Chinese and Herbal Teas to Enjoy Every Day

Chinese and Herbal Teas to Enjoy Every Day

When the news is full of worrying headlines, many of us look for simple comforts, and a good cup of tea is one of them. Here are our tips for choosing quality Chinese and herbal teas.

Quality Chinese Tea

We stock quality Chinese teas made mostly from whole leaves and buds rather than tea bags. Whole leaves naturally contain polyphenols, amino acids and trace elements, and they give a fuller, richer flavor.

How do you choose? White teas are a lovely place to start. They are only lightly processed, so they keep a delicate, natural taste.

Our favorite white teas:

• Old Tree Yue Guan Bai.
• Bai Hao Yin Zhen Silver Needle.
• Doke White Silver Needle.

Good green tea is another excellent choice. In China it has long been called a drink of longevity, and millions of people enjoy it every day.

Tea leaves are naturally rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which researchers continue to study.

Our favorite Chinese green teas:

• Cui Ming Green
• Shenya Green Silver Needle
• Fujian Mao Feng Supreme
• First Flush Mao Feng Yunnan

Puerh (Shu and Sheng) and oolongs such as Chou Shi Dan Cong and Tie Guan Yin are just as delicious. Chinese tea is best enjoyed fresh, without sugar and not on an empty stomach.

Herbal Teas

Herbal teas can be bought ready-made or you can make your own mixes. Fruit and other exotic teas belong in the same group, for example:

• Pure Lemongrass. Affordable and fragrant, it can be brewed on its own or added to black or green tea for a bright citrus note.
• Peppermint tea. Pour hot water over the leaves and let them infuse. To taste, add a spoonful of honey, a slice of lemon or a few pieces of ginger. Peppermint makes a refreshing, relaxing cup, and we have organic peppermint in our catalog.
• Hibiscus (Sudanese rose) makes a beautiful ruby-red infusion. If you like sourness, brew it on its own; for sweetness, add fresh or grated raspberries. The price of hibiscus makes it an easy caffeine-free tea the whole family can enjoy, hot or iced.

You can also experiment with other fruits and herbs: rose hips, ginger, sea buckthorn, chamomile, chrysanthemum flowers and honeysuckle. Drink in moderation and make sure you are not allergic to any ingredient.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice.