Nov182011
You don’t have to be British to appreciate tea!
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image by motograf
It’s getting cooler out where I live, which is not Arizona, so I’m drinking more tea and (slightly) less soda. It took me a long time to start drinking tea because, frankly, I don’t like black tea and that’s what has been offered most often in this country. Times change, though, and there are a lot more kinds available today. I recently bought Red Velvet Chocolate Tea – really. (I actually sacrificed and donated that to a school silent auction so I can’t tell you what it tastes like.) I have black, green, white, red, and herbal teas. It’s a veritable rainbow!
Calming:
Chamomile is a classic herbal tea. It definitely helps me calm down to go to sleep. We have several varieties. Celestial Seasonings’ Tension Tamer Tea also includes chamomile, but not as the primary ingredient so it isn’t as sleep-inducing. My husband recently told me to go get some to help me calm down, so it clearly makes a big difference!
Energizing:
Mint tea is a great wake-me-up tea. It’ll never substitute for Five Hour Energy, but if you need a smaller energy boost, mint is a real help. (I even sometimes simply eat a mint leaf from the garden.) I recently drank some of the “get charged” tea from The Republic of Tea and was able to skip the afternoon nap that I had felt coming on. It’s a long way from an espresso, but it helps.
Medicinal:
image by Mags
Herbal laxative tea works. I find that it’s much milder than medicine and it doesn’t leave me feeling the need to stay extremely close to a toilet. My husband tried the “get soothed” tea for his scratchy throat and it felt better. Of course, lemon tea with honey is a classic for sore throats. There are lots out there, and we’re trying to use more of them.
Brands:
This is not really about taste or quality, but more about packaging and long-term storage. There are tons of great tea brands, but these are two different popular brands with the two most common types of packaging. Celestial Seasonings teas are inexpensive and easy to find at the grocery store. However, they are boxed in cardboard with a papery liner. For longer term storage, that won’t keep your tea fresh. Bentley’s tea ships in tins with a sealed foil pack inside the sealed tin. That will keep significantly longer, but it also costs more. (I buy most of mine at Tuesday Morning.) Sealed tins are supposed to be the best way to store tea to keep tea fresh.
The Republic of Tea
Normally I wouldn’t call out one company when so many make a great product, but these folks make Chocolate Tea! That deserves notice. As I said, I sacrificed and donated my Red Velvet Chocolate to the school, but I have tried the Chocolate Strawberry and it really does taste like chocolate strawberry tea. The first product I bought from them is their Strawberry-Vanilla Children’s Tea. My kindergartener just loves it, which is why I sought out their website and found all their other teas. He is excitedly awaiting the new Blueberry and Key Lime Teas that he’ll get at Christmas. They also have a line of wellness teas including “get soothed” and “get charged.” Their tea comes in tins with foil packs, and you can get refill packs for your favorite flavors.
P.S. There is also something called Horny Goat Weed Tea. Horny Goat Weed is an herb that supposedly does what the name implies, according to an internet search. If you try it, let us know if it works! Or not.
© 2011, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(8) Readers Comments
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This is sort of like CSA. Do they only deliver in Phoenix metro area?
Andrea
If you're of the agrarian mindset, there's a plant called New Jersey Tea that will grow in most areas of the US…was used as a substitute during the RevWar and *supposedly* tastes, smells, looks just like black tea. I'm planting some this spring….can't wait to see the results.
Carol from MA
I agree that herbal teas are wonderful and have some great medicinal qualities. However, just be careful if you have any medical issues. Some herbs can aggravate medical problems and you need to research it thoroughly from a reputable source.
Canadianmom
When I was pregnant, my doctor told me to avoid certain herbal teas that could cause a miscarriage. I don't recall all of them but they included anise, chamomile, comfrey, hibiscus, lemongrass, licorice root, pennyroyal, raspberry leaf, rosemary, and sage. They were a no-no while breastfeeding too. Having said that, I do love tea in the evenings. White tea and black licorice tea are my current favorites. And I will definitely check out the republic of tea website, great gift idea.
Jan
We make our own herbal teas with mint, cranberry, orange slices, etc. We have tried different combinations. Its fun to experiment.
Donna
OK, so this may be the first time I've ever laughed out loud at an article about tea. I'm taking a pass on the goat tea, but it'll make for a fun story at our next family gathering.
Thanks for the info on Republic of Tea. I'd seen one or two of their products locally, but wasn't keen on the varieties available. Now that I know there are CHOCOLATE teas, I'm headed to their website!
Thanks!
Canadianmom
Liz–it's been a few weeks so I hope you see this thread. After reading your post, I decided to get some tea for a Christmas gift for each of my daughters, 10 and 14. I found a place in town that sold sample boxes containing 15 varieties of loose leaf tea, each in a small stainless steel container and a see through top. The teas were beautiful, like potpourri, and were mixed with chocolate, almonds, peppermint, orange peels, coconut, etc. I put tea strainer balls and honey sticks in their stockings. These were not very expensive. Still, the girls were absolutely delighted. They say it was their BEST gift this Christmas and make tea for themselves, their friends, and my husband and I. thanks so much for the great idea.
BVM
I once was partnered up with a mildly, peculiar paramedic. During our time together, I developed a toothache and since I was uninsured at the time, I really felt like I was out of luck. He suggested I take a green tea bag and place it in my mouth between the tooth and my cheek, right down near the gums(like chewing tobacco, for those who indulge). I was skeptical at first, but after the first day, it really started feeling better! He gave me some rigamarole about antioxidants “Drawing Out” the bad stuff or some such, and while I don’t believe in that hoodoo, it really worked. Today, I always keep a couple sealed individual packets of green tea in my BOB Rx Kit for just such an occasion. If anyone else reads this and can add to it, please let me know.
-BVM
thesurvivalmom
This is really interesting. I haven’t heard of green tea used for this but it would be worth a try. I have some ground horsehair stored for various dental ailments, since it’s an herb that actually strengthens teeth.