All tagged herbal tea

Caffeine-free infusions: Soba cha aka Japanese buckwheat tea

Today I want to talk to you about one of my favorite caffeine free tisanes (infusions not from the camellia sinensis plant). In the afternoon and evening, I usually switch from caffeinated beverages to caffeine-free ones. There is as much variety in the herbal tea realm as in the camellia sinensis world and I love discovering new flavor profiles. Soba cha, also known as roasted buckwheat tea, comes from a type of buckwheat that is related to the one that is commonly used in the kitchen.

What I “tea” in a day

The inspiration for this blog post comes from fellow tea blogger Lu Ann of The Cup of Life, who basically invented this. It’s about “keeping track” of tea, because - as someone once said - “tea is more than just a beverage, it’s about noticing your own habits.” 

Tea: what’s going on in the UK?

The most British thing there is doesn’t seem to be doing well at home, but is thriving on our side of the pond. Last month, British daily newspaper The Guardian reported that “the US currently seems to be enjoying a tea party to which Britain has not been invited, with tea bars popping up across the nation and sales of the hot drink shooting up 15% in the past five years”. Good, high-quality tea is not hard to come by here on the West Coast but what is happening exactly in the UK?

A sophisticated take on chocolate truffles

A friend of mine introduced me to rooibos and I was instantly hooked on its naturally sweet, nutty flavor. Now let me introduce you to this magical beverage.Rooibos is a type of herbal tea from South Africa. The leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant are oxidized, which gives rooibos its distinctive reddish-brown color. The process is similar to that used to make tea from the Camellia Sinensis leaves. So similar that there is also green rooibos, which - like green tea - is the less oxidized or non-oxidized version. I’ve never tried green rooibos but I must say I am intrigued.