Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Product Description:
An organic blend of green leaf (Rama) Tulsi and spearmint.
Known as Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum), Tulsi is a sacred plant from India used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Tulsi is considered an ‘elixir of life’ providing alchemy to one’s well being.
Taster’s Review:
While brewing, this tea filled the kitchen with a savory, herbaceous aroma. I’ve brewed a few different tulsi blends, and I don’t recall ever experiencing as strong a fragrance as I did with this tea. From the scent, I thought I was in for a very herb-y tasting tisane and I worried it might taste medicinal. But it doesn’t.
The flavor is very cool and minty, but not in a mouthwash kind of way. There is also a sharp and slightly peppery kind of taste to the tulsi that I don’t think I’ve ever detected in a tulsi blend before. The contrast of these characteristics makes for a very interesting and exciting flavor. The cup is light and refreshing with a crisp mint taste. It’s quite tasty.
I have kind of been on the fence when it comes to tulsi, but for no other reason than because it’s an herb and my automated response to herbals tends to be that of alarm and distrust. Well, I think it is time for me to embrace the tulsi, because I have yet to find a tulsi blend that I dislike!