSG (E621) is a naturally-occurring chemical that is used as a flavor enhancer in many processed foods.  When consumed normally, it has no adverse effects on the human body whatsoever, mainly because the body normally produces MSG on its own.  It's a simple non-essential amino acid, nothing more.  If you were to eat a whole jar of it, well yeah you'd get sick.  Same as if you ate a whole jar of just about any seasoning.  Regardless of its effects (or lack thereof) on the human body, MSG has nothing to do with the micronutrient content in produce.

The reason fruits and vegetables are overall less nutritious today is due largely to soil depletion, and being picked before they're ripe. Which, unfortunately, are core components of large-scale factory farms.  In order to get them looking fresh and healthy on store shelves, they are picked early, and allowed to ripen in transit or on store shelves.  If you make a point to skip Wal-Mart and instead shop locally, at a farmer's market, or get a CSA share, your vegetables are going to be just fine.  Something like a family farm that doesn't over-work the soil, it doesn't get depleted of nutrients. And since it's picked when ripe and sold locally, it has the maximum amount of time to properly develop.

[Guest kristaok]

@ajb1978 Not true about the MSG, I have consumed it and it makes me deathly ill - I am not the only one either, there are others like me out there... As for the GMOS, I don't like / trust those either. 

[Admin]

There are probably better forums to argue about GMO products.

The Birch Bark Tea in TLD is locally sourced by our game’s survivors. 

[ajb1978]

The store bought stuff ain't bad either!

Although I think we can officially put to rest anyone's wish list item that said "Can we combine coffee and tea into one super drink?"  Because no... No.. Just no.  I tried combining coffee, rose hip, reishi, and birch bark tea in one cup in the name of science, and it's just nasty.  I feel like I've gained an affliction "Stupid: You are stupid" for attempting it.