This is the tisane I was most excited for in my review box! As a child I LOVED those Jujyfruit candies, big win for nostagia. But also a health win since instead of processed candies, these are the Cure-All “Red date” fruit that’s popular in Eastern medicine, purported to help with anemia (perhaps vitamin c to help iron absorb?) and insomnia (hmm the scientist in me thinks any nice warm drink should help your body sleep, but we’ll see.)
The dry tisane smells like kettle corn and looks like baby bagel chips about the size of a dime! They feel spongy to the touch, the only other thing I’ve consumed with this texture was… ha well a candy, man my sweet tooth is getting outed in this post, BUT this is a plus for my “less added sugar” new year’s resolution.
So I left in the dry fruits in my cup to brew, trying a very eastern approach, not at all because I was traveling and my filter was to small… They were big enough pieces that it was easy to filter out while I drank, without the fear of tiny pieces getting stuck in my teeth, only to be discovered after smiling a lot at someone important (cringe).
The infusion is a wonderful cider color and it smells of caramels like a distant campfire. It tastes like streusel, a sweet buttery goodness, even though I didn’t add any sweetener… or butter (not a trend for me). Welp, one sip and I’m done for, might as well just order more now. There’s also a hint of Asian pear flavor this medium bodied drink. This would taste so, so great with shortbread cookies, pity there’s no oven in this hotel.
Insomnia verdict: I’m sleepy afterwards but I’m not sure if it’s correlation from binge watching SYFY’s Magicians in the wee hours or causation from the tea. Another experiment is called for, woohoo!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Dried fruit
Where to Buy: Teasenz
China’s most popular herbal tea made from wild jujube fruits from Ning Xia. The jujubes are dried while fresh and afterwards cut in slices with an optimal thickness for a perfect & healthy infusion.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Green Tea Bags with Natural Flavours from Tg
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tg
Tea Description:
Tg – Green Tea with Jujube & Osmanthus
Tg green tea is a rather exceptional Chinese green tea. It is organically grown in the Dao Ren peak area of Eastern China. Its is grown in a special plantation located on the 887m high Dao Ren mountain peak that has been certified as organic since 1995. As if that wasn’t tonic enough, a sprinkle of sweet Jujube (Chinese Red Date) super fruit and delicate fruity-floral Osmanthus create a delicious twist.
Tg – Green Tea with Ginger & Lemon
Tg green tea is a rather exceptional Chinese green tea. It is organically grown in the Dao Ren peak area of Eastern China. Its is grown in a special plantation located on the 887m high Dao Ren mountain peak that has been certified as organic since 1995. As if that wasn’t comforting enough, we’ve added a bit of ginger and lemon zest for tingling warmth and citrus zing.
Tg – Green Tea
Tg green tea is a rather exceptional Chinese green tea. Its is grown in a special plantation located on the 887m high Dao Ren mountain peak that has been certified as organic since 1995. The specific growing location and tea preparation methods handed down since ancient times help to produce a green tea with a delicate taste and soft slightly fruity flavour. It may have been the effect of the Dao priests’ (Taoists) meditating as they cultivated the tea gardens years ago but, whatever the reason, the organic tea used in Tg Green Teas tastes heavenly.
Learn more here: Green Tea with Jujube & Osmanthus, Green Tea with Ginger & Lemon & Green Tea.
Taster’s Review:
Firstly let me thank Tg for this chance to try some of their tea. I always enjoy reviewing tea from different companies, particularly if I have had the misfortune of not hearing about them before. In this instance I have three different samples to try, and I am certainly looking forward to it.
Brewing instructions on the back of the packet:
1. Bring your kettle to the boil, then let it cool for a minute or two.
2. Pour the water over the tea bag and let it infuse for at least 3 minutes
3. Remove the tea bag, sip and enjoy. Add sugar or honey to sweeten if you like.
4. Of you use the pyramid tea bag for a second refreshing brew, just add half a minute to the infusion time.
Green Tea with Jujube & Osmanthus
This is a new one for me, I don’t recall having jujube in a tea before. Though I do find it rather fun to say…Jujube. I want to mention the packet, the design is cute but at the back it says ‘Your green tea is kept in a non transparent pouch to preserve freshness’. A very important bit of information.
As I open the packet I am met with a sweet herbal and berry scent that is subtle yet fresh. A nice combination actually, and on the jujube terms it’s similar to cranberry. In that sharp, dry sort of way….but not as drastic.
