Print

Jasmine Buds Flower Iced Tea Recipe

To begin there are a few things you need to know before we jump into the steps toHomemade Jasmine Buds Flower Iced Tea Recipe.

Themajority of jasmine plants grow in tropical and subtropical climates, althougha few can bloom in temperate zones. These summer plants are popular for theirmagical fragrance and the delightful flavor of anything they are used for inthe kitchen.

Greenteas are frequently scented with jasmine flowers for their mesmerizing aromaand taste. That’s what makes the Jasmine Bud Tea. It is a Chinese caffeine-freeherbal tea made entirely of unopened Jasmine buds.

Youcan choose to drink this tea warm or pamper yourself this summer with its Icedtea version. When Jasmine buds are cold-brewed, their lush, meadowy flavorsbecome more pronounced.

Course Drink

Cuisine South-Asian

Keyword Jasmine Buds Flower Iced Tea Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Mukul Singhal

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Whole leaf food-grade Jasmine Buds Flower Tea
• 1-2 Cup Boiling Water
• 1 tbsp Honey or any sweetener of your choice
• 1 tbsp Lime Juice
• 2 Lemon wedges (to garnish, optional)
• Mint leaves (to garnish, optional)
• 2 Cup Ice Cubes

Instructions

• The first step to Homemade Jasmine Buds Flower iced Tea is the same as that of its hot version. Boil some water in the kettle. Fill the kettle with one cup of water per person.
• In a mesh tea ball, place 1 teaspoon of Jasmine Buds Flower Tea for each person.
• Put the ball into the kettle of hot water, and steep for about 4 minutes. Steep it for more time if you like a stronger tea.
• In tall glasses, pour an equal amount of tea for each person, making sure to leave all tea leaves behind (if you can’t stand any leaves in your iced tea, make sure to strain the tea through a strainer).
• Fill each glass half full with cold water.
• Squeeze the juice from a half-lime into the glass.
• Cut another lime into slices. Put a couple of slices in each glass. This step is optional.
• Next, add a teaspoon of honey. Use brown sugar if you don’t have honey. Now, adjust the amount of both lime juice and honey/brown sugar as needed. To get the juice out of the lime slices, push them down with the back of a large spoon.
• Drop in the ice cubes when the drink tastes right to you.
• Stir the beverage. Garnish with mint leaves. And enjoy it with my family!

Notes

 

 

• To avoid bitter-tasting tea, make sure to remove the leaves and stems of fresh flowers should, as they tend to make the tea taste bitter if left on. This is only applicable if you use fresh flowers with green tea for your recipe instead of Teafloor’s Jasmine Tea.
• Adding ice to the drink will dilute the strength of the jasmine buds' essence. So, don’t under-steep your tea. You can use a little extra lime juice as well to balance the flavor.
• It is not recommended to steep your tea longer than five minutes, as it may become bitter.

 

The Final Words

 

Those were the ten easy steps to Homemade Jasmine Buds Flower Iced Tea Recipe. This iced tea is so easy to make that you don't even need to be an expert in the kitchen!

 

The vivid floral fragrances and gentle sweetness of Jasmine green teas are a splendid beginning point that will help you get up and start your day with a dainty green tea every morning.

 

Jasmine teas go well with a wide variety of dishes, so try pairing them with breakfast or lunch menus.

 

In addition to being such a dainty drink, it’s highly nutritious for your body. How?

 

Well, Jasmine Buds flower tea isn’t just full of delightful aroma. It is chock-full of antioxidants as well.

 

When consumed frequently, jasmine tea provides a wide range of health advantages, including rejuvenating the skin, increasing energy and metabolism, and aiding weight loss. It also aids in managing blood pressure and the enhancement of immunity.

 

The low-calorie drink is also great to relieve stress and putting you in a peaceful slumber. So, you can be sure to sleep well with the homemade jasmine buds flower iced tea recipe in your arsenal.

 

Want to try more such recipes? Comment below! Feel free to share this recipe with your friends and family.

Mukul Singhal

The post Steps To Homemade Jasmine Buds Flower Iced Tea Recipe appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

You see, tea is one of the world’s most popular beverages, produced by pouring boiling water over the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. It has been drunk for thousands of years and originates in China.

But it reached the United Kingdom in the 1600s when Dutch traders first brought it back.

And the tea culture’s roots were sowed. How did it end up happening? Why such fondness for tea? Read on to know the 4 primary reasons.

