Serenity

This herbal concoction is quite unique with its quirky addition of lavender. Coconut and lavender: definitely a different combination for me. Delicate, floral, spicy and sweet were adjectives that came to mind. True story: I woke up with a very bad headache, the kind that just settles in at the base of your skull and makes you dizzy and borderline queasy. I had this herbal infusion and voila, my headache receded and went away completely. Voila: the healing properties of lavender! The end.

True Story: I had such horrible morning sickness and my friend did too. She told me to “get that orange tea at Starbucks” because it was the only thing that made her feel a bit less nauseated. So, I did. I thought it tasted weirdly like, wait for it, warm Tang. Gross, right? But not really? I just loved it. But my taste buds were all weird from the morning (noon and night) sickness, so I’d soon grow to hate it, right? No. I still love this tisane, a decade later. The end.

Cocomint Cream? Wasn’t that the name of one of the My Little Ponies? The one who always believed in herself and tried to share? This tisane is coconutty and minty and tastes like candy in a teacup! Utterly scrumptious. It does have artificial flavoring. I’m not so down with that, because my Pony name would be Earthy PureCrunch or something like that. What would your Pony name be?

A rainy, rainy late afternoon: what to prepare in my blue teapot? I got a sample of this tea the other day. I thought I knew exactly what it would taste like. Lemon ginger? Been there, drank that. Honeybush? Yes, me and Honeybush go way back. So, I was amazed at how much I lurve this tisane! Open the packet and mmmm what a fragrance. The infusion tastes exactly as it smells: so delicious. The lemony and gingery flavors are enhanced by the honeybush, which gives the tea a naturally sweet taste. Yes, I’ve tasted many a lemony gingery tisane but this one I think has something special: a sweet balance. xo

Will I ever go to Japan? I dream of it! At least I can savor the amazing flavor of this matcha. Thanks to the heads up here on Steepster, I got this on sale. How could I resist? The flavor is so nuanced; delicate and robust at the same time. I just stare into the vivid green, inhaling that vegetal aroma…and just imagine I’m visiting Japan…

I tried this tea two ways: first time: traditional, stove top chai method. I was drawn to the tea due to its ingredients. I love chai, but often find the pre-made blends to have too much cloves, or just too many spices in general. I found the resulting cup of tea to be very lightly spiced, very mildly flavored. Ideal for someone who is a fan of “not too spicy.” Second time, I made it the way one usually makes bagged tea: steeped in a cup for a few minutes, and then, because it is chai and it is traditional to have milk added, a splash of milk. Again, such a mild flavor. I have an affection for Numi teas, when needing the convenience of a tea bag, and I really wanted to adore this chai, but it is just my preference to have a more robust flavor of tea shine through and more spiciness. But it wasn’t yucky or anything, no…just wanted More Cow Bell. These were my thoughts as I sipped: This would be absolutely perfect for a little baby marmoset-like creature. So gently spiced, the tea flavor so delicate as to be nearly undetectable, this chai, cooled to barely warm and poured into a baby bottle, would soothe a little creature into dreamland. On the box, make sure to write the baby creature’s name (Padma? Jones?) in bold print so that anyone needing a dose of strong, flavor-filled chai masala won’t reach for this by mistake.

Nearly instantaneous comfort, this is the kind of tea I grew up on. Sure I may be bad at math and far from robust, but don’t blame tea. Holds its own with milk, peeg as I like to call it is best brought to you in bed. It helps part the cobwebs from dreams and starts you on your tea filled day’s journey.

This tea is such a favorite of mine I can’t even give it a proper review: I just love it. Sweet, malty, and delicious, I’ve even made up a song about this tea. Yeah, I’m that dorky.

I remember when I used to hate earl grey. Fast forward to now when I love it. The flavor of the bergamot has to be just right, and the quality of black tea to be good enough so that there is that lovely balance. I picked up this box of Aged Earl Grey, Numi, on a whim and it is a very nice earl grey blend, I really enjoy it. The bergamot flavor comes through, tasting very natural, not perfumey or cloying, and the taste of black tea holds its own. If you are using a large-ish sized mug, use two tea bags, in my opinion.

How cool is this? Instant rooibos! Gourmet instant gratification! Lovely for enjoying as is, or making lattes, or even adding to smoothies. If you love the unique flavor of rooibos, this is definitely one to add to your tea cupboard.