The pyramids are made from see through material so it’s easy to see the quality of the ingredients, and you can know exactly what you’re drinking. I can note golden pieces of osmanthus against a dark green/brown leaf (which makes some contrast) and some dark orange/brown berry pieces scattered around the mixture. It appears to be roughly 1.5-2 tea spoons worth of mixture, so a good amount per bag. Also it’s worth mentioning that the bags contents are not powdered or small, so no fannings.
Easy enough steeping instructions to follow, even my husband could do this he is a bog standard tea or coffee man most of the time).
Once steeped the tea is: Yellow/brown in colour with a soft yet toasted scent. Lightly grassy too. Also the tea blend has actually expanded beyond expectations, the pyramid was very spacious but it has now been filled.
The flavour is subtle but pleasant with toasted grass, sweet herbs (which must be osmanthus) and a clean yet dry after taste. I cannot taste the jujube as much as I could smell it which is a little disappointing, but the osmanthus is rather pleasant without it. As the blend cools it becomes thicker in flavour, with the green tea increasing vastly. Though it’s not really what I would call bitter, but the sweetness has subsided somewhat. To the point where in the after taste among the dry I think I can taste something creamy and berry like.
One bag, two steeps ie The re-steep
Colour and scent match that of the first steep, which is rather impressive for a tea bag. Flavour is more mild (which was to be expected) but it still has toasty, grass qualities and just that touch of sweetness from the osmanthus. I would definitely say it was worth the re-steep.
Green Tea with Ginger & Lemon
A flavour I am more familiar with compared to the previous tea, in fact ginger and lemon is my ‘go to’ tea when I have a cold. Not to mention that I actually happen to love ginger, and lemon aids it rather well in most cases. Interesting to see this is listed as lemon peel, and I’m delighted this is all natural flavouring.
As I open the bag I am met with a herbal scent, not quite ginger but warming enough to tickle my nose. The lemon is a little more recognizable, though with the herbal scent it is more like lemongrass than lemon peel.
The pyramid bags have dark green/brown leaves in with small pieces of chopped, dry ginger and even smaller pieces of dry lemon peel. Though the pieces are small, they are still not powdery in any way. Again this one also has a good amount of leaf in the bag.
Once steeped the colour is golden/brown with a subtle yet toasted grass scent, the after scent is peppery and tickles my nose.
Flavour strength is subtle, dominant toasted, grass tones in front of a dry, peppery herbal ginger and a soft aftertaste of something sweet and fruity. Which pretty much sims up the name of this tea, so in effect it tastes as it’s named. Nothing too dramatic in terms of flavours and strength, but the mellow feel of this makes it easily drinkable.
As it cools the lemon increases in strength and becomes waxy but also sweeter than before. It moves in front of the ginger and the whole affair dances on my tongue for a long after taste sensation.
One bag, two steeps ie The re-steep
Colour is dark yellow with a toasted, herbal scent. Remaining soft but still strong enough to warrant the re-steep. Flavour still has wonderful peppery ginger and soft, lemon tones amidst it’s toasted grass affair. Another successful steep.
Green Tea
The original ie unflavoured tea, basically what I have been enjoying so far but without the additional notes. Still, I do love green tea and I am looking forward to this just as much as the previous two.
As I open the bag I am met with the toasted, grass scent I have got to know rather well these last few mugs full. It reminds me of Japanese Bancha if I had to compare the green base to another. There is also a dry, perfumed scent in the after sniff.
Once steeped the colour is golden brown with a toasted grass scent. Very clean smelling.
Flavour pretty much matches the scent, though the after taste is rather dry and somewhat perfumed. It’s more floral than I noticed in the two previous flavours, grassy but floral and behind the toast is a slight buttery tone.
As it cools it thickens in strength with an increase to dryness. Also not as immediately toasty as before.
One bag, two steeps ie The re-steep
A nice re-steep, still subtle elements of toast, grass and perfume though it also remains rather dry.
Overall
In honesty, the three were very similar in flavour. I imagine that comes down to being natural and organic rather than artificially pumped with chemicals. Nothing was ‘in your face’ or ‘too much’ in terms of flavour and the green tea base itself was not bitter/astringent though it was a tad dry at times. Either way I thought it was one of the nicest green tea bags I have ever had. I see them as being similar to Teapigs but with a more authentic Chinese appeal, and being organic and fair trade. Plus each bag can be re-steeped at least twice, so in effect you get 30 bags per pouch which means twice the happiness.
Thanks once again Tg. Happy Steeping Everyone!
