Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
Find your bliss and indulge with the herbal mix of mint, licorice and Indian pennywort (said to enhance longevity) in our “Harmony” tea. Each blend is mildly caffeinated with green tea, one of nature’s antioxidant wonders.
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
I can really smell the licorice here. It has a warm, sweet smell. The pennywort might add to some of the sweetness in the aroma, although I’m not really sure because pennywort is one of those herbs that I’m just not all that familiar with. I’m surprised that I’m not picking up more of the minty fragrance since mint can be a very dominant herb.
I wish I could taste the licorice as distinctly as I can smell it. I am not really familiar with the flavor of pennywort, so I suspect that is what I’m tasting because I taste a sweet, vaguely earthy taste that doesn’t taste like mint or licorice or green tea. So I’m guessing this flavor I’m experiencing is pennywort, or more accurately, what pennywort tastes like when it’s blended with licorice, mint and green tea.
It is kind of an odd taste but not unpleasant. It just tastes really different from anything I’ve tasted before, so I’m having a difficult time describing what I’m experiencing. What comes to mind as I sip it is the liquid that might result after having steamed spinach. The greenish liquor that would be in the water vessel of my steamer – I haven’t ever drank that liquid, but I’ve often guessed that it tastes earthy and vegetal. Now imagine combining that liquid with the steamer liquid after cooking asparagus and broccoli. Again, I’ve never consumed either of these liquids, but I have imagined them to taste earthy, vegetal and possibly a bit bittersweet. That’s kind of what I’m tasting now.
Now that I’m past the mid-cup mark, I’m starting to pick up on an aftertaste that is both minty and licorice-like. These flavors are starting to develop in the sip too, although the aforementioned steamer liquid taste remains the strongest flavor of the cup.
I can’t say I’m loving this tea, but I don’t hate it either. It’s just … odd. Different from what I’ve tasted in the past. Not a familiar flavor. But at the same time, it’s not unpleasant. It’s sort of like trying a new vegetable for the first time. Veggies aren’t always everyone’s favorite side dish on the plate, but we eat them and while we’re more likely to enjoy something more familiar, the new veggie isn’t so bad once you get used to it. That’s how I’d describe this tea experience.
Relax Ayurvedic Rooibos Tisane from TeaVeda
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
Sweet, romantic and warming flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, rooibos and spices entice and entitle you to “Relax.”
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said it more than once here on this blog, but I’m a sucker for packaging. I’m also really into presentation. And I have to say that I really like the presentation – and the packaging! – from this new-to-me company, The Veda Company, and their line of teas called TeaVeda.
The Veda Company sells not just an intriguing line of teas, but also candles, body care and home décor. And I love the presentation of their TeaVeda line. The tins are GORGEOUS and isn’t the teapot and teacup (in the photo above) absolutely beautiful? The teacup is also called “Relax” and each of the teacups in the TeaVeda line has an inspiring message printed on the inside of the cup. For the Relax cup, the message is:
“A happy family is but an earlier heaven.” ~George Bernard Shaw
I love it all: the teapot, the teacup, and the gorgeous tins that the teas are packaged in. Beautifully ornate with a very tight fitting, double lid system to help keep your tea protected from the elements.
But wait, there’s more! There’s TEA!
Tonight, I’m in need of a soothing, relaxing cup of tea so I’m sipping on “Relax” from TeaVeda, which is a chai-like blend of spices, vanilla and rooibos. This chai has the “usual” chai ingredients: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Plus it also has some black pepper to spice it up even more and some vanilla to sweeten it.
This blend is a lovely spicy-sweet blend that teases my taste buds! At first I think that the cloves are the most prominent flavor of the cup, but then the pepper and ginger come through strongly. Then the cinnamon and cardamom come shining through.
The vanilla is a subtle flavor to this cup, adding a creamy flavor to the drink without softening the spices. There is a warm, nutty flavor from the rooibos that complements the spices well. And, even though the spices are vibrant, the beverage has a calming overall effect.
A nice, soothing cup of “Relax”!
When I first encountered The Veda Company, I found that their website is not an e-commerce/shopping cart type of site. Instead, to place your order, you need to utilize their inquiry page and place the order via this system. Not quite as convenient as the shopping cart, I realize, and they realize it too, so until they do get the shopping cart up and running, they are offering a 20% discount on retail orders made through the inquiry page! I love saving money!
Ayurvedic Stimulating Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
About Tea of Life Ayurvedic Collection:
The word “Ayurveda” is derived from two words – “Ayus” meaning life and “Veda” meaning ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is ‘The Science of Life.’
Life or Ayus, according to Ayurveda, is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. So Ayurveda does not just limit itself to the body or physical symptoms, but also provides comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and emotional health.
The traditional healing system of Ayurveda is based on a theory of balance between the body (physical), the soul (spiritual) and the mind (psychological).
Ingredients:
Black Tea with cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coriander, Ginger & Rose flavors.
Taster’s Review:
I categorized this Ayurveda Stimulating Tea from Tea of Life as a “chai” because even though it doesn’t have all the “usual” spices of a masala chai blend, it has several of them.
That said, this doesn’t taste like the “usual” chai that I’m used to drinking. It’s not quite as spicy as a typical chai. I taste more black tea than I do spices. That’s not a bad thing – I’m just saying that it’s a different tasting “chai.”