4 Reasons Why British Tea Culture Is A Thing

1. The decreased taxes and Catherine.

Queen Catherine, the wife of Britain’s King Charles the second, fell in love with tea when it was first offered. Tea soon became her favorite beverage, and she promoted it on social occasions.

But, not many of her followers were able to afford it. Not just because of the excessive taxes on tea leaves coming from India, but also because of the expensive porcelain cups made in china.

So, in the late 1800s, the government decreased the tea taxes. And this led it to gain widespread popularity. After all, why would any follower not want to know what’s so special about this beverage that the queen liked?

2. A way of defining class.

You see, in its early days in Britain, drinking tea isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It was expensive, plus, making tea the best way was an art only a few knew.

This led to classifying people based on their tea-drinking habits.

Even after the tea taxes got reduced and everyone could afford it, one reason it was a part of almost everyone’s diet, was to show off their class.

In her book Watching the English, anthropologist Kate Fox says that when a Britisher brews a cup of tea, they send numerous signs.

For instance, the working class prefers the strongest black tea brews. These contain the highest concentrations of the tea’s molecules. One reason for this is that they need substantial amounts of caffeine to stay awake and energized for work.

But as one climbs the social ladder, the brew becomes increasingly weak. That’s why most queens, princesses, or multinational CEOs drink green tea or expensive white tea.

The codes for milk and sweetener are different.

According to this book, sugar in tea is often regarded as proof of a lower-class background. Even one spoonful is questionable (unless you were born before roughly 1955. If you have more than one spoon, it indicates lower-middle class at best. And more than two are working class.

Other guidelines include when and how milk should get added if it is being added.

3. A variety for every occasion.

Did you know English Breakfast Tea was the most preferred tea type according to a survey of consumers in Great Britain in 2020? More than half of respondents stated it was their preferred tea?

But that’s not the only type they prefer. The Britishers also have afternoon tea and high tea (evening tea).

According to legend, Anna Maria, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, you should thank for inventing afternoon tea. Anna asked her maid to bring her tea, and a slice or two of bread and butter to hold her over during the long gap between lunch and dinner. That’s because she noticed having a sinking feeling about 4 p.m. every afternoon. She quickly realized how refreshing it was and invited her friends to join her.

The English afternoon tea was born after it quickly became a popular social occasion.

In later years, more food options got added to afternoon or high tea. Cookies, muffins, patties, scones, mini meat pies, sausage rolls, and tartlets are some examples.

With so many varieties and a type for every time of the day, the brits got into the habit of drinking tea. And habit makes us like the thing more.

4. A way to avoid social awkwardness.

Ever wondered why when meeting friends, family, dates, or even acquaintances, we often choose an eating or drinking place?

People either meet each other for coffee, in the bar for drinks, at the water cooler, at dinner, at lunch, or brunch. Even if it’s the movies, you always have popcorn.

The reason is that without something to eat or drink while you ‘meet’, it feels awkward. And especially when you are meeting someone for the first time, the awkwardness can start your relationship on a negative note.

So, we add drinks, popcorn, dinner, or tea in case of the British to avoid social awkwardness. And since the brits have tea for every occasion, it wasn’t difficult for them to come up with the options.

The Final Word

Tea is the world’s most consumed hot beverage. It is also the most popular non-alcoholic beverage. Surveys estimate it to be consumed in around 85 liters per person and per year.

Even though it primarily comes from India and China, it is the UK and their British tea culture that made tea famous worldwide.

The decreased taxes, their queen, and the way tea helps define class are all the reasons why the British tea culture is a thing. Don’t forget the variety of options available for every occasion,

Want to enjoy this culture yourself? Start by trying the English Breakfast Tea today!

Mukul Singhal

The post Why Do British People Like To Drink Tea? appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

One of the best skin care teas out there, green tea is chock-full of antioxidants with vitamins and minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. All these get utilized by the body to improve your overall health and make your skin no less healthy and marvelous than that of a baby.

But in what ways is green tea effective for skin care? Keep reading!

6 Ways Green Tea Works For Skin Care

1. Great against acne

When the skin produces excess sebum, it often faces blackheads, whiteheads, and even cystic acne due to clogged and closed pores.

You can use green tea to treat acne and other skin conditions caused by bacteria that get trapped in the skin. Polyphenols in green tea are a powerful cleaner that helps unclog your skin pores and get rid of harmful bacteria. Thus, fighting skin infections of all kinds.

Additionally, green tea’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial characteristics make it remarkable for acne and oily skin therapy.

