Introduction
Have you ever gagged on a spoonful of kratom and asked if there was a better way? Are you interested in a simpler way to take kratom that is more palatable? Today we’re going to look at kratom tea vs toss and wash.
But why should you be drinking tea instead of following the toss and wash fad? Read ahead to find out which you’d choose when it comes to kratom tea vs toss and wash!
What is “Toss and Wash?”
Toss and wash is “tossing” a spoonful of kratom leaf powder into your mouth. And then “washing” it down with a gulp of water or beverage of your choice. It’s messy, foul-tasting, and can be hard on the stomach. Plus it’s a method you wouldn’t want to perform in front of your friends, family, or co-workers. That said, it is the quickest way to consume kratom.
Why do People use the Toss and Wash Method?
For one, tossing and washing maximizes the amount of alkaloids that will make it from the leaf material and into your bloodstream. This is a messy, but effective way of taking your kratom.
But it has its drawbacks, and many of them are aesthetic. At a minimum, the taste of a small pile of powdered kratom leaves on your tongue can be too much for some.
There are ways to improve the experience of tossing and washing. You can first fill your mouth half-full of water and then carefully spoon the powder on top of the water.
Then quickly gulp down a glass of water in an attempt to constrain the taste to a fraction of a second.
Yet even following this tip will not spare you from occasionally participating in an impromptu cinnamon challenge without your consent. Coughing powder, spiraling plumes of green particles which catch the light as you drool. All the while you’re gasping for breath amid the choking aftermath. Sounds fun.
Leaf Powder and Your Stomach
If you’re like us, you might hesitate before returning that spoonful of powder back to your mouth. Deep down, we feel a little betrayed by kratom. Often, we’re left standing over our scale, pondering whether it is still worth it. Spoiler alert. It is worth it. The benefits of kratom far outweigh the occasional choking performance. But why do we accept this short act of suffering when we eat kratom?
Even after finishing our toss and wash, the negatives associated with this method of taking kratom continue. Rapidly eating a small pile of ground up, raw leaf powder — especially with an empty stomach — can be quite uncomfortable.
Now, if we put this all together, it’s clear why the toss & wash method is both popular and unpleasant. It’s effective, but crude; fast, but not socially acceptable. And for those wondering if it’s a popular consumption method in the heartland of kratom culture, the short answer is no.
So what’s the alternative? Now that we understand what tossing and washing is, let’s start sipping on some tea!
Kratom Tea vs Toss & Wash
The benefits of kratom have traditionally been balanced against the negative effects of consuming the leaf itself. In Thailand, where kratom has been used for centuries, the leaves are either quickly chewed as a quid, or drunk as a tea.
Both of these methods avoid swallowing any leaf matter. Why disregard tradition without reason? Enjoying a tea versus choking down sandy powder should doesn’t seem like a hard choice.
Would you like your “kratom tea” to be powder mixed with hot water that makes for a gritty drink that still entail consuming leaf biomatter? Or, would you like to steep a tea bag in some boiling water to extract the alkaloids without having to consume the plant matter?
Both options are available on the internet, but we’re the only brand offering multi-strain kratom tea bags.The primary difference between tossing and washing and drinking a kratom tea is where the plant matter ends up.
Ultimately, both methods are effective at getting the desirable alkaloids into your body, but with tea, the leaf ends up being discarded, or, hopefully, composted.
Another benefit of drinking tea is that you have already done the work of your stomach in removing the alkaloids from the biomass matrix of the kratom leaf. And when your body has an easier job processing something, it often means you experience the benefits sooner!
How do I Make Kratom Tea?
Making kratom tea is simple, and we’ve written about many methods of brewing your perfect cup in previous posts. Simply add boiling water, some acidic fruit juice, and let steep in the hot water for 20 minutes. You can then sweeten to taste — although, we’ve come to notice that the natural bitter notes grow on us over time, just as was our experience when first drinking coffee.
You can also make tea time a relaxing ritual. Tea is all about patience. It is about learning how you like your tea, and what variables there are to play around with. After a few tries, and playing around with things like steep time, citrus content, sweetening, complementary herbal teas, etc, you’ll have found what you like. Tea time is about the ceremony!
Sip or gag?
So there you have it. Ultimately, the question of kratom tea vs. toss and wash boils down to how you feel about eating raw leaf powder and how much enjoyment you want out of your kratom practice. At Top Tree Herbs, we are all about giving kratom consumers the option to have a premium kratom tea experience.
Are you interested in a cup of kratom tea? Visit our store and to find out which strain is right for you!
