Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Spice Melangé
Where to Buy: Hari Tea
Tisane Ingredients:
Ginger, fennel, cinnamon, cocoa shells, anise, cardamom, tumeric root, black pepper, cloves.
Taster’s Review:
Life is stressful. At least, it is – at the moment – for me. My oldest daughter is getting married. My youngest daughter is a “tween” who is a little more TEEN than child. My husband has been working some crazy hours. Like I said: life is stressful.
Times like this, I want a tisane that understands that and can help me relax and allow the things that stress me to disappear. And this tea from Hari Tea accomplishes just that.
And it not only helps me to calm the mind and soothe the spirit, but, it is also pretty darned tasty too! The fennel and anise give it a licorice-y note, while the cocoa shells give it a nice chocolate-y note that contrasts nicely with the peppery notes of ginger and black pepper, and the warmth of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. And when I “say” it like that, it sounds a lot like a chai. It tastes a bit like it too … except that this doesn’t come across so much as spicy or invigorating the way a chai would normally taste. This, instead, tastes very warm, soothing and comforting.
What I like best about this tisane is how well the chocolate and licorice tastes go together. It is sweet without tasting candy-sweet or cloying, and that sweetness comes naturally without adding anything to it, which makes it a good choice for later in the evening when you just want to unwind.
Usually when it comes to “relaxation” teas, I think chamomile or lavender, but, this is a deliciously different relaxation tea for those times when you want something a little different.
Tummy Tonic from CaryTown Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Medicinal Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: CaryTown Teas
Tisane Description:
Organic Tummy Tonic is an herbal tea blend designed to help sooth an upset stomach, stimulate digestion, relieve bloating and is delicious and safe to drink any time of day, every day!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I feel that I owe the kind people at CaryTown Teas a bit of an apology. They had sent me a sampling of this tea some time ago for me to review. But because of it’s purported stomach soothing properties, I wanted to wait until I had an upset stomach before I tried it so that I could review the tisane on more than just its taste. Well, time went by, and I’m quite sure that I’ve had at least one or two tummy aches between now and then, but, I had forgotten about the tea until a couple of weeks ago when I came across it as I was going through my cupboard.
Well, tonight is the night. I actually do have a bit of an unsettled stomach, as I’ve been enjoying some rather spicy (VERY spicy) jalapeño snacks (you can learn more about these on my foodie website) and as delicious as the snacks are, my stomach now feels a bit uneasy. So, I’m hoping that this Tummy Tonic from CaryTown Teas will help soothe my stomach … and hopefully I won’t end up with a case of heartburn. And while I’m not so sure that this is the type of upset stomach that CaryTown Teas had in mind when they developed their Tummy Tonic, it would be nice to have a natural tisane remedy for such a case, as I tend to eat spicy food rather often.
This blend is a melange of ginger, licorice, peppermint and chamomile, so I expected a strong minty taste with peppery notes and hopefully that snappy sweet taste of licorice. And that’s pretty much what I’m tasting. The chamomile is a light flavor here – primarily I taste the ginger, licorice and peppermint. The peppermint is a bit lighter than I expected it to be, but it is crisp and cooling, and I’m enjoying it.
The ginger has a peppery taste, and I like the way the peppermint and ginger compliment each other. I don’t know that I really noticed how well these two ingredients go together before, but they make a winning combination. It is zesty without being too peppery or minty, they balance each other out, cutting through the powerful flavors of each so that the overall result is more mellow and soothing. The licorice is quite pleasant here too, sweet and yet spicy in its own way. It lends a very enjoyable taste to the overall cup. Yes, the flavor is a bit medicinal, which should be expected from a medicinal herbal blend.
However, it isn’t an unpleasant flavor, and yes, it is indeed soothing my stomach. I will have to finish this review in the morning, after I’ve had time to determine whether or not I’ve suffered from heartburn … but, I’ll let you know!
The Next Morning: No heartburn last night, and this morning my tummy feels good as new! Hurray for Tummy Tonic!
Chai Spice Only from Chai-Wallah’s
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Chai (Spice Melangé)
Where to Buy: Chai-Wallah’s
Product Description:
Create your favorite chai drinks by buying your own loose tea(s) and mix with our Spice Only (instructions on rear of packet), or use the spice for a caffeine free cup of chai, make a concentrate for iced chai or add some kick to hot chocolate. Be sure to check out our recipe section for other uses.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve used this Spice Only blend on several occasions and in several different ways. It is one of the more versatile products in my tea cupboard! The spices taste fresh and robust, and can help add that chai kick to just about anything!
