Fresh basil is the stuff of summer, plucked from the garden for added depth to sandwiches, or pressed between mozzarella and tomatoes for a caprese plate. Daily Detox tea from the Tea Can Company doesn’t have that kind of basil, but the smell of the dry tea leaves did bring me back to fresh summer days in our family herb garden. Instead, the ingredient this tea is Tulsi, holy basil.
There are other ingredients like rose hips or spearmint, but they take a back seat to the strong, forward flavors of lemon myrtle and holy basil. I was surprised– usually rose hips like to make the tea pink and sour, but I had no problem sour fruit flavors, even after steeping this tea long and hot.
I love herbal teas with savory spices like sage, or chili, or fennel, and a basil tea is a great addition to this category. Lemon and basil are often used together on food, and it is no surprise that the flavors work well together in a tea. This blend sweet enough to still be a traditional tea, with plenty of creamy lemon flavors and soothing mint, but the pop of basil really sets it apart. The basil adds a “green” flavor that is very different from the usual grassy senchas or hay-like green rooibos, adding a distinctly full, leafy note.
Both holy basil and Linden blossom have long histories of sacred respect and healing properties, so the detox they provide might be both physical and spiritual, if you buy into that sort of thing. If nothing else, you will experience the peaceful moment of enjoying a tasty cup of tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tea Can Company
Description:
This unique blend of Medicinal Herbs and Berries provides a host of antioxidants and health benefits. A feel good drink that lasts all day. Serve hot or cold.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Herbal Tea ~ Homegrown ~ Nectar Blend from heartfeltMenagerie
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: heartfeltMenagerie
Tea Description:
Organic Herbal Tea, homegrown and carefully hand blended to please the palette and soothe the soul. The healing herbs used in this blend are powerful allies in protecting and alleviating cold/flu illness, high blood pressure, indigestion, stress relief, and respiratory illness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have really bad allergies. I take over the counter medication for it because that seems to work the best. I seem to have really bad side effects when I am prescribed something. I have always been curious about herbs and how they help people with different ailments. I researched a little bit and found that stinging nettle can be used as a anti-histamine. I took a gander around and stumbled upon an adorable store on Etsy that sold a stinging nettle tea and tulsi (which also aids with sinus issues). Worked with the owner to tweak a few things on my order and away I went.
This is a different blend. I can’t say I have had a lot of the herbs in this tea before. Tulsi, anise hyssop, lemon verbena, stinging nettles, and roselle hibiscus. The tea itself has a savory smell and taste to it. It made me think of a pasta dish like Italian Seasoning or a savory pasta dish??? This stumped me as well. Can’t say that I have ever had a tea remind me of something like this before. Vegetal? Sure. Malty with dark chocolate notes? Absolutely. Just not pasta. I swear it tastes like my boyfriend’s amazing lasagna.
I don’t really get any sweetness out of the tea and with a name like Nectar Blend you would think there would be a sweetness to the tea. I drink a lot of chamomile and herbal teas. This one took me by surprise. Regardless I am still enjoying the tea. I guess the savory side of this just is throwing me off a bit.
I might add in some honey and will see what happens then or maybe even something like sea salt to see what other savory flavors pop.
And to the medicinal side of this particular herbal blend. . . .I haven’t noticed anything yet but I can say that drinking this tea has been a fun experience and I look forward to more time with it.
Tulsi Green Indian Chai Tea from Teabox
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea & Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teabox
Tea Description:
This Organic Herbal Tulsi Green blend is one of the first products aimed at combining the health benefits of green tea with Tulsi (Holy basil) leaves.
A work of art and science as it is a classic India-style masala (spice) tea with the best of all worlds: Darjeeling tea, fresh Indian herbs and spices.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Hmm … different. This Tulsi Green Indian Chai Tea from Teabox isn’t exactly what I think of when I think “chai” but it’s still pretty tasty.
The base is composed of a Darjeeling green tea and tulsi. I definitely taste the tulsi in this – it’s warm and has distinct peppery notes with notes of basil and whispers of crisp mint. The tulsi gives this cup a distinct herbal flavor.
I find that the green tea flavor is a little less discernible. It’s definitely there and I can taste it, but it’s not a strong presence and has a difficult time asserting itself in the presence of the tulsi which seems to really dominate the cup.
The same is true of the spices. I can taste warm spices but they’re difficult to really pick out and say, yep, I taste this or that spice. I can taste notes of clove. Every once in a while I taste a note that reminds me of cardamom and every once in a while my palate detects nutmeg. Because of the strong tulsi notes dominating the rest of the flavors, it’s difficult to determine with certainty what spices are in this blend and Teabox doesn’t mention on their website or on their ingredient list, which mentions only “green tea” and “tulsi.”
