Teacup Terrorist

Sometimes strong and bold, sometimes subtle and sweet, sometimes you have to add a little something extra, sometimes it’s perfect as is.

I am about to consume one full cup of Constant Comment by Bigelow. I am preferring their teas more and more. Their peach herbal tea is amazing, as are so many of their other flavors. You would never guess that they are not loose, with the full body they deliver.

Celestial Seasonings and I have a very rocky relationship. I am not so in love with their tea. My mom (Iris) enjoys them more than I.

No matter the brand or flavor, whatever your favorite tea, remember that it’s just like love, and drink it all in.

Did you know that researchers released a study that will make all of us tea drinkers happy as pie? Apparently “drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits”. What? I knew it! I was sick for over a week and the ONLY thing that made me feel any better at all and for prolonged amounts of time was when I had green tea in my system. I am way happy that I was made aware of this report. I am excited to know that my own hunch about tea was right all along

I got this adorable little packet in the aforementioned tea swap. I decided to try it today. It was Pink Lemonade flavored, sugar free (splenda sweetened), 0 calories, iced green tea with antioxidants. It’s marketed as a defense tea, to help you bolster your immune system.

This is one exciting mix in. I shook it up in the bottle of water and was pleasantly cooled by the lovely taste of pink lemonade. Delicious! I am really ready to go out and buy a whole box or two of these. I see they have one with citrus and one with raspberry that I would love to try, too.

I give it:

I received this lovely tea wallet filled with goodies from a Tea Swap on one of my favorite forums: The Tea Cozy. It’s a place for homeschooling parents who enjoy tea. One of the things I received was Vanilla Chai by Bigelow. I am a big fan of Bigelow and how well they prepare their teas. I have not had one of their teas that I did not thoroughly enjoy. This one is no different.

The Chai is light, and full of flavor. The natural spice of the Chai is subdued to perfection with Vanilla. Vanilla is not my favorite flavoring for teas, but in this particular cup, it totally matches the vivacious bursting spices of Chai. I am very pleased with this one. A splash of milk, a few spoons of sugar and you are on your way to a cup of heaven.

My rating:

MMMmmmmMMMmmmMMM! My mother (Iris) suggested that I take a sip of the Wawa Chai Tea. DELICIOUS. I got a full 16 ounces, but only drank half because I wanted to drink some this morning. It is really good. From the aroma to the taste, it loses no points. If you remember, I got Boca Java Chai and thought it tasted like malted crap. This, on the other hand, is sheer Chai perfection. It’s located in with the cappucinos, not with the steamers. If you get a chance to taste this lovely, let me know.

Tags: wawa, chai+tea

I don’t normally like tea that is too fruity. I must say that I absolutely adore the robust flavor of Orange Pekoe. You need to let this steep for at least 5 minutes, and maybe even add a splash of milk. It is a stronger tea than you would expect. It doesn’t need much sugar, either. I don’t usually enjoy my first cup as much as my second, either. The second brewing is less caffienated and the flavor isn’t so overpowering. I would say it is near perfect on that second brew. Hope you get to check this one out sometime soon!

Tags: orange+pekoe+tea

Talk about a good tea. I had some loose from the local coffee shop. I don’t usually enjoy vanilla in anything other than cake, but this…wow. It has hints of fruit and sweet all throughout. I enjoyed it so much that I had to bring the tied tea bag home with me so I could have just one more cup. It was the best dollar fifty I ever spent on a large cup of tea.

Tags: tea, vanilla+rooibos

I have always been and advocate for the healthy benefits of holistic products. Teas are just one of the many herbal treatments that I have found to be helpful. Black tea is no exception. Green tea has become more of a popular health drink, but black tea is a long standing favorite among health nuts and tea enthusiasts.

Premium Black Tea has more caffeine than other types of tea. I personally can only drink a cup of it before it affects my nerves. I use caffeine to help regulate my mood, so too much of it can really throw me off. Just the right amount of black tea can keep me on the up swing all day. I find that it is more beneficial for me to dilute it a bit with some milk first.

Long term consumption has been shown to help people who have a history of coronary issues. It is also purported to have a long term effect on people in general who have not had coronary artery issues. Many people who have history of these instances in their family (like myself) can reduce the risk of having coronary occurances by consuming black tea on a regular basis.

There are a number of forms of black tea from different parts of the world, and more blends than one can name. China and India seem to be the most popular for their black teas. I personally own Darjeeling tea which hails from India and Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka. There is also Assam Tea which I have not had the opportunity to taste as yet. I prefer Ceylon over Darjeeling just because it is so mild. Black teas have a very strong flavor, even if you only steep them for a few minutes.

My personal favorites are usually blended like Irish Breakfast tea or Earl Grey. I also have a green/black tea blend that makes me feel good inside and out. So far, I have only consumed one black tea that I didn’t like very much because it was far too bitter for my taste, no matter what I did to it.

In order for you to get the full benefit of finding the black tea or tea blend that is your style, it’s good to get variety packs from a Tea Company. These variety packs include a number of different teas that you can try in order to get a well rounded education on the types of black tea your palette prefers.  

Tags: black+tea

Today’s Food Match:

MMMM Ceylon tea is a perfect match for orange cranberry pound cake. The sweetness of each compliments each other just right. The orange sits well on the palette while the Ceylon drenches your senses. The cranberry follows up with an invigorating kick.

Technorati Tags: Food Match, Ceylon tea, pound cake

Umm. Where’s the flavor? Snapple white tea is naturally decaffeinated. The bottle boasts that there are 33% less calories and sugar. My problem: WHERE’S THE FLAVOR??! It is supposed to taste like green apples. It is more like water with a hint of apple zest. I hate it. Absolutely abhor it. I think I need to go get the actual white tea to brew and not rely on the brewing of big companies. I am really disappointed. I bought it this morning at the store, thinking it would be a good precursor to my breakfast. Uh. NO. The rating is glaringly obvious:

Technorati Tags: Snapple white tea, white tea