Okra Tea

Acknowledgement:
This desertion would not have been possible without the guidance and help of several individuals who in one way or another contributed and extended their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this study. First of all, we would like to thanks Mrs. Mary Grace Ababat for letting us be given the chance to find another useful product and have us think thoroughly through the pros and cons, ins and outs, and its and buts of this proposed investigation. We would also like to thank our fellow group mates for the teamwork and effort that we have put in order to make this project successful. Jonica Days C.Alacon for the informative research, resources about our product and materials that we have used. Monica J.Pingol for letting us into her home to conduct our investigatory project into the final product. Betina Ann B.Soligam for helping us in the process of making our final product. Frances Gail B.Morandarte for double-checking our conclusions and checking grammatical inconsistencies, errors and the like. Arvin Roy Gomez for providing materials in making our project. Aaron Justine Tampengco for also helping us with our project and occasionally supporting us financially.

Abstract
Purpose of the Project
Our purpose why we conduct this kind of investigatory project is to improve an existing device. Accidentally, we discovered other product okra can produce. Aside from coffee, we found out that the seeds of okra can also make tea. Our tea helps improve and enhance our immune system because of the okra seeds itself is rich in Vitamin C. It can also avoid certain causes of coughs and colds. One more thing we liked about this accidental discovery of us is that it is not costly but affordable yet nutritious. Procedure Used

Step 1: The okra seed will be dried under the sun for at least two (2) to three (3) days. Step 2: Once dried, roast the dried okra seeds until brown of color. Step 3: Pulverized the dried okra seeds with the use of mortar and pestle. Step 4: When finished, put all gathered dried roasted okra seeds into a provided teabag. Results

The taste of our Gumbo Tsai was great; it really tastes like natural green tea, similar to those teas you can buy in some stores. It turned out to something more majestic and then we just tried to enhance it more. We can say that we are successful in producing this new and improved product of tea with the use of okra seeds. Conclusion

We therefore conclude that, we, ourselves, can already discover new products. We are likely to become little scientists because of what we have discovered during our experimentation. The tea we have made was not expensive but affordable yet healthy and it can be a good maintenance for our body. Let us look much deeply about our investigatory project results. As we go to the following chapters, we can learn more things and be informed by other information as follows. Chapter 1: Background of the Study

Objectives:
1.To improve an existing product/device.
2.To make a nutritious supplement for our body.
3.To be healthy without being costly.

Statement of the Project:

We successfully improved an existing product of tea by making use of okra seeds as its main ingredient. We can buy okra everywhere like in markets and its more affordable than any other vegetables out there. This tea also makes its way to avoid certain causes of colds and coughs. It has Vitamin C which can help sustain some of our body’s needs.

Definition of Terms:
•Gumbo – (n.) Okra; The stratified portion of the lower till of the Mississippi Valley; especially, those soils which form a sticky or soapy mud when wet. ; The okra plant or its pods.
•Tsai – is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the tea plant •Okra – A tall annual herb of African origin, cultivated for its edible capsules containing many mucilaginous seeds; the fingerlike capsules of this plant or a dish prepared with them. •Tea – An evergreen Asian shrub or small tree, having a compact head of leathery, toothed leaves and white or pink flowers. •Green Tea – is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates in China, but it has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. Green tea has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea has been the traditionally consumed tea. Green tea has become the raw material for extracts which are used in various beverages, health foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetic items.

Many varieties of green tea have been created in the countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, horticulture, production processing, and harvesting time; The leaves withered and rolled but not allowed to undergo fermentation. •Camellia Sinensis – is the species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce the popular beverage tea. •Oxidation during processing – Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant Camellia sinensis are transformed into the dried leaves for brewingtea. •Vitamin C –also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously, so it is an essential dietary component

Chapter 2: Methodology

The materials and/or the devices we used to make this research successful are commonly seen inside the household. We need first, of course the okra seeds, tea bag, frying pan, spatula, stove, mortar and pestle, a tea cup and hot water for the consumption itself.

We first bought okra worth 50.00php in the market and remove the seeds of okra from its pod. We put the okra seeds under the sun for it will be dry for at least two (2) to three (3) days. Once dried, roast the dried okra seeds until brown of color. Then pulverized the dried okra seeds with the use of mortar and pestle. When finished, divide all the gathered dried roasted okra seeds into a provided teabag.