This is a warm and comforting blend though. It’s not particularly spicy – again, the tulsi is probably the ‘spiciest’ of the flavors that I taste. But it’s a cozy sort of blend with which to unwind. I do wish that the green tea was a little more assertive and the spices more expressive in this cup, but, as it is, I enjoyed what I drank.
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 23 from Teanzo 1856
It’s day 23 … are you finished with your shopping yet? (Please don’t ask.)
For today’s artistic inspiration, I am featuring this rustic heart ornament from Gwynn Thoma. I’m not entirely sure, but it looks as though the panels were felted and then stuffed and hand sewn together. It’s really lovely and I love the way it looks on my tree. Since about 95% of the ornaments on my tree are all handmade, I love the way this ornament really seems to define that idea. It looks simple and rustic, but I love the charm that it brings to my tree.
Mint Detox Tulsi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
With rosehips and mint, this loose leaf detox tea supports hydration and detoxification. You can sip this detox tea hot or gulp it down as an iced tea guilt-free since it has virtually no calories! Makes a fantastic and unique gift. This is a herbal tea that you can take with you in your water bottle and sip all day long to stay refreshed.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There have been quite a few caffeine free tisanes in this Advent Calendar box from Teanzo. Some have been hits and others misses. Fortunately, this one is a hit!
I really like the combination of spearmint and tulsi. The warmth of the tulsi and the cool, crisp notes of the spearmint offers a nice contrast. The spearmint is refreshing without tasting toothpaste-y as the spicier notes of the tulsi help to reduce the impact of the mint.
Also nice is the light, lemony note from the lemon myrtle. It’s a really uplifting flavor that brightens the whole cup.
It’s a pleasant combination of flavors that I found very enjoyable. I don’t know if it works as a “detox” or not, but, I will say that this is one of the tastier “detox” teas I’ve tried. It’s thirst-quenching and tastes good served hot or cold and it has a nice, natural sweetness to it that requires no additional sweetener. Another bonus for the detox!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 16 from Teanzo 1856
It’s Day 16 of this Advent Calendar/Holiday Countdown with Teanzo 1856. There are eight days left to shop! Every year, I tell myself that I’ll start my shopping early, but every year, I end up waiting until the last minute. (Sigh!)
For today’s artistic inspiration, I am turning to another piece that I received in a 12 Days of Christmas mail art swap. The artist I’m featuring today is Gwynn Thoma, and she made this beautiful rustic heart ornament for my tree.
This is another one of those ornaments that’s just FUN to discover every year when I start “unwrapping” all my ornaments for the tree. It’s so cute and there are so many neat little details about it that I seem to keep finding something new about it every year. I also like the bit of rustic whimsy it adds to my tree.
Another thing that really stood out to me about this particular ornament was the packaging. Gwynn stitched together little “envelopes out of Kraft paper and adorned them with bits of aged sheet music and a swatch of the burlap that she used to create the heart ornament. It’s a very clever and lovely package and I love how it “matches” the gift that was tucked inside.
I hope that you guys are enjoying my art “roundup” as well as the countdown to Christmas with teas from Teanzo this year!
Seasonal Relief Herbal Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
In India, licorice root is used to soothe sore throats, and the tulsi plant is revered for its many health benefits. In this delicious herbal wellness tea, we’ve combined licorice root and tulsi with a powerhouse of helpers: peppermint, hibiscus, honey bee pollen, and eucalyptus. Not only is the tea delicious, but it is soothing too. Enjoy this tea hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I suffer from seasonal allergies that seem to last all year long now. I never used to! Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, I didn’t have allergies. But I guess with all the pollen in this area, I soon started feeling unwell in the spring with allergy symptoms, but because I never had allergies before, I thought maybe it was something else.
Then I started taking allergy medication and my symptoms disappeared. At first, I only needed these toward the end of winter, through spring and at the very start of summer. Then I started needing it through summer. Now, I need the medication year round or I start sneezing, eyes start watering and I’m just really uncomfortable with my symptoms.
So, I am always looking for a tisane that I enjoy that might help me alleviate my symptoms so that I don’t have to take so much allergy medication. So when I saw that this was a Seasonal Relief blend, I was excited to try it.
Unfortunately, I’m just not enjoying this one very much. Perhaps it’s the eucalyptus, but I feel like I’m sipping on liquefied VapoRub.
At first, I enjoyed the peppermint and licorice-y notes, and I could taste notes of tulsi that I enjoyed. But after drinking about 1/4th of the cup, the flavor of the eucalyptus seemed to build and it got to the point where all I could taste was the eucalyptus and this does not create a very pleasant cup for me.
On the plus side, the hibiscus is not a heavy flavor or texture. I think that this could be much nicer if maybe there was less eucalyptus, and maybe a little more peppermint and tulsi.
Overall, this just wasn’t my cup of tea. They can’t all be, though. Teanzo has had some real winners with this Advent Calender, this just didn’t do it for me, so hopefully tomorrow, we’ll have something yummy!