The black tea is smooth and nicely round. Even though it’s a finely chopped CTC (in a tea bag, no less), it has a pleasing flavor. It’s full and robust and energizing.
The spices add a nice depth to the flavor. The coriander is the strongest flavor that I notice in this blend, but I can also taste the cinnamon and nutmeg, and even a hint of kick from the ginger. The ingredient list suggests a rose flavor too, but I’m having a hard time detecting it. When I slurp the cup, I can pick up on whispers of rose notes but it’s very faint.
Overall, this is alright. Not my favorite chai blend, but I do like how the coriander comes through. And it does deliver what it promises: it’s a stimulating cup of tea!
Ayurvedic De-Stress Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
About Tea of Life Ayurvedic Collection:
The word “Ayurveda” is derived from two words – “Ayus” meaning life and “Veda” meaning ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is ‘The Science of Life.’
Life or Ayus, according to Ayurveda, is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. So Ayurveda does not just limit itself to the body or physical symptoms, but also provides comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and emotional health.
The traditional healing system of Ayurveda is based on a theory of balance between the body (physical), the soul (spiritual) and the mind (psychological).
Ingredients:
Green Tea with Lemongrass, Gotukola, Ginger, Lavender Buds, Cumin Seed, Fennel.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t know that I was necessarily looking to “De-Stress” today, but I definitely wanted something that would help me unwind and relax without making me want to go and take a nap (like Chamomile would do!) so I decided I’d try this Ayurvedic De-Stress Tea from Tea of Life to help me calm down a little.
When I opened the individually wrapped package that held this tea bag, I could smell the cumin seed! I love cumin and because it’s not really a spice that you often find in tea blends, I’m happy when I do come across a tea blend that has cumin in it.
And I can really taste the cumin in the brewed tea. It is the strongest flavor that I notice in the cup, but, it doesn’t overwhelm the palate. I am also tasting the gotakola here, and together these two spices give the overall cup a very ‘curry-ish’ sort of flavor. I also taste notes of green tea and citrus, the peppery notes of ginger and a hint of licorice from the fennel. I don’t taste a lot of Lavender.
This is a very savory tea with the spices that have been used to craft this blend. The green tea adds a slight vegetal note and a buttery tone and texture, as well as a hint of sweetness that contrasts nicely with the overall savory flavor of this tea.
I enjoyed it, and I will say that I think it served its purpose as I feel not quite as wound up as I was before I started sipping on this tea. It’s not something I’d drink daily, but it is something I’d turn to – happily! – on a stressful day when I need something to get my mind back on track.
Ayurvedic Immune Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
About Tea of Life Ayurvedic Collection:
The word “Ayurveda” is derived from two words – “Ayus” meaning life and “Veda” meaning ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is ‘The Science of Life.’
Life or Ayus, according to Ayurveda, is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. So Ayurveda does not just limit itself to the body or physical symptoms, but also provides comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and emotional health.
The traditional healing system of Ayurveda is based on a theory of balance between the body (physical), the soul (spiritual) and the mind (psychological).
Ingredients:
Green Tea with Ginger, Coriander, Pepper, Cumin Seed and Tumeric.
Taster’s Review:
When I got my package from Tea of Life, this super cool hexagon package of Ayurvedic teas was among the many teas that were included. The photo doesn’t really do this packaging justice – it’s really neat! There are six different Ayurvedic teas in this package: Stimulating, Slimming, Calming, Detox, Immune and Destress.
Since my husband is currently battling an awful cold and I don’t want to suffer with that same cold, I decided to dig into this hexagon and try the Ayurvedic Immune Tea from Tea of Life to see if it will help me avoid what seems to be an inevitable fate. Whenever anyone gets a cold in this house, I end up getting it too. So, here’s hoping that this will help me … if not avoid it all together, at least minimize my bout with it.
Right off the bat, one thing that I like about this, before I even brew it, is that it has real tea in it. It’s not a blend of herbs. Not that there’s anything wrong with a blend of herbs, but, I like tea. You might have noticed that.
The aroma of the dry tea reminds me of the fragrance I’d experience if I were walking into a restaurant that serves Indian Cuisine. I could smell the tumeric and the other spices. I didn’t get a lot of green tea essence from the aroma.
The brewed tea smells very much the same. A strong tumeric scent, with notes of ginger, cumin, coriander and pepper. I can smell notes of green tea – a light, fresh ‘vegetal’ note.
As far as “functional” teas go, this is really tasty. It reminds me a bit more of a spiced vegetable broth than it does a tea, but, I’m enjoying the flavor. If I’m going to be drinking this for the next few days (as I plan to do to help ~hopefully~ avoid the cold that my husband has right now), then I’m very pleased that the flavor is enjoyable.
While the spices are strong, this is not an “in your face” kind of tea. It doesn’t overwhelm my palate with lots of spice flavor. I can taste the green tea, and the spices keep time with the lightness of the green tea. That is to say that the spices don’t overpower the green tea – a balance has been achieved with this blend. A really good balance.
I consumed this straight up with no additions, and it was just fine like that, however, I think it would be really nice with a dollop of honey (and honey has the added benefit of antioxidants and every little bit helps when you’re trying to avoid a cold.) The sweetness of the honey would accentuate the spices nicely.