Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Do You Tea?


I love tea.  You can probably call me a tea snob.  I'm probably more of a tea addict than a coffee one.  Why, you ask?  Haha, it's not just because I'm Asian.  Tea contains antioxidants that help with the body to absorb molecules known as free radicals, which are detrimental to the health.  Most teas contain tea leaves and dried fruits and flowers in order to give them each distinct flavor.  What's very interesting about teas, however, is that all teas come from the same leaves.  The way the tea leaves are processed changes the tea all together.


Tea Plant


So what's so good about teas?  Most people just drink it because it's more refreshing than coffee.  Coffee brings that burst of caffeine so it wakes you up in the morning.  Tea also has caffeine, depending on the strain you choose.  The difference is that you don't feel that same spurt of being woken up.  The feeling of waking up with tea is more gradual in most cases (including mine).  I personally don't like the feeling of jolting to life and crashing later, so I'll try to have my tea on most days.  Tea also naturally doesn't contain sugar or any calories, whereas coffee tends to be loaded with sugars, sweeteners, and creamers, depending on your palette.  

Okay, okay Kat... we get it.  You love tea... but which one's right for me?

I'm glad you asked.  Here's my break down for teas and what their purposes are for.  Most teas have almost the same objectives with minor differences.  I still love all my teas just the same, though.
  • Green tea: antioxidants, helps flush out the immune system, lowers cholesterol, curbs appetite, burns fat
  • White tea: least processed tea (steamed and dried), contains antioxidants, pure and sweet in flavor (my personal favorite!)
  • Black tea: strong flavor, curbs appetite, aids in weight loss, natural caffeine (great for morning substitute for coffee)
  • Herbal tea: made with flavors from fruits and spices, contains antioxidants
  • Rooibos tea: boosts energy, contains caffeine, helps with liver disease, respiratory problems, and brain aging
  • Mate tea: good for bone growth, helps with weakened immune systems, may help deter colon cancer, has caffeine
  • Oolong tea: antioxidants, promotes weight loss, good heart health, reduces high blood pressure

How can you say NO to drinking this?  How pretty does this look?!

I'm a fan of loose teas.  I don't think I can ever drink regular tea from a tea bag again.  The taste of tea from a bag as compared to a pure loose tea is so different, especially since you could taste the processed flavor.  I usually buy my tea leaves at Teavana, which has recently become a part of Starbucks.  What's even better about all of it is that I can use my Starbucks card there (helloooo points!).  Teavana is a more commercialized store that carries many different types of teas and flavors.  I love shopping there and the tea connoisseurs are more than helpful.  My favorite flavor is currently the Sakura Allure green tea, infused with rose, cherry, mango, hibiscus, and pineapple.  It's funny... I'm allergic to cherries but this tea never seems to bother me.  Teas come in all spectrums of flavors as well if you aren't interested in the fruity ones.  You can have earthy notes (with flowers), sweet treats that can have cocoa or chocolate (great with milk or creamer), or even pure tea on its own without all the flavors.  Some other places you can go to or order online would be David's Tea (I've yet to try their teas but Eat Play Write loves them), Lupicia Tea (from Hawaii), and even Long Island's own Clipper Ship Tea Company.  


My Own Tea Stash - flavors for every day of the year!

Here's to a cup of tea!  ::cheers::  Enjoy everyone!  Try everything out and let me know what's right for you.  Have a good one!

6 comments:

  1. TEA! So good. I don't drink from a tea bag, either. I'm a huge fan of David's "Detox" tea, in particular, because of its many health benefits and that it tastes delicious. I'm curious to try Lupicia Tea.

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    1. I think I'll go to David's Tea to get some. Teavana has a detox tea as well - their Weight To Go Pu'erh makes you use the bathroom a little, but it curbs your appetite and helps you slim down. I love it. :) Lupicia is a Japanese brand that creates a variety of different teas, and some of them even come in tea pouches, if in case you ever want to drink a single cup anywhere. I've had the opportunity to use both their loose teas and their bags, and for some reason, I do prefer the bags because the tea leaves in loose form are cut smaller so some of the particles get stuck at the bottom of your cup when you drink. Other than that, they both have great flavors and still do the job.

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  2. I'm a coffee and tea drinker, but there is something about tea that keeps you mellow and calm but gives you that extra boost. I use both loose and from a tea bag; I don't mind it as much. It just depends on the brand. (Milk tea will probably always be my favorite though.) I'm currently drinking Trader Joe's Organic White Tea, Ginger Pear. It's delicious with a touch of honey.

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    1. I think I'm going to have to try that! I didn't know Trader Joe's had tea... I'm going to have to take a look. Okay, milk tea is the exception for drinking tea out of the tea bag. This one's my favorite:

      http://www.vietnamese-coffee.com/images/original-milk-tea.jpg

      Some of those other milk teas out there aren't as good. I find this one to have the best flavor and it isn't as sweet as the other ones.

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    2. I'll have to look for that brand of milk tea to try. Trader Joe only has tea in a bag, but it's really good in my opinion. We need to hang out soon. We could blog together! :3

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  3. Tea really is so good for you and I am loving drinking it! I recently discovered mate tea and love it but I general go for the fruity ones :) That Allure tea sounds AMAZING (and fruity!) I definitely prefer loose leaf, I have a few tea bags but I haven't bought them in ages, I might depending on the flavour but I definitely go for loose leaf first! I feel like the places besides David's probably don't ship to Canada and I love being able to smell my tea, but I am so tempting! Can't wait till I finish up some of the ones I have and can buy some more :)

    (I bought a box of the Passion iced in the states and it is also great! So convenient for the fridge)

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