And it’s not just us saying this. Green tea polyphenols, according to a study, assist lower sebum excretion, which can otherwise lead to acne.

You can use green tea for skin care by applying tea bags on your skin topically for instant results. But if you need long-lasting happy and healthy skin, it is better to make a habit of drinking 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily.

2. Prevents skin aging

Green tea’s antioxidant EGCG, which is plentiful in the beverage, was found to have the ability to renew dying skin cells in a 2003 study. This antioxidant can fight signs of aging and make ill skin look healthier by shielding healthy cells and rebuilding the damaged ones.

Green tea contains vitamins that might help your skin seem younger, particularly vitamin B-2. Vitamin B-2 helps to maintain collagen levels, which can help to improve skin firmness.

Vitamin E promotes the formation of new skin cells while also acting as a powerful hydrator for dehydrated skin.

By drinking 2 to 3 cups of authentic green tea for skin care, you’ll notice a significant difference in the appearance of fine lines, age spots, and wrinkles. You can also use tea bags or used tea leaves to apply it topically. By doing this, you’ll be able to enjoy younger-looking skin for far longer than you anticipated!

It’s no surprise that cosmetic businesses strive to use green tea in their products regularly to avail these benefits.

3. Avoids skin cancer

Green tea  –  skin care tea – includes polyphenols and six forms of catechins. The most potent of these is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG). These are all incredible antioxidants and thus help fight free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that, at excessive amounts, can destroy your body, health, and skin. They can damage cells and can cause issues like cancer.

If you have skin that’s sensitive to the sun’s UV rays, you need to take special care. A 2010 research suggests that EGCG can help undo the DNA damage done by UV rays. Therefore, shielding you from nonmelanoma skin cancer.

4. Reduces irritation and redness

Skin inflammation is frequently caused by improper nutrition, stress, lack of sleep, and environmental causes, with redness and irritation apparent on the skin. This not only ruins your skin’s appearance, but it can also cause irritation and lead to a variety of other serious skin issues.

But drinking green tea often can minimize redness and inflammation caused by sun exposure, according to research published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Skin care tea like green tea can also help treat minor skin irritations such as cuts and sunburn.

In fact, topical green tea has been shown in studies to be a helpful treatment for a variety of dermatological diseases due to its anti-inflammatory characteristics. It relieves itchiness and discomfort caused by dermatitis, rosacea, and psoriasis.

5. Removes dark circles

Who hasn’t struggled with puffiness and dark circles at some point in their lives?

Green tea also includes tannin and caffeine, in addition to being high in antioxidants. They can help with dark circles and puffiness by applying them topically to the eye area. This is because they constrict the small blood vessels around the eyes. Thus, providing excellent under-eye treatment.

To reduce your dark circles, take two newly brewed and used green tea bags, chill them for an hour, then remove them and place them over your eyes. Allow 10-15 minutes for the mask to dry before removing it. You’ll notice an immediate difference in your mood.

But why green tea for skin care instead of black? Doesn’t black tea contain more tannin and caffeine? It does. But green tea also includes flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. That can help reduce the swelling around your eyes.

6. Moisturizes the skin

Green tea is high in vitamins, especially vitamin E, which helps to nourish and moisturize the skin. Many moisturizers contain vitamin E, which helps prevent or treat dry, peeling skin.

Participants in one study applied an experimental green tea extract formulation to their forearms for 15 and 30 days. The researchers discovered that the individuals’ skin moisture had increased. Also, their skin roughness had decreased at the end of the study.

Ready to Use Green Tea for Healthy Skin?

Green tea’s polyphenols and catechins help cleanse your skin and let the skin breathe properly. It also has nutrients that heal your skin. It also cleanses your bloodstream when taken regularly. Thus, helping the transfer of nutrients and oxygen to all skin cells happen smoothly.

All you need to do is make a habit of drinking or applying green tea for skin care.

Why not get your hands on the best of skin care tea today at teafloor.com?

Mukul Singhal

The post How is Green Tea Effective for Skin Care? appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

Thankfully, making English breakfast tea is simple while the extent of slavery is reducing day by day. For a fine cup, all you need to do is take some boiling water, add it to English breakfast tea leaves. Then leave the mix for 5 minutes. And cherish it with or without milk.

But have you ever wondered how every morning when you have a toast with English breakfast tea benefits your health? Well, read on while taking you on a nourishing journey.

