Hey there,
Trends with bee pollen come and go all the time, so it's no surprise that we are seeing an increase in the use of Bee Pollen in tea. "Allergy Tea" is another name for it.
We've checked out the trend and seen fresh bee pollen in tea and dried bee pollen in tea; we've seen recipes for hot tea and recipes for cold tea. Let's breakdown the trend and find out whether or not it's just a faad or here to stay!
Hot Tea or Cold Tea?
The temperature of tea is the on one side of the coin when it comes to adding bee pollen to tea: do you brew hot, or do you brew cold? A common misconception with fresh bee pollen is that it can be warmed or "cooked"... this is unfortunately not the case. The best way to think of Fresh Bee Pollen is to consider it as if it were a lettuce or herb. It's only at it's peak performance while kept cool, as pollen is a living product. And just like lettuce or herbs, when exposed to heat, their overall nutritional value tends to diminish.
So, when asking, "Can I add Fresh Bee Pollen to hot tea?," know that you can, however the nutritional value may diminish when exposed to the heat.
Adding bee pollen to cold tea is entirely different; iced cold tea will keep the nutritional quality of the pollen in tact. However, it may not completely dissolve into the liquid.
Fresh Bee Pollen or Dried Bee Pollen?
Fresh Bee Pollen vs. Dried Bee Pollen - which is better? This is the ultimate question many people worry about.
The easiest way to think of this is to once again revisit the lettuce and herb analogy. Dried herbs and wilted lettuce that have been exposed to heat are always lacking in the nutrients that would come from their fresh counterparts. The same rule of thumb can be applied to Bee Pollen. The nutrients in Fresh Bee Pollen are incredibly higher than the nutrients in dried pollen.
When in doubt, choose Fresh when using Bee Pollen!
We hope this guide gave you a little more information on adding bee pollen to your tea!