By testing the product on ourselves, we have proven its effectiveness, and we distributed some tests to other people who had coughs and colds.

Dosage: For daily maintenance, drink at least twice a day.
Indication: For prevention and treatment of Vitamin C deficiency.

Sources of Data:
For the meaning of other unfamiliar words and/or for the other related meanings, we look and seek some of the information in the Webster Comprehensive Dictionary International Edition. And the rest of our knowledge about this research was come from the online sources and/or internet.

We also discover things on our own while having our experiment. We critically observe the changes of our project while in the process of doing it. We do surveys onto the people whom we asked to try our product.

Data Gathering and Instruments

Okra Seeds

Is a soft, smooth and yellowish seeds of okra that can be found in okra’s pods.

Mortar and Pestle

The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The pestle is a heavy club-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. It is a tool used to grind and powderized roasted dried okra seeds.

Tea Bag

Is a small, porous sealed bag containing powdered okra seeds and used with water for brewing the beverage called tea, herbs or spices for brewing tisanes. Tea bags are commonly made of paper, silk or plastic.

Frying Pan

It is used to roast the dried okra seeds for them to be more brittle and to easily crush into powder.

Spatula

It is used to mix the dried okra seeds while roasting it in the frying pan.

Hot Water

It is needed to extract powdered okra seeds puree to become herbal tea.

Mug

It is where to put the hot water and to deep in the tea bag.

Teaspoon (optional)

It is used to stir the tea produce by the puree of the powdered died okra in the tea bag.

Preparation
The discovery of the okra tea was much unexpected. As we were finding the raw material we could use one of our member Frances Gail Morandarte suggested to focus with okra because she had an investigatory background about okra which can be use its slimy resin to transform used papers into another kind of paper into a better one. A week after our study about her proposal, we experimented it and resulted to failure, we won’t be able to transform the torn scratch paper into a better paper maybe the slimy resin of the okra was not that sticky to put together the torn papers. So, as we continue our experiment with okra we came to study and understand what okra is and what okra can do to help maintain a good and healthy lifestyle. Accidentally Jonica Days Alacon discover that okra has an antioxidants that can help repair damage cells, slowdowns the ageing process and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases and as we were finding what part of the okra we will use to experiment with.

Jonica Alacon found a coffee that is made of okra. After her discovery we tried to experiment what she found out. We had no background about what we were going to do so we started to try drying the seeds first because that is the only thing we can see to start our experiment with the coffee. After drying it we notice that the seed was not that brittle so we think of roasting it and as we were roasting we notice that it smells like a corn and it become more brittle and it pops as the pan become heater so after that we decided to pulverized it because it’s some particles are bigger and as we started to grind it we came to think that “what if it won’t dissolve? How could we say that it is coffee?” so before going onto the next move we were finding an alternative if that powder won’t dissolve in water.

Jonica Alacon suggested filtrating it using tea bag so we bought a bag of Lipton tea temporarily and removed its content to replace it with our product after that we soak it with hot water to extract its puree and through our observation we notice that the water started to become greenish in color and we tasted it, we knew that a tea seems to be taste like that. By that time we all felt our success in finding what we were going to experiment. In naming our product, we research for the okra’s definition and it says there that okra is known in many English-speaking countries as lady’s fingers or gumbo a flowering plant in the mallow family and the colloquial Greek word for tea is tsáï, from Slavic chai. That’s why we called it Gumbo Tsai. Treatment/ General Procedure

Okra is one of the most affordable and abundantly available antioxidants, which prevent damage to our cells, hence lessening the chances of diseases, even the occurrence of cancer, and premature ageing. Daily consumption is recommended here for asthmatics, diabetics, to prevent or slow down the development of cataract, and those who like to benefit most from its power to slow down the ageing process. Mothers are likewise encouraged to consume okra in the last trimester of pregnancy as the folic acid content in the Okra is a great contribution to the development of baby’s brain.