The first time I used it, I was making a spiced peach jam. My husband brought home a big box of peaches at the end of the season, and I knew that there was no way we’d be able to eat them all before they went bad. I mean, we love peaches in this house, but, it was a lot of peaches! So, I made a concentrated batch of tisane using hot water and this Chai Spice Only blend, allowing it to steep for about 10 minutes before straining and adding it to a pan filled with peeled and chopped peaches and a drizzle of honey. I heated this over medium-high heat for about an hour, stirring frequently, and the peaches softened and broke down, creating a delicious, perfectly spiced peach jam that made a perfect topping on my pork roast (it also was delicious on scones!)
Then, I decided to try it as a tisane. Just hot water and this spice, infused for about eight minutes, and a drizzle of honey. Delicious! Spicy! Prefer your chai a little creamier? Simmer some milk and this Spice Only blend on the stovetop for ten minutes. This would also work great using apple juice!
But, if you just want a delicious black tea based chai – you can use these spices with your favorite Assam or Nilgiri (or whatever black tea you prefer). You can use as little or as much as you’d like to customize your chai experience. Like your chai to be zesty? Add some more of the Spice Only blend. Do you just want a hint of spice? Just add a small amount of the spice.
This Chai Spice Only blend from Chai-Wallah’s is not only tasty, but it gives you something that a typical chai blend doesn’t: versatility!
Spice with Rooibos from Chai-Wallah’s
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Chai-Wallah’s
Product Description:
Our organic chai spice with Fair Trade Organic Rooibos (pronounced “roy-boss”) or Red Tea from South Africa. High in antioxidants , low in tannins and caffeine free it has a natural nutty sweet taste which is enhanced the longer it is boiled. Our Rooibos Chai is surprisingly full-bodied and satisfying without the caffeine kick yet soothing any time of the day.
Taster’s Review:
Having tried a few different chai blends from Chai-Wallah’s now, I can say one thing with complete confidence: you can always count on Chai-Wallah’s to deliver on the spice! This Spice with Rooibos is no exception. It is one SPICY chai!
I am really surprised at how much I am liking this, especially given my feelings for rooibos. But, this tisane has a couple of things going for it that an ordinary rooibos doesn’t have. First, it’s organic, and as I’ve said before, there is a difference in flavor between the conventionally-grown rooibos and organically-grown rooibos. Second, this one has a very bold level of spices that doesn’t actually mask the rooibos, but the natural sweet, nutty flavor of the rooibos seems to work perfectly with the spice blend.
As I’ve already mentioned, this is a spicy blend. However, the spices have a nice harmony going on… the ginger and pepper represent the strongest peppery notes, but the cinnamon also comes on strong, while the cloves and cardamom provide a nice, radiant warmth in the background.
Served hot, I find this to be warm and comforting. Not a lot of sweetener is needed here, because there is a natural sweetness delivered by the rooibos. But I do find that a tiny drizzle of honey gives the cup a nice, round flavor.
However, in this weather, hot is just… well, too hot! I recommend trying this as an iced latte! Here’s how I made it:
- Brew a concentrated amount of Spice with Rooibos from Chai-Wallah’s.
- After allowing it to come to a cooler temperature, I put the brewed chai in the freezer to let it get to a slushy-ice texture.
- Add the slushy chai, a few ice cubes, and some milk to the blender, and blend until it’s well blended.
Another idea derived from this method is to make a chai granita!
YUM!!!
Black Celebration Tea from TeaScapes
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: TeaScapes
Product Description:
This tea is a celebration of colors and mixed flavors. The blended tea is a beautiful melody of tea leaves, rose petals, almonds, cornflower petals, orange peels and more. This exquisite Black Celebration tea won an award at the 2008 World Tea Championship for having the best aroma and flavor. The brewed tea offers up a spicy taste for the palate. It infuses for just 3 minutes, allowing the flavors and aromas to intertwine to create a zesty golden liquor. The flavor is naturally sweet and uplifting.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened this package, I thought that this was a fruit and spice melangé rather than a black tea. There are huge chunks of dried fruit, herbs, and spices in this with some black tea leaves. It really looks more like a fruit tea than a black tea.
Taste wise, this has a lot going on. It’s a bit like a flavor explosion! There is a pleasant fruity background comprised mostly of orange notes but I can also taste hints of apple. The fruit provides an essential sweetness to the cup. A hint of nutty sweetness also contributes to the sweet aspect of this cup, and gives an interesting contrast to the spicy notes that dominate this cup.
Then there is the cinnamon. The cinnamon is the strongest flavor of this cup. It starts out rather mild with its a gentle, soothing spice. Gradually, the cinnamon flavor builds and by about mid-cup, the cup is quite zesty!
The black tea is not a strong component to this cup, and I do wish it were a little stronger. A little richer. That is not to say that this isn’t an absolutely delightful cup of tea, because it is. I love spicy-hot cinnamon flavors, and this tea has definitely got that. At the same time, I don’t think you can toss a few black tea leaves into a fruit and spice melangé and call it a black tea. This is a tasty cup of tea, but, I can’t help but wish it had a little something more.