I like tea. Moving from England to China helps. Some might say I know a good ‘cuppa’ when I have one.

So….

When I tell you that tonight – whilst shopping for Robin’s cardamom and saffron – I was given the greatest mixture of herbal tea I’ve ever tried. Ever.

I knew it was going to be good by the way the shop owner kept saying ‘try it’ like he was a 14 year-old boy at summer camp.

I tried it. Bought enough for 80 cups. And I’m poor. Seriously. Much like a junkie is content with his latest fix and never mind the fact he’s sleeping one someone’s windowsill – it was worth it.

Now – being the sharing type that I am, I decided to find out the recipe – perfect, perfect for the winter months, I’m telling you. Try it and let me know how the home version stacks up:

1. Take a fresh cinnamon stick, break into pieces no bigger than two, 1/3 of an inch squared.

2. Two green [not black] cardamom seeds

3. A tiny pinch of saffron [2-3 strands at most]

…boil in a cup of water and serve. You could make it 2 cups, but it was served to me in a smaller cup.

You can also add a tiny bit of sugar to pull the cinnamon off of the bark if you like it sweet.

Seriously – try it. Me passing this one is my Christmas gift to you.