Only after water, Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. For over 5000 years it has played a unique role in history. It has brought people together and ripped people apart. It has made us feel better, think clearer, and comforted us when we needed it and affects us all – in body, mind and spirit. It has successfully been grown in regions all across the globe in both large scale plantations and in back yard gardens. And as well at The Lombok Lodge Hotel, Medana Bay, Indonesia

CRAZY HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA
Drinking tea is one of the easiest ways to improve health. There are thousands of different flavors, guaranteeing a delight for every taste bud. Tea is a versatile beverage that is just as delicious whether brewed hot or sipped refreshingly cold.

The health benefits of tea are consistently backed by scientific research across the globe. Tea has been a staple of healthy living in Asian societies, including Indonesia and Japan for centuries. Tea is also renowned for its mental health properties that induce calm and relaxation.

HEAL FROM HEAD TO TOE
Tea is Good For You. Drinking tea daily may help protect overall health and help you live a healthier lifestyle.
Here’s how tea can help you live healthier and a few suggestions on which ones to try.

1. Less Caffeine Than Coffee
Tea has less caffeine than a standard cup of coffee. Herbal tea is entirely caffeine-free while most true teas (ex. Black Tea) contain about half the amount of caffeine. True teas also contain an amino acid known as L-theanine. Studies have shown that L-theanine delivers caffeine more smoothly. This results in a caffeine kick that doesn’t have the spikes and falls associated with a strong cup of coffee. The caffeine from tea is smoother and longer lasting. L-theanine can also increase concentration and improve mood (1). If you’re trying to consume less coffee or feel jittery after just one cup, try switching to a cup of tea.

2. Antioxidants
Both herbal and true teas are chock full of antioxidants. These compounds help to keep the body running at optimal performance. Antioxidants prevent the breakdown of cellular processes that can cause serious illness. Free radicals are dangerous toxins that can cause a host of problems in the body from premature aging to cancer. These toxins have also been associated with a higher risk of neurological disease including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Free radicals are caused by smoking, pollution, exposure to chemicals, and unhealthy diets. Antioxidants combat these free radicals and help remove them from the human body.

3. May Aid Weight Loss
Tea and tea extracts may help manage weight and accelerate weight loss. Catechins in green tea can increase metabolic rate and trigger the body to burn fat faster. These catechins increase body temperature and break down excess fats, leading to faster weight loss. Green tea has been particularly effective in reducing belly fat.

4. It’s Good For Your Bones
Some teas contain high concentrations of calcium and vitamins that protect bone health.

5. Lower Risk of Heart Disease
One of tea’s most commonly researched health benefits is its ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

6. Induces Relaxation
Tea drinking is a good way to take a break from the hectic non-stop world. Chemical compounds within tea help to trigger the release of happy chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. Simply taking a few minutes out of each day to sit in a quiet place and sip a cup of tea can reduce stress levels. Drinking tea may help to calm nerves and induce better sleep.

7. Boosts Immune Health
Tea’s immune health benefits are legendary. Most people reach for a piping hot cup of tea when they feel under the weather. Tea can help boost the immune system thanks to its antifungal and antibacterial properties. It also enables white blood cells to target invaders more quickly. Drinking a high volume of tea helps you stay hydrated and flush out harmful bacteria.

8. Soothes Digestion
Tea can help to streamline digestive processes and alleviate nausea and upset stomach.

CURIOSI-TEA
‘… There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea …’ – Henry James

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880’s upper-class and high society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o’clock.

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE LOMBOK LODGE

The Organic Tea Garden, at The Lombok Lodge Hotel, Medana Bay offers up a dramatic setting for enjoying one of the finest afternoon tea services in Lombok and the daily changing set of Chef Jiwa Raga’s selection of light bites that come with them are uniformly delicious.

The Traditional Indonesian Afternoon Tea Service at The Lombok Lodge / The Lombok Lodge Private Villa Estate consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches (including of course thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches). Cakes and pastries are also served. As well as a variety of traditional Indonesian snacks. Each of these are created fresh daily.

But the most interesting complement to their afternoon tea, for many, will be the selection of Indonesian sweets and savories, referred to as jajanan pasar, literally market snacks. These include kue cucur, a steamed cake made from rice flour and palm sugar, lapis legit, a layered cake flavoured with pandan leave, and clorot, a rice flour cake steamed in coconut leaves.

For many Indonesians, these snacks will bring back fond memories of childhood, while foreign visitors will get to experience something new and unique. Either way, it all adds up to an experience that anybody with an interest in a truly refined, truly Indonesian take on afternoon tea has to try.

Olivier J. Olaerts

Student of EHL Lausanne
École hôtelière de Lausanne
Hospitality Management School in Switzerland.
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