Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is an herb used in herbal teas that I discovered more recently in my tea drinking experience. The green leaf smells and tastes like a gentler cousin to the Italian basil you use in cooking. Tulsi Pure Leaves blend from Davidson’s Organics uses three kinds of tulsi, Rama, Krishna, and Vana, to make up the single-herb brew.
I am always impressed by how much flavor plain tulsi has in tea form. It tastes green, without being grassy like green teas, and buttery without being too vegetal like white teas. It has the brightness of cooking basil without being too savory or pungent. There is an almost-cinnamon earthiness buried amongst its flavors and a sweet, crispness that reminds me of spearmint. If you want to play up the Italian basil flavors, brew your tea with a slice of lemon and a dash of cracked pepper.
If you like tulsi on your own but want to spice it up a bit, Davidson’s Organics also offer a variety of additional blends using tulsi and other ingredients, like licorice, rooibos, mint, or hibiscus. Don’t wait as long as I did before discovering the goodness of tulsi herbal teas, and start brewing a relaxing, restorative cup from Davidson’s Organics.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Davidson’s Organics
Description:
Davidson’s Pure Leaves blends three adaptogenic varieties of Tulsi (Krishna, Rama and Vana) to create the perfect balance of earthy and minty flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sabriel Fandom Blend from Adagio Teas
Full disclosure, this is one of the blends I made on Adagio Teas. Their create-a-blend tools are just too much fun, and their fandom tea community is active and engaging. I wanted to review my Sabriel blend because I had been stewing over the idea for a long time, and it was so satisfying to have it finally come together.
Sabriel is one of the main characters from the Old Kingdom book series by Garth Nix. I won’t go into too much detail about the books, except to say that the series essentially follows the lives of “good” necromancers who help fight dead creatures or put the dead to rest. The stories are beautiful, imaginative, and just a little spooky.
For my Sabriel tea blend I wanted something impactful but nuanced; her work managing the magic of the dead takes steadiness and subtlety. The body of the tea is made up of two types of green tea. The gunpowder tea is robust without being astringent, and adds a whiff of smokiness that compliments the crackling, toasted notes of the hojicha tea.
The rest of the ingredients are all fragrant and sensory-inspiring. Peppermint brings a cooling creepiness, like fog in a graveyard, or a settling peacefulness like still water. Rose and lavender can have the morbid interpretation of flowers at a funeral, but can also being nostalgic, like remembering a favorite bouquet or garden memory. Cardamom adds some spirit and peppery spice, and feels a bit unexpected without its usual partners of cinnamon and ginger. The scent of cardamom always makes me think of opening the kitchen spice cabinet, and all the cooking possibilities within.
I have not come across a blend quite like this in my tea drinking experience, so I was more than happy to have the opportunity to make it myself. It was also great fun to honor one of my favorite characters and book series in tea form.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spotlight on Fraser Tea Bags
Sustainable business models are so hot right now. Seriously, Zoolander aside, I’m all about capitalists that care about future generations. Fraser Tea sells organic tea blends in corn-based, sustainably produced pyramids. I think it’s a great option to consider bringing in to your cubicle or on vacations. I received several of their pyramids in my tea mail this month, so their spotlight is a little from Column A and a little from Column B…
Spicy Chocolate Chai – flavored puerh
First things first, a girls gotta have her chocolate. There were oils on top of brew, which always equate to having been carefully handled and thus retain more of the goodness we expect from full leaf teas. A sneaky Chai taste followed by a mellow chocolate aftertaste. The tiniest bit of sweetener rounded out these flavors. I want to point out for later on, those of you hardcore readers, that this tea has 60 mg caffeine.
Chamomile Dream – herbal
To me, Sleepy-time teas are the most swoon-worthy. There’s always something about them that is so restorative and comforting. This pyramid has sweet smelling dry leaves. As soon as that scent connects in my brain, there’s that instant calming response. I know i’m not the only one!
The blend of wet leaves smell just as sweet, and I notice an enticing hint of a berry red in them now. This tastes like soft, pillowy, dreamy meadows… full of sheep, so many sheep, mmm and it feels like time to say goodnight.
Turmeric Ginger Green – flavored green
Ok, preface, turmeric and I got off on the wrong foot when it stained my gravity strainer for no good reason. I have been suspicious of its health claims ever since… but that’s a personal bias which does not discount dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies… I also need to state that my toddler helped me brew this and ripped the bag 😬 kay, so still waiting for the great feelings. Moving on, I found I prefer this ingredient in bag form because it eliminates my first problem with staining. So my palate has started to open up to tea for health reasons, as opposed to familiar tastes. There is an acquired taste to this tea, but it is not in your face. It certainly would be a perfect finish to a savory lunch.
