Sometimes it is wondered how our lives revolve around tea. May be any occasion or celebrations, it ends up with tea and coffee only. But the majority are tea lovers. Each day begins with a warm cup of tea being sipped while making plans for the day. We have many special memories attached to tea. The aroma, the taste of the tea instantly mesmerize the taste buds and one loves it. Tea lovers do not compromise with their tea habits.
Now we have many delicious tea spots scattered in the market, and each has its own flavor and the secret of making perfect teas. People are fond of exploring various kinds of teas – like green tea, masala tea, tapri chai, oolong tea, white tea, etc.
Let us see the various kinds of tea flavors. There are many but we will be highlighting the best 22 types of teas:
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 1 Black Tea
Mostly loved by Western culture people, they talk about black tea. Sun tea, sweet tea, iced tea, afternoon tea are all categories of black tea. Even Earl Grey tea is a blend of black tea. Black tea goes through a process of oxidation for the water to evaporate out of the leaves. In the process, the leaves absorb more oxygen from the air. After the full oxidation, the leaves turn dark brown and black. It has a stronger flavor and higher caffeine content as compared to the other teas. Assam tea, Darjeeling tea, Ceylon tea, and Kenyan tea are a few popular types of Black tea. Due to its bitter taste, people enjoy it better with a few spoons of milk. It is rich in antioxidants, boosts heart health, maintains cholesterol and gut health, it reduces blood pressure, blood sugar, the risk of stroke and cancer. It is best to drink black tea in the morning or noon as due to high caffeine content, it may hamper your good night’s sleep.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 2 Green Tea
Green tea is amongst one of the healthiest teas on the list. We’ve been hearing about the benefits of green tea from people around us. It is initiated in China. The most popular varieties of green tea include sencha, matcha, and genmaicha. Consumption of green tea can reduce the risk of cancer, blood pressure, insulin resistance and increases glycemic control. Most of these beneficial properties come from the catechin content present in green tea. The best way to consume green tea is by boiling it in water and then adding honey and lemon to it. If one is drinking it for health purposes, avoid sugar in it.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 3 Oolong Tea
Oolong tea, unlike black tea, it goes through partial oxidation. The caffeine content in this tea lies somewhere between that of green tea and black tea. Neither is the flavor of Oolong as strong as black tea nor is it as light as green tea. The aroma and taste of Oolong tea are often compared to fresh flowers or fresh fruit. Consumption of Oolong tea can lower blood glucose levels and improve cholesterol profile. It improves concentration and reduces the risk of cancer.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 4 Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh tea is a Chinese fermented drink, almost like kombucha or red wine. Its local name is ‘heicha’. It contains a lot of beneficial bacteria. Due to its production process, the leaves go through microbial fermentation. Hence, the tea continues to age even after the drying process. It tastes bitterer than regular tea, but it gets milder overtime. Generally, for ages, green Pu-erh has been preferred but over the past few decades, black Pu-erh has become popular. It has equal caffeine content as other teas. Pu-erh tea is best known to improve health in patients with metabolic syndrome.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 5 White Tea
White tea is the mildest. It’s one of the best options for caffeine-sensitive people. It only contains 25% of the amount of caffeine found in coffee. White tea comes from the freshest available leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. These tea leaves are picked at a younger age and they don’t go through the process of oxidation that is why it tastes mild. The benefits of matcha tea are similar to that of Green tea due to its polyphenolic content.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 6 Barley Tea
Barley tea is a staple drink in China, Japan, and Korea and is one of the most popular drinks in the East. It’s called ‘mugicha’ in Japan and ‘boricha’ in Korea. It’s made by roasting barley and then boiling it for about 20 minutes. It’s a popular summer drink as it is traditionally served cold with ice. In fact, many in the East drink it like water. It tastes Smokey, nutty and slightly bitter. Barley tea is good for digestion, boosts the immune system, improves blood circulation, prevents tooth decay, can help in weight loss and it’s one of the best drinks to feel refreshed after a long day.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 7 Chai
The most popular hot beverage served in India, Chai is a combination of Black tea, milk, sugar, herbs, and spices like cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and ginger. The flavor of the tea changes as per spices added to it. It can be both beneficial and harmful, depending on the quantity and the way you drink it. A traditional Chai is healthy, it’s good for the throat and body, but the ones that are loaded with sugar might not be great for you. Chai has the same benefits as black tea with the high polyphenol content of the spices that are added.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 8 Chaga Tea
Many mushrooms have medicinal benefits and Chaga is one of them. Chaga mushroom is native to Northern and Eastern Europe and Asia. The drink originated from the Russian region. Chaga mushroom is a type of fungus that grows on birch trees and it becomes a tea as you boil a piece of dried mushroom. It’s a daily drink in Siberia as it is considered an important drink for health and longevity benefits there. Chaga tea extract even has anti-tumor properties and may inhibit oxidative DNA damage in human cells. This mushroom is full of phytonutrients which is good for the body.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 9 Chamomile Tea
The thought of Chamomile tea in itself is refreshing and relaxing. The tea comes from the edible flowers of Matricaria chamomilla plant also known as Chamomile. This tea has a reputation for giving a good night’s sleep as it relaxes the body and treats insomnia. It’s loved for its mild bitterness, floral and slightly sweet taste. It helps in treating anxiety and other sleep-related problems.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 10 Chrysanthemum Tea
A flowering plant that originates in East Asia, specifically in China, it is the source of Chrysanthemum tea. Much like other flower teas, it also has a floral aroma with a slightly sweet flavor. It was traditionally used as an herbal medicine in the East due to its anti-inflammatory properties and various polyphenols present in it.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 11 Dandelion Tea
Dandelion is another tea that makes you feel refreshed even before you start drinking it. Dandelions almost grow everywhere and yes, they are edible. Dandelion tea and Dandelion salads are a few of the popular options. This tea is very light, mild and has a floral taste. Dandelion coffee is also quite popular. It’s a great substitute for black coffee. The tea is produced by roasting the Dandelion roots and it is best known for its digestive benefits.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 12 Essiac Tea
Essiac tea is a traditional drink of the Ojibwa, a North American Indian tribe known as Chippewa. It’s bitter in taste and has a grassy flavor. This tea is even known to help treat cancer. It’s anti-inflammatory and has DNA-protective properties. It is also said that a high dosage of Essiac extract can inhibit tumor cell growth.
