A friend sent me some samples of Ginger Lemon Zest recently, and since the bags were so huge and plump with all the goodies inside I pulled out a gallon pitcher thinking that these must make two quarts each, or at least one quart with the possibility of resteeping. Fortunately, I decided to look up the instructions online before boiling my water because each bag is good for just eight to ten ounces! I had to look twice to be sure I wasn’t misreading that!
I used two bags and twenty ounces of water. When I pulled the bags out of the steeping cup, they were limp little bundles with very little left in them! Wow! That’s because much of what had filled the bag was the granulated honey infused with the ginger flavor.
The resulting brew looks like cloudy tea because this herbal mixture has LOTS of honey granules. Have no fear, it is not overly sweet.
I drank a small cup hot before bedtime to help with the reflux and heartburn issues I have been having lately and put the rest in the fridge.
This is really ginger forward, very warm but not unpleasantly hot and spicy, and nicely sweet from the honey. So convenient for carrying with you to work where a jar of honey might make a mess! The lemon myrtle is very light and more on the back of the sip, much gentler than citrus would be, with ginger rising again and lingering after. This would be brilliant to have around for colds and sore throats, not just tender tummies.
I enjoyed this as a relaxing bedtime cuppa but as a Southern gal in the dog days of summer, I am seriously looking forward to mixing this half and half with my sweet black tea on lots of ice!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: True Honey Teas
Description
Our Ginger Lemon Zest is more than just a delicious tea – its an experience. Upon the first sip, you are hit with a bold ginger taste that fills your senses – we infuse only real ginger into the honey granules in its natural form. Real ginger is a delight, and you truly feel a healthy zest in this all natural blend. After the burst of ginger, your pallet is soothed with lemon undertones brought out by Australian Lemon Myrtle. As with all our blends, the Ginger Lemon Zest is paired with honey granules to offer sweet finishing notes
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Ginger Pear/Tea Forte
I can’t believe I am enjoying a ginger tea to the point that I am happily resteeping! I NEED ginger for digestive issues but I have never enjoyed it, especially when there is enough of it to actually do you some good. It is hot, it is spicy, and I am a plain vanilla kind of gal.
One thing I do hold dear is licorice root. I know a lot of people don’t care for it, but I love the sweetness and body it gives to a blend and I prefer it to stevia…and that’s an understatement.
I have the loose leaf version of this tea and the website warns that the pyramid version may have slightly different ingredients so keep that in my mind if you decide to try it.
The aroma is GINGER, first, foremost, front and center. Since it is the first ingredient listed I assume it constitutes more of the blend. The first sip is soft and sweet, and the more you drink, the more the ginger builds.
Pear is a delicate flavor to me even when eating a fresh pear right out of hand, so pear with ginger is no contest. Ginger is definitely going to dominate. The nice thing is that you get little fruity flavors peeking now and again, adding another dimension to the tea. The white tea base is a nice little boost of antioxidants.
The tin lists all of the ingredients as being organic, so another bonus! Finally, a ginger winner for me! This is one I would definitely restock and consider it a treat to drink when feeling under the weather, or just a cup to enjoy.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea Forte
Description
Delicate white tea leaves plus a hint of pear and spicy ginger.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
52Teas’ the 12 Teas of Christmas – Day 4-Spoilers!
Day 4!
This tea has a great name and great flavor: Ginger Cola Black Tea. This tea is meant to reference the old timey soda shoppe flavor of ginger cola. Not to be confused with ginger ale, there is plenty of dark caramel cola taste and the sweet buzz of ginger. I think flavor comes from a time where sodas had more spice, like the New England Moxie soda, or even the cherry and spice flavors of Dr. Pepper.
Enough about soda, getting back to tea. I’m not sure what kind of tea is used as the base in this blend, but the leaves are a little longer and more tightly rolled than the typical black tea base, so they were chosen specially for this blend.
This tea smells and tastes remarkably like cola but in such a way that it’s spice still suits the tea. A touch of cloves and the caramel cola taste are balanced with the warm heat of candied ginger. The spices makes this appealing as a hot beverage but the cola flavors do make it promising as an iced tea too if you are so inclined.
