Now that you know a little more about the varieties of tea, let’s talk about flavors.

I love a hot cup of peppermint (or mint) tea when my tummy aches. Some believe that the menthol in peppermint tea lends to its healing effects on nausea, vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, and headaches. Peppermint tea also controls mild symptoms of asthma and helps fight the common cold. This tea is naturally caffeine-free.

We all enjoy a glass of chilled sweet tea on hot summer days. This treat with southern origins has taken on a new life recently and is so popular, you can now find it at your local fast food restaurant.

Fruit teas such as apple, blueberry, orange, peach, strawberry , and of course, lemon , can be found in the aisles of your local grocers in both store and national brands. I shop for generic brands quite often, but my favorite fruity or minty tea happens to be Celestial Seasonings. The store brand mint tea couldn’t hold a candle to the national brand in this case.

Chai (or spiced tea) is made from black tea and comes in many flavors. The smooth taste of vanilla softens the spiciness of ordinary chai tea. Other popular spiced teas are cinnamon, ginger, and hazelnut.

What’s your favorite tea?

Let’s discuss (over a cup of tea, of course)!

Love to all!

CC

Black, green, white, red, herbal, oolong, Pu-erh (AKA Puer), blends, and flavored. Who knew there were so many varieties of tea? I’m a tea connessuier, but Pu-erh is a new one for me.

Regardless of the variety or flavor, I’ll try just about everything. Since you can’t buy one bag at a time, I’ve collected a half dozen varieties, dozens of flavors, and hundreds of bags of tea.

What’s so special about each tea?

Black tea – the most popular globally; caffeinated, bold flavor

Green tea – healing qualities; second most popular variety

White tea – rarest on earth; slightly sweet and subtle flavor; great for complexion; higher concentration of antioxidants than all other teas, fights cancer

Red (AKA Rooibos) – Slows the aging process, treats allergies, decaffeinated, great for people prone to kidney stones

Herbal – Encourages restful sleep; helps the digestive process; eases nausea and cold symptoms

Oolong – most expensive variety; commonly found in Chinese restaurants; speeds up weight loss and boosts metabolism; excellent source of flouride; aids in digestive process; reduces risk of hypertension

Pu-erh – cleanses blood and removes toxins; improves eyesight

Blends – just as the name implies, tea blends contain a mixture of two or more varieties

Flavored – flowers, oils, herbs and spices are added to enhance the taste

Stay tuned for part 2 where we will discuss a myriad of flavors.

Love to all!

CC