❍ Tea Lovers Best 13 Tea Matcha
This premium Japanese green tea is mostly available in powdered form. To make Matcha, only the finest shade-grown tea leaves are picked and then are carefully ground into a fine powder. It is best consumed in its pure state. It tastes strong, bitter and grassy. You might want to keep away from sugar-induced drinks and food versions of Matcha. The benefits of matcha tea are similar to that of a Green tea, rather better as with Matcha, one ends up consuming the leaves instead of just the extract.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 14 Senna Tea
Originated in Egypt, Senna belongs to a large group of flowering plants. Senna tea is much bitterer than the other teas. It is approved by the FDA as a non-prescription laxative and contains active chemical compounds that help in relieving occasional constipation. However, while consuming it one must remember that it can irritate the stomach lining to stimulate bowel movements as it’s a stimulant laxative. It’s a tea that you can occasionally consume, not for the long-term. Its long-term consumption can cause intestinal hyperplasia or gastric cancer.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 15 Rose Tea
In Rose tea, the petals of the flower are dried. These leaves can either be used in their pure form to make tea or can be mixed with other herbs for increased benefits. It tastes light, sour and sweet. Its mildly sour notes come from the rose petal’s citric and malic acid content. The dried petals also contain various anthocyanins, the same class of polyphenols that are found in different types of berries.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 16 Sencha Tea
A common type of Japanese green tea, Sencha is grown under the sun and it is consumed by making an infusion from whole tea leaves. It has a mild flavor and a bold green color. Much like other green teas, Sencha is also full of polyphenols, especially catechins. In fact, Sencha has the highest amount of these compounds.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 17 Spearmint Tea
You will love the subtle flavor of menthol. Spearmint tea contains a lesser amount of menthol as compared to Peppermint tea. Spearmint tea is cooler, milder and quite refreshing. Spearmint tea has been used as a treatment for hirsutism (a kind of hair growth that follows male hair patterns, such as growth on the face and chest) in women. It also has a higher content of rosmarinic acid that helps treat osteoarthritis, it decreases pain and increases flexibility.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 18 Yerba Mate Tea
This is a traditional tea from South America that has recently become popular worldwide. Yerba mate tea is made from the leaves of a species of holly tree that grows in South American rainforests. It has an intense taste and contains around 80 mg of caffeine per cup, which is almost equal to coffee. It is mostly consumed for its energy and mood-boosting properties. It may also help in decreasing abdominal fat, blood viscosity and improve blood flow.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 19 Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus is a tea made of dried petals of roselle flowers. It’s dark blood-red in color and has a sour flavor along with the flowery smell. Hibiscus has a high acid content due to the presence of malic, tartaric, citric and ascorbic acids. It’s a good source of Vitamin C and a variety of anthocyanin polyphenols. Hibiscus tea benefits in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 20 Moringa Tea
Moringa plant that is also known as the horseradish tree is a native to the Himalayas in north-west India. The flowers, seeds, leaves, and roots of the plant are edible and hence, used for culinary purposes in Asian cuisine. Moringa tea can be made from both dried and powdered leaves. It tastes light, mild and grassy. It’s a great source of vitamins and minerals, especially the B vitamins and vitamin C. It can also control blood glucose and hyperlipidemia.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 21 Nettle Tea
Popularly known as stinging nettle tea, the drink is derived from the dried leaves of urtica dioica plant aka nettle. It tastes light, earthy, refreshing, mild and grassy. Nettle tea is full of phenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. It has the potential to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate) in men.
❍ Tea Lovers Best Tea 22 Peppermint Tea
This tea is made from the dried leaves of the peppermint plant. It has a bold, refreshing and minty taste with a strong smell. The Peppermint tea can be an effective digestive aid and it may relieve stomach upsets and discomfort.
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