10 Potential Health Benefits of English Breakfast Tea You Don’t Want To Miss Out On

English breakfast tea is a black tea that’s full of antioxidants. Apart from that, it has immense amounts of sodium, potassium, magnesium, fluoride, flavonoids, L-theanine, lipoproteins, phosphorus, folate, a good amount of caffeine, and much more.

1. Helps you fight groggy mornings.

Black tea has a good amount of caffeine. And experts believe it to be as good as coffee in terms of waking you up from a sluggish morning.

But technically, black tea has much less caffeine than coffee, therefore, you get to avail the benefits of caffeine without facing the jitters and other disadvantages that come with a larger dose.

If you put some lemon in your black tea infusion (when you make it without milk), you will also get the benefits of vitamin C. The vitamin is also incredible to help you conquer your mornings.

2. Lowers cholesterol.

A 2003 study suggests that drinking black tea can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol in your body by about 11%.

LDL cholesterol levels get controlled by a lipoprotein that takes cholesterol toward our body’s cells rather than away from it to our parts that utilize it.

This ‘bad’ cholesterol needs to get reduced, or otherwise, a person can face the risk of stroke or heart attack.

Thankfully, English breakfast tea has extensive amounts of antioxidants like theaflavins and thearubigins that help reduce LDL cholesterol.

3. Improves heart health.

With lowered cholesterol levels, your heart doesn’t have much pressure on it. The reduced blood pressure allows the heart to pump without straining itself.

The overall stress reduces, leading to lowering your risk of coronary heart disease or heart attacks.

4. Aids digestion.

The caffeine and antioxidants in English breakfast tea help to increase your metabolic rate. They help break down fat cells while helping prevent cell damage which can lower your immunity as well.

As this tea fights bacteria and similar microorganisms that can harm your body and lead to improper digestion as well, it’s no surprise some people consider it great for gut health.

5. Helps in weight loss.

As I said above, caffeine helps break down your fat cells, thus helping in weight loss.

Additionally, the tea is also hydrating, which lowers your appetite and keeps you from craving unhealthy food, for a while.

The antioxidants in black tea also help with detoxification which helps your body stay in better shape.

6. Assists in Diabetes.

The antioxidants like polyphenols in black tea help keep the hormone ‘insulin’ in check. Insulin is responsible for handling fat storage and glucose in your body. When your body becomes resistant to insulin, it may lead to increased levels of blood sugar, thus, causing diabetes.

Therefore, make sure to have a cup of English breakfast tea daily, and you will be able to prevent diabetes for a long time.

7. Helps maintain good mental health.

Among all the fantastic elements present in black tea, there’s an amino acid called L-theanine. This amino acid helps reduce stress and anxiety. It is often used against mental impairment.

That’s how English breakfast tea benefits your mental health.

8. May reduce the risk of cancer.

According to a 2006 study, green tea and black tea have a polyphenol called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). This compound can help regulate cancer cell growth. And therefore, may help reduce the risk of cancer.

There’s not much evidence to prove English breakfast tea benefits against cancer. However, with current data, it can be a nice beverage to speed up the medical treatment a bit at least.

9. May improve focus and concentration.

Both L-theanine and caffeine are great to stimulate your brain cells. Doing so, these compounds present in black tea can help brain functions like focus. L-theanine specifically is known to increase alpha activity in the brain. It relaxes an individual, thereby helping him concentrate on the task at hand.

A 2011 study has actually proved that black tea can improve alertness and attention. And thus helps improve cognitive functioning overall.

10. Help stay energized.

Remember, English breakfast tea has immense amounts of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, among other things. These elements are better famous as electrolytes.

The job of electrolytes in our body is to maintain muscle contractions, keep the acid-base balance, help with nerve stimulations and prevent blood clotting while regulating the fluids in the body. All these functions are necessary, which makes electrolytes essential.

But the point here to note is that the lack of electrolytes can cause fatigue and weakness in the body. Many diseases, medications, or simply overhydration can lead to the loss of electrolytes through sweat and urine.

Therefore, you must maintain a balance of these electrolytes. And that happens with proper – the right kind and right amount of – hydration.

Fortunately for us, English breakfast tea has all these electrolytes and can help us avoid fatigue and weakness.

The Final Word

Want to give this tea a try? Check out this English breakfast tea recipe and cherish its goodness.

Also, you can Buy English Breakfast Tea at Teafloor.com!

Mukul Singhal

The post 10 Wonderful English Breakfast Tea Benefits For Your Health appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

The recipient could be fond of a green tea sampler, black tea sampler, or something else. But if he really loves tea, he’d love to taste more of its type.