Moreover, since Okra has been known to stabilize diabetes, learning to love this fruit can make the journey back to health most enjoyable. Okra tea came from the dried okra seeds, roasted, pulverized and transfer into a tea bag. Roasting- is a process of cooking that uses dry heat with an open flame and can enhance the browning of the surface of the okra seed that is been cooked. Pulverizing- it is the process of breaking the okra seed into a very small particles that it would become powder. Transferring- is the process of putting the powdered okra seeds into the tea bag. Its effectivity is good for at least 6 months but for best results use it as your maintenance drink like water because it helps cleanse your body. Asthmatic and diabetic persons should drink at least 3-4 glasses a day. This type of herbal tea is better than any other tea because it is natural tea unlike other tea which was already formulated with different chemicals to preserve its freshness. Chapter 3 : Data

About the materials:
The materials that were used in this project are commonly seen inside the household. Of course, we have chosen to improve a product that has already been processed, and made it simple by natural means. Unlike other complex substances that needs to be bought at the market and costs largely; our project has aims and also deals with its substances that are not always used but makes it useful.

About our final product:
Our finished product already contains mixed substances that are enough to sustain some of our body’s needs. For example, intake of Vitamin C helps improve and enhance our immune system.
About our tests:
Since our product can avoid certain causes of coughs and colds, we’ve also conducted tests in our neighborhood if this is really effective. Good enough, our tests turned out fine. A normal kid that aged 8-10 years, when the number of dosage per day is 2 (of our product), taken daily, the cough is no longer present within a week. The tea when drank of an adult aged 24-30 depending on the severity of the cough/cold may take two to three weeks. According to our research, only 3 out of 5 people said that their intake of the tea made an accurate effect on what they are feeling. Not totally cured, but it was accurate.

About the creation of the project:
It was a piece of cake! All materials you needed are already inside your kitchen! Unless you have some okra with you, yes. It didn’t eat much time, plus, only the seeds are greatly needed. It is the main material needed in the tea-making process and would be very incomplete without it (hence, Gumbo-Tsai). We made a tea along with the perfect tea bag less than a week, and I guess if we’re making a lot, it would take us a month, on which what we really aimed after perfecting the tea itself. Discussion

Question: Aside from using Okra, why can’t it be other vegetables or maybe fruits  instead?
Answer: Not only because we thought of something very handy, we also thought that Okra isn’t that as used like many other vegetables out there like sitaw  or ampalaya.

Question: Can it really cure coughs and colds?
Answer: If the question is doubted, no. But because we tested, of course, the answer  is yes. It only depends on the case of the body. If it is severe, then it would  take more than a week. We only applied to the possible cases like mild  coughs and minor colds.
Results
During the process of steps:
It was easy, we could tell. A single person can make it, and even without the help of many, one can accomplish a task of three. Like a single person can make five tea bags (with tea of course,) in a week.

Of the product:
Gumbo-tsai is actually an accidental discovery. Before, we wanted to make ‘Okra Coffee’ but we ended up making ‘Tea’ because when we fried the Okra seeds, and mixed it with water, it turned out yellowish-green in color. The taste was awesome, it really tasted like tea. On our own observation, perseverance, hard work and knowledge, we came up to one decision that we should enhance the tea a little bit more. Then poof! Our ‘coffee’ magically turned up into a ‘tea’. This sidestory of our project-making simply proves that the results are not always what you think it was. Of course, at first, you chain up the possibilities of it being the way you wanted, calculated and get the best results of the given conclusion, but when you’ve tested it, it turned out to become something more incredible and then you just tried to enhance it more. And also, because of this new discovery, we simply have no idea that Okra seeds can make tea. Chapter 4: Conclusions and recommendations

As what the previous Chapter stated, we therefore conclude that, not all things we wanted to be, turns out something we wanted to. We can never say that this project is as perfect like the other tea mixtures out there, but we can say that this one is a total success of a new product enhancement. We recommend our product not only for the sickly (especially those with of coughs and colds in common), but also to normal people. It can relax, and soothe the body. It also gives removes somebody waste that can be of any harm. The material that is used does not contain any chemical-related substance that some people may react to or be allergic to. (Unless you’re just allergic to Okra, we really don’t recommend it!)

Bibliography

Online Sources
What is Gumbo?
http://thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/gumbo/

What is Tsai?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
Vitamin C
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/ Green Tea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea
Camellia Sinensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sinensis
Oxidation during processing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_processing

Printed Sources

What is Gumbo?
Webster Comprehensive Dictionary International Edition; Page 563

What is Okra?
Webster Comprehensive Dictionary International Edition; Page 879

What is tea?
Webster Comprehensive Dictionary International Edition; Page 1286

Green Tea
Webster Comprehensive Dictionary International Edition; Page 555