Japanese Uses of Old Tea Leaves
Don’t throw away your used tea leaves anymore!! In Japanese, old tea leaves are called chagara (茶がら) and they can apparently be reused in various ways around the house.
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Cooking
- Dry the leaves, and then roast with soy sauce, mirin, and bonito flakes to make furikake (a topping for rice.)
-Add teas like genmai-cha (brown rice) and soba-cha (buckwheat) to fried rice.
-Add to tempura batter.
-Add to stir-fried vegetables.
-Add sugar and use to smoke meat, fish, etc.Home and Garden
- Sprinkle the chagara on the ground and sweep; it will pick up dust and grime.
- Dry and scatter in flowerbeds; it will act as a fertilizer and an insecticide.
Kitchen
- Dry and sprinkle in trashcan to eliminate odors.
- Zap the chagara in the microwave to eliminate food odors. Afterwards, use the dried leaves for another purpose – kill two birds with one stone.Room and Bath
- Sprinkle chagara in the tub instead of bath salts.
- Put chagara into a net or stocking and use for a body massage or face wash.
(Source: srednivashtar)