Find out what to buy from The Indian Chai to make a tea lover happy by ordering this tea lover’s gift set before settling!

Why buy a loose tea sampler as a gift box?

This tea assortment box not only includes tasty Teas to buy but the tea gift set also has distinctive health benefits.

Check out the quick benefits that ensure that this tea lover’s gift set is an ideal buy:

• It lets the tea lover taste five different tea types – Tulsi Good Sleep Tea, Rose Green Tea, Hibiscus Floral Tea, Licorice Zing Tea, and Digestive Herbal Green Tea.
• It gives us several health benefits and cleanses our bodies.
• Helps them add more to their tea stock to keep more beverages handy.
• A useful gift that almost every Indian household will like and recommend.
• Lets them sample different forms of tea and green tea so that they can repurchase the ones they like the most.
• Allows you to offer five different tea types and makes the perfect gift set.

This Tea assortment box is much better than other green tea sampler or black tea samplers. At The Indian Chai, we have created blends using herbs that not only taste better but are beneficial to health also.

Gifting people can often become an overwhelming process, especially if you don’t know what they like. However, if you know that the recipient loves tea, the assorted tea sampler box can save your time.

Rather than looking through several gifting options online, and thinking about what they’d like or not, you should choose this. It will not only give them access to drink a different type of tea every day but also add to their collection. Apart from having something exotic to offer their guests, they’d be happy to try different flavors themselves.

Many tea lovers consume specific tea types for their health benefits. If you’d like someone to sample different flavors for their benefits, you’d consider the tea assortment box a smart option.

Why is gifting important?

Gifting is one of the easiest gestures to show a person that they matter. It shows that you’re thinking towards them and you notice their preferences. Planning to gift a box of assorted tea to someone who likes the beverage will express your emotional connection with them.

Gifts are not always exchanged during occasions. There are often times when we want to appreciate the existence of someone in our lives and give a gift to acknowledge that. It is a beautiful way to improve relationships and The Indian Chai does their best to help you fulfill that.

Mukul Singhal

The post Reasons to gift a Tea Assortment Gift Box appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

With hundreds of varieties to choose from, where do you start? How many teas should you be including in the menu? What teas should you be including in the menu?

People use different approaches to design/redesign their menu, ranging from analyzing competitor’s menus to hiring F&B consultants. Interestingly, the consultants have not been able to keep pace with the fast-changing landscape of tea variants!

Whatever approach you use to design your tea menu, it is important to understand the industry trends, customer behavior, and operational constraints:

• A fine dining restaurant can afford to have a specialized chef to include a wider variety of teas on the menu. On the other hand, a chain of cafes with limited staff at each location would have difficulty in managing an elaborate menu and ensuring consistency in brewing and serving.
• Most of the café chains register more than 80% of the volume sale in the form of milk tea variants. It includes cafes in posh localities of metros too! They finally end up focusing more on food items and end up compromising with the original vision and brand name.
• Food pairing is an important aspect. Teas without milk don’t go well with traditional Indian cuisine rich in spices and oil.
• People often design a menu including wide varieties of exotic and healthy teas. However, they lack a strategy to make customers comfortable to try out these teas. The operational staff at the ground level don’t put in extra effort in facilitating customers to transition from traditional teas to new varieties. After trying out for a couple of quarters, the teas with low sales volume are taken off the menu!
• The acceptance of exotic tea variants is still low beyond metro cities. Having said so, trendsetters would win in the long run.
• QSRs cant afford a detailed brewing process. Teabag based approach works better for QSRs.

While designing your tea menu, you should have clarity about your business focus and operational strategy, and constraints. If you have a chain of cafes, you may plan two or three different categories of menus depending upon the city/location, customer profile, and café size. The number of teas and varieties of teas would be different in each category of the menu.

A menu targeting 20-25 teas should include the following teas:

1. Milk Tea Variants:

Milk teas (CTC) are now available with special blends of herbs and spices to make traditional chai tastier, and healthier. In particular, milk tea causes gas and acidity. Therefore, choose herbal masala teas that reduce the issue of gas and acidity.

Traditional masala teas have Black Pepper, Ginger, Clove, Bay Leaf, etc which are ‘hot’. Many people avoid ‘hot’ spices during the summer. Therefore, choose a Summer Herbal Masala tea that does not include ‘hot’ spices. Instead, it uses herbs like Mint, Rose Petals, Cardamom, Fennel, etc.

Depending upon the length of the menu you prefer, you may like to choose a couple of variants that have Cardamom and Ginger dominated the taste.

