I'm no poet but I wrote this for a video I made a few years ago about tea. Since I've been baking with tea a lot lately, I thought I would re-share the poem. The video however, has disappeared from YouTube?

Peer into your cup
There's a story to tell 
About magical leaves
you may know quite well 

Their magic is deep,
far reaching, yet rare 
Enchanting so many
Nothing can compare 

Through history ‘til now
The leaves prevail 
Relax, sit down
Let's begin their tale 

Camellia sinensis 
She started it all 
When into an emperors’ cup 
her leaves did fall 

With just one sip 
Tea’s spell began 
Quickly it spread 
Continents it spanned 

Routes were paved 
Territories claimed 
Wars were fought 
Political parties named 

Cultures were shared 
As cups were poured 
Traditions were born
As the magic endured 

Into millions of cups
leaves fall each day 
Their magic still potent
Now, in a different way 

The leaves have changed 
Their colors and flavors just right 
Tea’s power still holds 
Whether green, black or white 
 
The power to energize
To soothe and repose 
Revitalize the body 
From head to toes 

Theanine calms the nerves 
While exciting the mind 
Focused yet relaxed
As thoughts unwind 

Polyphenols keep the heart 
Beating strong and slow 
Flavonoid antioxidants 
give skin a healthy glow

Alkylamines are tricky 
But the magic is not wrong
subtly introducing them 
keeps immunity strong 

Ancient and wise
These leaves had a plan
To help us slow down
Reflect and relax 

From the bustle of life 
There's little reprieve 
Besides in a cup 
of your favorite tea 

Cultivation of citrus plants extends back to at least 2100 B.C. (1). With such an ancient history, discerning the precise origin of lemons and other citrus fruits has been difficult. Generally, however, the center of origin is considered to be somewhere in Southeast Asia: most likely east India, north Burma, and southwest China (2).  Christopher Columbus brought lemons to the New World on his second voyage and other trade routes have dispersed lemons across the globe. Now, lemons are ubiquitous in savory and sweet dishes worldwide.  

For centuries, lemons have been used to treat a myriad of ailments. Lemons are high in vitamin C as well as beneficial compounds including citric acid, ascorbic acid, minerals, and flavonoids. Vitamin C improves immunity and is also an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals throughout the body. Hesperidin is a key flavanone in lemons and other citrus fruits (3). It possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and is an effective antioxidant (4). The flavonoids diosmin and eriocitrin present in lemons has been developed in the pharmaceutical industry to aid with circulatory conditions. Lemons have also been used to treat throat infections, indigestion, constipation, dental problems, scurvy, cholera, high blood pressure and a variety of skin and hair problems (5).

Check out some great lemon recipes under the recipes page! 

1) H.J. Webber. History and development of the Citrus industry in: W. Reuther (Ed.), et al., The Citrus Industry, 1 University of California Press (1967)  pp. 1–39
2) R.W. Scora, Biochemistry, taxonomy and evolution of modern cultivated Citrus R. Goren, K. Mendel (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Society of Citriculture, International Society of Citriculture (1988), pp. 277–289
3) Y. Miyake, K. Yamamoto, T. Osawa Isolation of eriocitrin (eryodictiol-7-rutinoside) from lemon fruit (Citrus limon BURM.f.) and its antioxidative activity Food Science and Technology. Int. Tokio, 3 (1997), pp. 84–89
4) D. Berqvist, T. Hallbrook, B. Lindblad, A. Lindhagen A double blind trial of O-(β-hydroxy ethyl)-rutinosides in patients with chronic venous insufficiency Vasa, 10 (1981), pp. 253–260
5) Health Benefits of Lemon. Organic Facts. Web. May 29, 2015 https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lemon.html