[Doves Witness]

The tea kettle which I use whistles when the water is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I pour one cup of the hot water into a mug, then let it cool to 140 degrees before adding the tea strainer spoon with one teaspoon of dried herb or seeds, then steeped for five minutes.

Each morning I make a different herbal tea for Sky, who is a formerly feral pigeon and can't fly due to problems with one wing. Despite the physical issue, Sky is a glowingly healthy and happy Rock Dove who enjoys trying new foods. Sky gets 1/8th cup (two tablespoons) of the tea added to her drinking water (which is about one cup of plain water.) The tea is a dilution of the nutrients and phytochemicals present in the dried material. Adding 1/8th cup of the tea to her drinking water is a second dilution. The diluted tea-water is available to her for at least two hours before I replace the water with either plain water, water with Apple Cider Vinegar, or water with lemon juice.


Parsley
Today's tea was made from dried Parsley. Faint scent, mild flavor and nothing at all negative about the flavor. Sky drank normal amounts of water with the tea, neither more nor less water consumption than usual. I drank the remaining tea and also survived.

"The good: This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.

Spices, parsley, dried Nutrition Facts & Calories

nutritiondata.self.com

 

[Doves Witness]

Rosemary

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For today's tea, I crumbled whole Rosemary seeds with my fingers before adding to the tea strainer / spoon. Same amount of water, same temperatures. The scent of the tea was very faint, even more-so than was Parsley. The taste was enjoyable although difficult to describe. A bit like a very light citrus juice that isn't acidic. Seems like it would make a great addition to other teas, or perhaps it would even do well on its own in a stronger concentration. Sky was neither put-off by the scent and flavor, nor did she drink notably more of her tea / water. Coffee tasted strange after drinking the tea!

The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin A, Thiamin and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron and Manganese.
The bad: This food is high in Saturated Fat.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/206/2

 

[Doves Witness]

Marjoram

Well that was different! Marjoram doesn't look much different from a lot of other common herbs such as the Parsley which I had already tried. Yet the marjoram tea was surprisingly orange. The flavor was not at all overpowering. Strangely, it seemed more bland, or perhaps less fragrant than the prior two despite appearing to be a more potent extraction of the nutrients from the leaves. I drank the leftover tea, and afterward noted a kind of chalky sensation which might have been my imagination, or might be due to the notably high levels of calcium, iron, and manganese in Marjoram. It also has more than twice as much Omega-3 fatty acid than Omega-6. It really stands-out as a source for vitamin K -- 100 grams of Marjoram provides 777% of the recommended daily value for adult humans! The formerly feral pigeon whom I call Sky drank about the same amount of her Marjoram-tea flavored water as usual. She doesn't hate it, and she doesn't crave it. So far none of the teas are as popular with her as is lemon juice in water -- she drinks more of that consistently.

The good: This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Phosphorus and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/193/2

 

[Doves Witness]

Dill Weed

The Dill tea had a very mild scent and flavor. There is a faint hint of tartness to the tea, which reminds me of cooked bell peppers. The aftertaste is faintly similar to black pepper, but without any spiciness. The formerly feral pigeon known here as Sky does seem to have drank slightly more of the dill tea water, but only very slightly. However, she has also chosen to sit near the water bowl, which seems interesting though I have no idea what it may indicate, given that it's morning here and not hot weather at the moment.

The good: This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Thiamin, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Manganese.

Spices, dill weed, dried Nutrition Facts & Calories

 

[Doves Witness]

Basil (Sweet Basil)

Today's Basil tea was surprisingly darker orange then was the prior Marjoram tea. It also actually does taste slightly sweet, and with a stronger herb flavor than Rosemary seed tea. Very pleasant! An even better source of vitamin K than Marjoram too -- 100 grams supplies 2,143% of the recommended daily value for an adult human. I was excited to give this one to Sky, thinking that she might find it tasty, but once again she drank neither more, nor less water than usual.

The good: This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Niacin, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/173/2

 

[Doves Witness]

Thyme

Thyme also produces an orange colored tea. Aftertaste or effect seems slightly astringent. Not bitter but a bit stronger herbal flavor. Thyme is used in so many recipes for cooking here that it seems like a "normal" flavor to me, nothing surprising aside from the orange color of the tea. This one too is very rich in vitamin K, as well as iron and manganese. Also a good source of vitamin A and beta-carotene. Not only did the formerly feral pigeon, Sky, not drink any more or less water than normal, but today she decided to poop in the water. I'm starting to think that this dove is not much of a tea drinker!

The good: This food is low in Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Magnesium, Zinc and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron and Manganese.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/211/2

 

[Doves Witness]

Sage

Despite that sage tea is green, it caused the same chalky after-sensation as Marjoram and the effect was stronger -- as though it completely stopped salivation for five minutes or so, which weirdly made me feel as though I needed a drink of water. Faint flavor and scent, which seemed more earthy than herbal. Definitely a bit odd. Sky, the formerly feral pigeon drank her usual amount of the tea-water, but today she did not poop in the water bowl, and she is sitting next to and also facing the bowl despite that the weather is mild at the moment.

The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese.
The bad: This food is high in Saturated Fat.

Spices, sage, ground Nutrition Facts & Calories

 

[Doves Witness]

Malabar

This one is somewhat different from the others so far. The material is a combination of dried leaves and wood from the stems of the plant. I could not detect any scent from the tea, nor any initial flavor. The aftertaste is wood. I used to chew on green (live) sticks as a kid, and it's that taste exactly. It also seems to be slightly astringent but not as much as Thyme. As usual, the formerly feral pigeon, Sky seems unimpressed, and still drank the same amount of the tea-water.

The only nutrition data I found is for malabar spinach, whereas the herb is apparently from the malabar nut tree or shrub.

 

[Doves Witness]

Bay leaf (laurel)

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Bay leaf tea is made with whole bay leaves which didn't fit well in the tea-strainer spoon, so I deviated from the normal procedure by not using the strainer, and adding five bay leaves directly in the cup. The tea had no discernible scent and only the slightest hint of flavor. If you are searching for a tea that is very much like plain water, this is it! The formerly feral pigeon, Sky did not drink any more or less of the tea-water than usual.

The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Folate, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron and Manganese.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/174/2

 

[Doves Witness]

Oregano

Wow! Just when I had begun to suspect that the flavor of the teas are too weak to interest the bird, the oregano tea is the strongest flavor yet. Very dark orange color, familiar aroma, strong taste that has a bite to it. Slightly acidic, but the flavor is the strongest part -- spicy and pungently herbal. Reminds me vaguely of the flavor of Listerine but without the alcohol. I cheated by waiting even longer than normal to see if Sky would drink more of the oregano tea, but no. She does not appear to be moved for or against any of the herbal teas compared to plain water.

The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese.

Spices, oregano, dried Nutrition Facts & Calories

 

[Doves Witness]

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus)

Lemongrass tea has a faint lemon scent but not much flavor. Slightly less boring than bay leaf tea. I couldn't find nutrition information for lemongrass (the only record I found was actually for citronella which is a slightly different plant.) As usual, the formerly feral pigeon Sky has expressed neither more nor less interest in her drinking water despite the addition of this tea. She is no doubt getting some additional nutrition from the tea-water vs. plain water, but I was hoping to find teas which she would enjoy, and so far I have struck-out. I may try a different testing method, giving both plain water and an even stronger tea-water mixture separately to determine which she chooses more often throughout the day.