Some cafes keep 8-10 herbs/spices and offer customers to make their own choice.  However, this approach results in inconsistent and unbalanced taste. Therefore, you should go with pre-designed herbal mixes.

2. Basic Leaf Varieties:

At a high level, tea is divided into two categories: milk and non-milk (Leaf teas). Leaf teas are further divided into four categories: Black, Green, Oolong, and White. A good menu should cover all these four varieties.

Black Tea: Darjeeling Black teas are world-famous for their aroma. Teas produced during the March-April time-frame are called ‘First Flush’ and have the best aroma. Teas produced during the May-June time frame are called ‘Second Flush’ and have a strong taste. You may like to include Darjeeling First Flush Black tea, or both First Flush and Second Flush teas.

Assam Black teas are famous for their strong taste. You may keep Assam Black tea on your menu. Alternatively, you can have English Breakfast tea which is a blend of Darjeeling and Assam/Sri Lanka Black teas.

Green Tea: Just one variety of Darjeeling Green tea is good enough on the menu.

Oolong Tea: This is a premium tea, and is quite popular for its weight reduction properties. You should include Darjeeling Oolong tea in your menu.

White Tea: Silver Needle White tea is the most premium tea. It is famous for its anti-skin aging properties. A good menu is incomplete without a White tea.

3. Fruit Flavored Teas: These are Black/Green or Oolong teas flavored with fruit flavors e.g. Peach, Lemon, Mango, Strawberry, Black Currant, Apple, etc. Earl Grey is a popular tea in the European region and many customers with international exposure may look for it on the menu. Overall, you should choose 2-3 fruit tea varieties. Quality of flavors is an important aspect. Flavors are of three types: Artificial, Nature-Identical, and 100% natural. You should go with 100% natural flavors.

4. Flower Flavored Teas: Jasmine Green and Rose Black/Rose Oolong teas are a common choice. One could also choose Blue Tea, Lavender, Rhododendron, etc.
5. Spice Flavored Teas: Kahwa is a popular choice in this category. Some people also look for ‘Masala Tea’ without milk.
6. Gourmet Teas: These teas combine fruit/flower flavors with other solid ingredients like fruit pieces, flower petals, herbs, and spices. There is a wide range of such teas available in the market. You could choose 2-3 teas in this range.
7. Caffeine Free Teas: There is a customer segment for caffeine-free teas that are made of pure herbs (no tea leaves). Some of the popular combinations are Tulsi-Rhododendron, Chamomile-Lemongrass, Nettle-Lemongrass, etc. You can choose a couple of varieties in this segment.
8. Herbal Teas with Health Themes: Herbal teas with health themes are catching a lot of customer attention. While choosing healthy teas, taste should not be compromised. Some of the popular teas are for detoxification, slimming, immunity system, digestion, refreshing, and relaxation. These teas are based upon ayurvedic formulations that are modified to improve the taste. You can choose 2-4 varieties from this list.

9. Ice Teas: Ice tea is a lucrative segment that is highly under leveraged due to the long-brewing process. Good quality ice tea has a vast potential in replacing many unhealthy colas and sugar-rich drinks.

Iced teas are typically fruit and flower flavored teas. It takes a long time to make proper ice tea. Firstly, hot tea is made with a higher concentration. It is allowed to cool down to room temperature, before putting it in the refrigerator. Ice and fruit flavors are typically added at the time of serving.

The best varieties of ice teas are made using real fruit pulp/fiber in place of flavor.  Seasonal citric fruits can be used to make ice teas.

If you choose 2-3 categories of menus depending upon your business strategy for multiple outlets, you can reduce or increase the number of teas in various categories mentioned above.

Promoting non-milk teas and taking customers through the transition process is an important aspect of running the café. You could plan a free sampler of one variety of tea for each day of the week for the initial 3-6 months.

Each category of tea requires appropriate brewing temperature and time. Green tea taste horrible if brewed as Black tea! Staff training is important to ascertain the same.

If your focus is predominantly on teas, you can also plan to sell retail packs of teas to your customers.

Whatever is the business model and menu size you may choose, you need to ensure basic quality factors e.g. Whole leaf tea, organic production, top bud and two leaves, 100% natural flavors, etc.

Mukul Singhal

The post HORECA – Designing a Tea Menu!!! appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

Aren’t you one of those who tried Green tea and gave up mainly on account of taste! Or is it your willpower that is helping you to continue with Green tea in the hope of accruing health benefits? Or maybe, you are now used to the bitter taste of Green tea.

