Do You Know...Your Drink?

Do you know what is friendship tea?

Editor's note: It is a dry, heady tea mix that is usually kept in a container, and given away to family and friends. While most tea mix is sweeter than traditional teas due to the added sugar and other sweet ingredients, this has a tinge of spice that makes a wonderful holiday or housewarming gift. It is sometimes called Russian friendship tea.

Here's the recipe for friendship tea.

You will need

2.5 cups sugar
1 cup Tang drink mix 

1 cup of instant iced tea
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Method

Stir ingredients in a large bowl.
Store in an air tight container.
To make hot tea, mix 3 teaspoons to 1 cup of hot water.
To make ice tea, substitute the hot water for cold water and pour over ice.

Do you know that the first cocoa drink is a spicy, frothy, thick, cold and bitter drink?

Editor's note: It was made and drank by the ancient tribes of Mexico and Central America, including the Incas, Aztec and Mayans. As sugar had not been introduced to the New World then, they mixed ground cacao seeds (or cocoa) with various seasonings. It was called xocoatl and was believed to be a health elixir. In fact, the word chocolate comes from the Mayan word xocoatl which means 'bitter water'.

Here's the recipe for  a good cocoa drink.

You will need

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2.5 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water  

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix evenly.
In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.
Fill your mug half full with the mixture, pour in hot water and stir to combine.
Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry.
This also works great with warm milk and will form a thicker drink.