A little spice is nice year round, especially when it's Chai.  When caffeine comes between you and your Chai Tea, naturally caffeine-free Capomo offers a new infusion to this ancient spiced treat.       

Infuse a piping hot Capomo drink, by brewing method of your choice.  Stir one bountiful tablespoon of Chyawanprash per cup to bring both sweet and spicy to the party, with a healthy dose of Ghee goodness.  Chyawanprash adds Chai's spicy cinnamon, black pepper/pippali, cardamom and clove, to medicinals; ashwagandha, bacopa, saffron, licorice, guduci, haritaki, shatavari and over 40 more!  

Pour the contents of 1 -2 capsule of Tattva's Supercritical Ginger into the steaming brew, for what would Chai be without this sweetest of roots?  Add cream and additional sweeter to taste.

Living in the cloud that is Seattle, turned me into a Sun Worshipper indeed, along with all the plant inhabitants of 6 National Forests including Olympic National Park, 3 State Forests and an assembly of smaller parks blanketing the Evergreen State.  The Capomo Tree, Brosimum Alicastrum, the tallest tree in their Southern forests, shares our adoration, reaching arms to sunlight and converting it into carbohydrates and oxygen, while drawing in carbon dioxide as it's own breath.  

Though Capomo trees adapt to a multitude of climates and conditions, the Maya Nut Institute has had greatest success planting in full sun and controlling for weeds, with fruiting occurring as early as 4 years.  The Capomo tree can grow as old as 100 years, providing as much as 800 pounds of food a year for forest creatures and enterprising humans.  After harvesting, Maya Nut Workers lay Capomo out on roof tops to dry in the Sun, further utilizing this gracious energy supply.

For today's brewing technique, we harness this lavish solar energy to prepare Capomo, Sun Tea Style.  I suggest 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of grounds per cup of water, according to desired strength and taste.  Set in the direct sunshine for a few hours and strain.  Simple and free.  As with garden grown veggies, cyclically taking living sunlight into their leaves, versus plants straining under artificial light indoors, Sun Capomo yields aromatic complexity with unique layers of intriguing flavor.  Gratefully accepting the gift of sunlight energy, we keep our stove tops cool and energy bill low during the summer brewing months.

Olympic National Forest photo by Jonathan Barber.

L-tryptophan present in both Capomo and cow's milk, may offer peace to sleepless nights, by activating the brain chemistry responsible for regulation of circadian rhythm - namely, serotonin and melatonin.  As we will explore, a spoonful of honey or sugar may be integral in this chemical reaction and response.  Note:  we have yet to be told that Capomo causes drowsiness, so while this is a gentle method for encouraging sleep, Capomo remains a non-sedating beverage for day time enjoyment.

Tattva's Herbs favorite Capomo preparation is the Saucepan Method.  A ratio of 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons to 1 1/2 cups of water on the stovetop at a low simmer, for 10 to 15 minutes, yields a full-flavored Capomo brew.  I stay beside my pan ready to reduce heat as needed, as Capomo can come to a boil quickly. Capomo enjoys her extended time in the saucepan, unfolding her wings of flavor, building layer upon layer of pillowy cacao notes, mahogany brown as puppy dog eyes. Subtle spicy aromatics fill the air and prepare the senses for relaxation. Remove from heat and strain into your favorite cup, add milk - used as a remedy for sleeplessness for centuries - and sweetener to taste.  

L-tryptophan, also present to a small degree in milk, is a precursor to serotonin, which the pineal gland then converts to melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating circadian rhythm. It is postulated that increased carbohydrate consumption along side l-tryptophan increases it's ability to cross the blood brain barrier, thus, I encourage a healthy spoonful of honey or sugar, if such sweet treats are allowed in your evening calorie count.

May your sleep be sweet and deep.

Capomo can be prepared in many ways, but as I daydream of Summer, I find myself experimenting with the Cold Brew Technique.  It takes a bit of forethought, but the results are well worth the effort. If you want your Capomo sweetened, the easiest way is to consider your sweet tooth first thing.  Just remember, Dessert Comes First!

For honey, add a teaspoon (or several) of this favored bee nectar into room temperature water and stir.  Honey dissolves easily into room temperature water, but sugar crystals are not so smooth and need to be heated.  For sugar, I suggest making a Simple Syrup by adding 1 part hot water to 1 part sugar.  You can store your Simple Syrup in the refrigerator and add to finished Cold Brew Capomo, to taste.

Next, measure approximately 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons into a pint jar (1 to 2 heaping teaspoons to a cup).  I tend towards the heavy side of things because I like my Capomo dark and strong, but this is also up to particular taste.

And simply put your Capomo on the counter top or in the refrigerator to steep overnight.  Don't worry if you forget about it, longer always equals stronger.  As with coffee, when the Capomo is not exposed to heat, the flavor profile provided by the plant is notably sweeter and stronger. This creates a potent concentrate to the tastebuds of some, and can be watered down, thus stretching your Capomo supply out a little longer.  And speaking of coffee, using half Capomo grounds and half coffee grounds yields an energizing drink that tempers the typical spike and crash effect.

I recommend a good 12 hour steep, however you can experiment and decide for yourself if you like the results.  When you are ready, simply strain the grounds over ice and add cream!  For the purist among us, Cold Brew Capomo is also a delight black!

The Maya Nut tree was the staple food to indigenous peoples all through its habitat, but over past years has fallen out of recognition.  The Maya Nut Institute, a non-profit public charity devoted to “find balance between people, food and forest,” exists to bring knowledge of this bounty back to the people.  Since their 2001 inception, more than 600 rural and indigenous women have established 25 fully autonomous Maya Nut businesses with a strong emphasis on both education and re-forestation.  The Maya Nut Institute’s reforestation partners have planted over 2,000,000 trees in Haiti, Columbia, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico.  So why would an entire non-profit organization devote all its work to a single species of tree?

The Maya Nut tree compels humans in many ways, but most notably, one Maya Nut tree can produce as much as 800 pounds of food in a given year, and live to over 100 years. Though native to the rain forests, it thrives in a wide range of ecosystems, making it an important climate-change resistant food source.  The fruit is eaten by avian and mammalian animals, the seeds used by people for both food and medicine; even the leaves can be steamed and eaten like spinach!  Check out our friends at the Maya Nut Institute.