While the awareness towards Green tea increased significantly over the past 3-4 years, the acceptance still remained at a low level due to its bitter taste.

While most people in India relate only Green Tea with health, Black orthodox tea without milk is also quite healthy, and tasty too. Black tea-based blends are more accepted in countries like the USA, Canada, etc.

The other premium variants of teas namely Oolong and White also offer better taste and health benefits. However, the awareness and consumption of Oolong and White teas are low on account of being too expensive.

What if there was a tastier option available with Green tea! There are many herbs that make the taste of Green tea truly enjoyable.

Green tea is great, but not the solution to all health needs:

Green tea has enormous health benefits. The antioxidants (catechins, mainly EGCG) protect cells against damage, and scavenge and flush out free radicals from the body. Green tea is linked with health benefits associated with weight loss, cardiac health, anti-carcinogenic, antiviral,  bone density, stress, arthritis, anti-diabetes, etc.

While Green tea provides a good base for health needs, there are popular Indian herbs for specific health issues. These herbs go deeper than Green teas in addressing specific health aspects.

Thanks to the internet and various social media platforms, a large segment of society is reasonably aware of the enormous health benefits associated with ancient Indian ayurvedic herbs.

Also, they understand that most of the common herbs have no or little side effects, and any little side effects are far outweighed in relation to the potential health benefits. Simultaneously, people are becoming more and more aware of the serious side effects associated with the long-term usage of allopathic medicines.

Why Herbal Teas? Why not just the Ayurvedic medicines:

Herbal medicines in traditional form like capsules, tablets, and syrup are typically consumed with a feeling of being patient, and people stop taking these as soon as they recover from the ailment. In the form of herbal tea, provided it is reasonably tasty, people don’t mind accepting these herbal teas as part of their regular lifestyle after recovery.

Additionally, with warm/hot water as the media, the absorption of herbs in the form of herbal tea is better in the body. Also, unlike tablets and capsules, the absorption of herbs starts right from when tea goes from mouth to throat and further down in the body.

Categories of Herbal Teas:

The herbal teas can be divided into two segments:

• The wellness segment covers basic health themes like detoxification, immunity system, slimming, relaxation, refreshing, digestion, metabolism, etc.
• The illness segment covers chronic issues like diabetes, high BP, Uric acid, Joint Pain, Acidity, Blood purification, Thyroid, Cancer, etc.

As part of their first introduction to herbal teas, most people look for tea for detoxification and slimming. While Oolong tea and Garcinia Cambogia are directly associated with weight reduction, detoxification is a generic concept for various body parts, leading to the usage of a wide range of herbs. There are different herbs for the detoxification of different body organs. Detox teas currently available in the market vary a lot in terms of their formulation.

As people graduate to the next level, they look for teas for their specific health needs. This segment is still taking up a shape.

Herbal Tea Formulation Process:

The tea industry experimented with herbs by blending one or two basic herbs like Tulsi, Mint, Lemongrass, Chamomile, Ginger, etc with Green tea.

A new set of entrepreneurs studied established ayurvedic formulations and modified the same to replace bitter-tasting ingredients with additional suitable herbs. Formulations are often tweaked versions of competitor’s formulations in the market.

Human psychology also plays a role as people tend to get more convinced about the efficacy of the blend by the number of herbs used in the formulation. Blending 10-20 herbs in a formulation has become a common practice.

Not all herbs are water-soluble. Certain herbs are alcohol soluble. Herbal tea formulation makers often don’t consider this factor while making new formulations.

Bioavailability determines the quantity of active herbal ingredients in the dosage. As too many herbs are put in a formulation, and the brewing process is also typically limited to 90 degrees C for 3-4 minutes, the availability of active ingredients in tea is low. However, as these herbal teas are targeted to become part of daily lifestyle, the long-term usage of herbal teas should yield positive results.

In order to claim health benefits, the manufacturing companies need to conduct clinical trials and seek Ayush’s product approval. As it is an expensive and time-consuming affair, the start-up companies take a short cut and don’t claim intended health benefits on the product packaging. They spread customer awareness using social media/websites and other communication channels.

Premixes and Herbal Extracts:

Premixes are blends of extracts of tea, spices, fruit, and herbs in solid powder form that get dissolved in hot or cold water. These offer convenience and taste to make a hot or cold drink, and therefore, have gained a lot of popularity in offices. From a quality and health perspective, natural herbal teas are far superior to premixes as the extraction process results in the loss of natural aroma and original properties of tea/herbs.

