This is a green tea with lily blossoms. The blossoms stand out as a gorgeous orange against the deep, mossy green and white needle twists.
The resulting flavor is light, with a delicate vegetal tang. I think that I can taste trace amounts of the flowers, but this might be in my head because I saw them. The tea is a bit astringent, and leaves a light aftertaste.
I think it’s a pleasant way to start a morning. It’d go nicely with some meditation or the reading of a compelling nonfiction book. (I always associate green tea with spirituals, yogis, and intellectuals.)
Lily-infused tea is “thought to help with blood pressure,” which sounds dubious (SHOW ME THE PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES), but I feel very mellow today as I sip it. Very nice.
This is part of my last box of Simple Loose Leaf’s sample box, and I must say, I’ve been pleased with the offerings overall. It’s a fairly inexpensive box (as they go), with varied options. I feel pretty comfortable recommending the service if you’re interested in sampling a few different options without fully committing to full-size servings, un-tasted.
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf Tea Company
Description
This tea was part of Simple Loose Leaf Tea Co’s monthly tea subscription.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Snow Bud (Mo Li Xue Ya)/Teavivre. . . .
My favorite jasmine teas have come from Teavivre, a tea company located in the Fujian Province in China. My number one jasmine to keep on hand is their Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea, as well as their Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl, which is a favorite with guests. I think I have owned nearly every type of jasmine tea they have ever carried!
I also kept their “economy” jasmine tea on hand for serving with food, because the meal masks the high quality of the other teas and it made sense to go with something less expensive when I couldn’t taste and enjoy the tea fully. But I really preferred the others for special tea times and gong fu steeping.
Jasmine tea is a great de-stresser for me. It is as effective as a bubble bath, if not more so, for making tight muscles relax and tense nerves mellow. I love to make a pot when there is a lot of hubbub, like lots of guests and mad holiday cooking going on full speed ahead. So when I found out they have added new jasmine teas to their line up, I had to try them!
This snow bud tea is a loose tea that is first scented repeatedly with fresh jasmine flowers and then finally, more strongly scented jasmine flowers are added to the leaves and left to impart even more flavor.
Does this make it too flowery? Too soapy? Not at all. This costs about the same as the economy grade jasmine I used to buy but is far superior to it, in my opinion. At this price point, I will gladly serve it with food, but the flavor and smoothness of the base is so good that I can happily enjoy it all by itself or with a treat. It is a worthy addition to the Teavivre jasmine collection.
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
Rich jasmine fragrance with sweet aftertaste
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
DelightPho/Millie’s Savory Teas. . . .
I’ve had this little packet of savory, broth-esque tea sitting on my desk at work for MONTHS, friends. Months, just waiting, with the knowledge that someday, I’d be feeling under the weather, and someday, this is exactly what I’d want.
Well– it came. I’m coughing and sneezy and feeling generally woozy, but good enough (and not-contagious enough) to be at work. As soon as I sat down at my desk, I knew I’d be brewing up a cuppa this beauty for a little mid-morning pick-me-up. I’ve tried a few Millie’s savory teas before, and have always been impressed by the amount of flavor in those tiny tea bags. This play on pho was no exception!
My tea brewed up dark and deliciously, with tons of incredible umami flavor, almost like I was slurping down a delicious cup of pho at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. And those sniffles? Maybe they’re not completely eradicated, but the hot water was soothing on my throat, and I swear my sinuses opened up some. When it’s not feasible to drink a cup of soup during your morning meeting on a sick-y day, THIS is where it’s at.
My desk stash is now sadly depleted of any Millie’s flavors, but I’ll absolutely be stocking up for future icky-sicky days. Delight-pho, indeed!
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Millie’s Savory Teas
Description
This Delight Pho is a hearty blend of onions, basil, spicy red peppers, spices & decaf green tea. Steep one broth bag in 6 to 8 ounces of hot water for two minutes. Winner Fancy Food Show Outstanding Hot Beverage of the Year.
INGREDIENTS VEGETABLE BLEND (CARROTS, CELERY, ONION, TOMATO, SPINACH, BELL PEPPER), YEAST EXTRACT, SEA SALT, RICE HULL FIBER, BASIL, GARLIC, LIME, DECAF GREEN TEA, VINEGAR
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
China Bancha/Herbie Organic. . . . .
This is intriguing! Bancha usually refers to Japanese tea, specifically the second harvest from the same tea bushes that produce sencha. Bancha is considered to be an every day tea grade rather than something to reserve for special occasions, so I am drinking this as my after brunch cup.
This tea is harvested in China but is processed like Japanese bancha. The leaves are not terribly long – not like Hou Kui – but they are similar in that they are pressed flat. They are quite dark green in color.
The steeped tea is a rich gold color, not pale at all. It looks a lot like apple juice! My first sip gave the impression of mint, but the more I drink, the more I realize it is a very light briskness that builds over time. It is not creamy, buttery, or very vegetal. It is not sour when sipping. There is a bit of mineral flavor. By halfway through the cup, my tongue is feeling rather dry. And dry makes you want to drink more.
As is so often true of brisk tea, the follow up to the sip is a slight rising sweetness. There is only a hint of that here and it seems to come and go, being the most noticeable in the very back of the throat. Once the aftertaste establishes itself, though, it does linger well.
With its palate cleansing tendencies, I think this is a tea I would serve with or immediately after a meal. It is not a favorite for me, as I tend to like highly vegetal or buttery green tea, but is the sort of thing my daughter loves.
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Herbie Organic
Description
Green tea produced by combining the best Chinese and Japanese tea making traditions. Grown on the northern side of the River Yangtze at altitudes of up to 250 meters, pressed and long leaves give this green tea light and gentle taste and a mild character.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Local Hideaway/Pacific Tea. . . . .
Local Hideaway from Pacific Tea. I have to admit…I was sipping on this because of the name. That and because it was a flavored green tea and I was craving a green!
Lets take a look at the ingredients in this one, shall we? Contains green tea*, licorice root*, coconut pieces*, natural coconut flavoring, carob*, vanilla pieces*
The * indicates ingredients are certified organic. I have to say the green tea base was of medium strength and somewhat of muted flavor on the tongue. I could smell and taste the licorice but it wasn’t overdone, thankfully. I couldn’t really taste or individually point out the coconut, carob, or vanilla…but…I knew there was another flavor in there to make it more than ‘just licorice’.
The overall taste on the tongue was fairly good. I wouldn’t place it in my personal top ten but I wouldn’t cringe at a cup either. It was pretty middle of the road for me…and that is NOT a bad thing, REALLY!
Sometimes you just NEED a mellower cup. One that you can sip on and not really put too much thought into trying to figure out. It’s a much appreciated cuppa and I’m so glad I was able to try it. Which reminds me…if you do one thing today…why not share a cup of tea with a friend!?
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Pacific Tea
Description
Take me back to the summer of enveloping coconut trees on roads less travelled. Lingering notes of coconut, carob, liquorice and vanilla remind of days better spent.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
