subject: Samplers Of Varieties Of Exotic Teas Make Unusual Gifts [print this page] Exotic teas have been newsworthy for centuries, ever since hot water was added to plant material to make a drink or a potion. The British Empire was founded on the spice and tea trade.
Tea in a narrow sense means a drink made from the leaves of Camellia senensis. Different forms of tea are made by fermenting the leaves more or less, and by flavoring the leaves or blending them to create new experiences. White tea is the least altered type and contains the highest levels of antioxidants.
One of the best ways to experience different varieties of tea is to try a sampler, which will have many choices in one box. It may be a 'most popular' collection of herbal teas that have no caffeine and pleasant flavors, a special assortment of dieter's teas, a variety pack of the kinds of true tea, made from Camellia senensis (white, green, oolong, and black), or one of the amazing flowering tea assortments, that must be seen to be believed.
Then there is the whole world's supply of healthful herbs, from rooibos to new-in-the-news pu-erh. Carrying the goodness of the plant they come from, herbal infusions, or tisanes, can wake you up, help you sleep, soothe a sore throat, aid digestion, clear a stuffy nose, help cleanse the whole body, and work as a diuretic or a laxative. This is an extremely partial list of the ways herbs have been used over the centuries.
Even the names are romantic: mint, lavender, hibiscus, amaranth, orange pekoe, lemon verbena, apple mint. The news is full of new discoveries in the botanical world, as other cultures reveal the secrets they have known and used for generations. Tea masters are constantly making new and ever more palatable blends of scent and taste.
Exotic teas, whether used for enjoyment, health, or romance, are much more intriguing than many realize. Search online to find your area of interest and try a sampler as an introduction. Soon you, like Earl Grey, may be blending your own.
