Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

Well, in this case, it’s not a cute way of saying ‘let’s kiss’. Back in the way olden days, when tea had to be smuggled into the country because of the American Revolutionary war (We all know the Boston Tea Party, don’t we?) and also, because good tea was hard to get, it was too expensive for most people to afford. Many times people thought they were buying real tea, when in actuality, they were buying smooch.

Smooch is made from the leaves of ash trees. The leaves are dried in ovens, then put on the floor and broken into small pieces by walking on them. You add a bit of real tea and mix in some sheep’s dung (yes, sheep’s dung) and boil it all together then dry it again. Ew. Ick. Ack!

So, now you know what smooch is, my friends. Aren’t you glad we can afford the good stuff? I am.