Yerba Mint – alternative tea
Until now I never realized how powerful other plants could be in the caffeine department! I guess I should have known that from coffee beans, but I never put it all together until I saw there was 70+ mg caffeine in this non-camellia sinensis plant!!! Yikes! That probably explains a few restless nights after “just some herbal” tea… The juxtaposition between earthy and gentle is juuuuuuust right here. I can imagine putting this over ice would be a delightful way to ignore a humid summer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Variety
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
https://frasertea.com/products/organic-spicy-chocolate-chai
Spicy Chocolate Chai Organic Pu-erh Tea is a fusion of cocoa nibs, spicy chili peppers, and delicate, sweet oranges combined to craft a flavor sensation with maximum health benefits. Striking a delicate balance between heat and sweetness, spicy chocolate chai is a smooth and flavorful tea that supports weight management and wellness. Enjoy any time. Try it as-is or add milk and sugar.
https://frasertea.com/products/chamomile-dream-organic-herbal-tea.
Chamomile Dream Organic Herbal Tea soothes the mind and body. Supporting health and digestion, this relaxing organic tea blends gentle, floral notes of chamomile, cleansing and bright lemongrass, tart hibiscus and refreshing peppermint. Try it anytime throughout the day, with a book before bedtime, or following a restorative meditation practice. Chamomile Dream offers gentle, soothing relaxation for mind, body and spirit.
https://frasertea.com/products/organic-turmeric-ginger
Turmeric Ginger Organic Green Tea delivers a multitude of health benefits in a delicious and flavorful way. Green tea is blended with cinnamon, ginger, pink peppercorn, lemongrass, and turmeric offering a sweet and unexpected fresh taste. Known as a “superfood”, turmeric’s list of health benefits include boosting your body’s immunity, anti-inflammatory properties, improved brain function and heart health.
https://frasertea.com/products/organic-yerba-mate-mint
This Yerba Mate Mint Organic Herbal Tea is an energizing blend. At Fraser Tea we formulated this vibrant tea to maximize focus or help make the most of your daily workout. We combine the South American yerba mate plant with invigorating peppermint, a sophisticated green tea and an array of floral’s to amplify the natural benefits. Yerba mate is considered the healthy wonder drink grown in South America thanks to its energizing effects. Traditionally yerba mate is consumed with a gourd and a straw, however you can use your favorite teacup. Our Yerba Mate Mint tea is delicious iced or warm.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Fennel Licorice from Hampsted Tea and Coffee. . . .
Fennel and licorice go hand-in-hand in my opinion. The fennel bulb has very licorice-like notes among its green herbal flavors, complementing the black-jellybean anise flavor we recognize as licorice. This blend from Hampstead Tea & Coffee also adds a touch of peppermint to provide a more dynamic flavor profile.
In order for me to drink tea all day long, I need naturally caffeine-free herbal teas to balance out the menu. I love popular herbal tea flavors like ginger and mint, but I am always on the lookout for more unusual herbal teas to add to my cupboard. Fennel and Licorice certainly qualifies as a less traditional herbal blend to keep in the rotation.
Beyond the flavors, these herbs offer some healing effects. Fennel helps with digestion and is said to promote feelings of comfort and relaxation. Licorice root works as a natural sweetener, helping you cut down on the sugar, as well as serving as a sore-throat soother if you are coming down with a cold, or if you need to prepare yourself to perform an opera.
If ginger teas are too spicy and mint teas too much like menthol, try this Fennel and Licorice blend to invite a new set of herbs into your teacup.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea & Coffee
Description:
Keeping harmony within you is important to help balance the demands of a busy and impactful life. Fennel and Anise seeds in with selected Liquorice root and Peppermint leaves will keep you focused and posed for action.
Fennel is an excellent digestive and breath freshener, valued for its comforting and balancing effects. Our unique infusion blends fennel seeds, liquorice root and peppermint leaves to help regulate the digestive system.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Please Not Tonight from Oh You Tease
I have a soft spot for a nice cup of peppermint tea so I was more than happy to try Please Not Tonight from Oh You Tease. Mint tea is said to provide all kinds of health benefits like help with digestion and mental focus. I reach for a cup of mint tea when I want something crisp and refreshing and decaf.
Please Not Tonight is a perfectly named minty brew. Anytime you’re not up to whatever the night throws at you, brew a cup of this tea to soothe what ails you. Feel a migraine coming on? Let the creamy peppermint cool your head. Have an unsettled stomach? Drink a mug of crisp freshness. And this blend has chamomile to boot, to help encourage relaxation and sleep.
The real treat is the Oh You Tease shop itself. Their teas come in cheery, patterned envelopes with sweet or cheeky names. You also get the satisfaction of supporting a small business, a small business that brings more tea into the world. If that doesn’t make you feel better, maybe you need to brew another cup!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Oh You Tease
Description:
Naturally caffeine-free tea blend of peppermint leaves and chamomile flowers – natural stomach soothers
A fascinating and refreshing herbal infusion with an amazing minty peppermint and uplifting aroma of chamomile extracts. The whole aromatherapy in a teapot. Naturally caffeine free
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!