As a fan of both ginger tea and ginger cola, this has been one of my favorite blends so far in the set. Hope I get a chance to order more!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
I have a confession. I have been cheating on tea with a cola. Not like all the time – not even every day . . . but every once in a while, I’ll crack open a can of the ginger cola that’s made by one of the 2 big cola giants. I’m not going to name names because I don’t want to get a ‘cease and desist’ order – but it’s in a slender, tall, bright copper-orange can and it’s sold by individual cans rather than by the 6 or 12 pack.
Anyway, I originally only bought one can of this stuff – you know – just to try it. Curiosity. But I was hooked after my first sip. It’s so good – that little touch of ginger cuts through the syrup-y sweetness that usually turns me off when it comes to soda.
I happen to like the cola flavored teas (in most cases, more than I like cola itself) so I decided I should try to craft a ginger cola black tea to get me over my affair with the cola because I like it better when tea is the main beverage in my life.
So I started with a base of black teas from China (Golden Yunnan, Fujian & Assamica grown in the Jing Mai Mountains) and added ginger as well as some candied (sugared) ginger and some cola essence. And WOWZA! I’m loving it! This is tasty as a hot tea but it excels as an iced tea!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Turmeric Ginger from Rishi. . . .
Ginger tea is one of my favorite things to drink, and I’m always trying to find ways to get turmeric in my diet so this tea is right up my alley!
This tea has ginger and turmeric, of course but it also has licorice root, lemongrass which is another favorite of mine, and also orange and lemon peel and orange and lemon oil. The taste of the ginger and citrus is there, but it definitely takes a back seat to the turmeric.
Turmeric can be very overpowering if too much is used as I’ve learned when I experiment with making golden milk with turmeric and coconut milk. But Rishi Tea knows what they’re doing. The turmeric is there, but it’s the perfect amount. When you take a sip you get the zest of turmeric, with a little hint of ginger and citrus.
This is a caffeine free tea, but I noticed I felt very energized and zippy after drinking this. This is also a very warming tea, so I will be adding this to the winter tea rotation. It would be great to have before or after being out in the cold. I enjoyed this tea warm, but I plan on trying it iced next. It seems like one of those teas that are great hot or iced.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Description
The awesome, centering energy of golden turmeric root is enhanced by strengthening licorice root and zesty ginger in this Ayurveda inspired blend. Fragrant lemongrass and citrus peels create a lemon drop candy sweetness that balances the pungency of the roots. The combination of turmeric, ginger, lemon and honey is an ancient herbal recipe for longevity, stamina and balance.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
CTRL+ALT+DEL from Pluck Teas. . . .
I had this once before, hot and hated it. Let’s see how it is iced…
Well, first thing I noticed is this iced cup has less sediment than the original hot cup had. It brewed up a cloudy but light golden yellow but less cloudy than the hot brew. Hopefully both these things will result in a cleaner taste than what I recall.
The smell is strongly of ginger but with lemon in the background as well as a touch of musk that I am thinking is probably from a mix of this tea and some scent remaining from the mint tea that was in the press previously. Luckily, it is not transferring over to the flavor.
Instead, this has a strong ginger flavor with a bright lemon aftertaste. I wish I got more from the cranberries since they were the reason I was drawn to this blend in the first place alas they are hiding underneath all the other components. Nonetheless, the iced tea flavor is really quite natural and rich. To me, it is as if someone took fresh ginger and lemon and steeped that…and then maybe muddled it with some other ingredients. The lemongrass is maybe a bit more herbal tasting than I would like but this could be a nice caffeine free option for those who like this sort of tea.
Personally I am more of a dessert tea kind of girl so I don’t see myself reaching for this in the future but I am happy to report the the iced cup is much improved from the hot tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal Tea
Where to Buy: Pluck Teas
Description
Hit the reset button – with this refreshing lemon and ginger infusion featuring Muskoka cranberries. Caffeine-free and delicious hot or iced, this tisane packs a lot of flavour.