Quality aspects:

As this is a relatively new product segment, the customers are not able to understand and appreciate inherent quality aspects! They accept herbal teas as long as teas have aesthetic appeal and acceptable taste. Suppliers are taking advantage of the same, and often compromise the quality aspects to keep the costs low.

The origin of herbs, production practices, and the process of drying, storage, cutting, and sterilization play an important in the quality of herbs. Organically produced herbs in pollution and dust-free Himalayan region are far better than the herbs produced in plain regions.

Herbs can be sun and/or shade-dried or machine dried. As most herbs are seasonal, long-term cold storage at the appropriate temperatures becomes a need. Herbs need to be cut in different sizes based on the target product. Conventional teabags require TBC sie(1-2mm), pyramid teabags require 3-6mm, and loose tea pack requires 5-12 mm cut to size.

Powdered herbs are not good for consumption, and also spoil the aesthetic appeal. Pulverization or multiple rounds of cutting result in loss of aroma.

Sterilization of herbs is also important to stop any bacterial growth. Certain herbs like Chamomile, Mint, Peppermint, Tulsi, etc are quite susceptible to catching insects. There are multiple sterilization processes e.g. Steam, Gas (Ethylene Dioxide), Gamma rays, Microwave, etc.

On the other hand, tea has it’s own quality factors:

• Whole leaf teas are better in comparison to broken leaf, fanning, and dust. Whole leaf tea leaves require a lot of space for expansion and therefore come in loose packs or pyramid-shaped tea bags. Conventional teabags have tea fanning/dust which is relatively poor in quality.
• Darjeeling teas have the best aroma, whereas Assam teas are strong in taste.
• First Flush teas produced during March-April have the best aroma. Second Flush teas produced during May before monsoon are strong in taste, and have a good aroma. The quality goes down after the monsoon.
• Good quality tea would have only top bud and two leaves of the plant termed as ‘Premium Pluck’.

Herbs and teas have different brewing parameters. Herbs are typically brewed at 99 degrees C for 5 minutes, whereas Green tea is brewed at 80 degrees C for 2 minutes. Blending experts overcome this issue by managing the ratio of tea and herbal ingredients and also use some dominating herbs to suppress the bitterness of Green tea.

Future trends:

In order to succeed, a company needs to continuously focus on future trends. The following trends are likely to define the growth of the herbal tea segment over the next decade:

1. Herbal-Milk tea: 95% of people in India consume milk tea and are likely to continue to do so. As soon as the milk is added to tea, all the health benefits associated with tea are lost. However, herbs could still be added to milk tea to make it a healthier option. Baidyanath (Kapiva) has come up with a set of such teas.
2. Make your own herbal tea: People are likely to choose herbs for their specific health needs and request herbal tea manufacturers to make a suitable tasty blend incorporating those herbs.
3. Use of unique herbs: There are unique herbs produced in remote regions whose knowledge is limited to locals/tribes in those regions. The Discovery and production of such herbs would get more and more institutionalized, and incorporated in the herbal tea industry.

Mukul Singhal

The post Healthier, Tastier Green Teas… Herbal Teas appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

Print

Lavender Tea Latte

Winter is here. And so are the many seasonal blues that follow. Shorter days, colder weather and the general emptiness of the winter season leads to a blue feeling in almost all of us. However, a purple shaded ingredient is capable of helping get rid of that grey, wintry feeling which wanted you to stay in bed. Lavender is a woody shrub that yields a purple-blue coloured bud. While native to Australia, India, Japan and the United States, this plant is famous all over the world for its many calming benefits, in the form of a delicious drink known as the lavender tea. While lavender tea itself is quite a charmer for its pretty looks and comforting qualities, not many are aware of the various manners this particular tea can be brewed into. From Iced teas to slushies and lattes, lavender tea has many forms of being served. Today, we’re going to take a look at one of its many alluring forms: The Lavender Tea Latte.

Course Drink

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 People

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Milk
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Tsp Lavender Green tea
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 drops Vanilla essence
• 2 drops Purple Food Colouring
• 1/2 Tsp Dried Lavender For Garnish

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, add water and bring it to a boil. Add lavender tea to the boiling water, simmer for a few minutes, and then turn the gas off.
• Let the tea brew in the saucepan for about 4-5 minutes.
• Strain the tea into 2 cups, filling them only halfway.
• In the same saucepan (rinsed), heat the milk with honey, vanilla and purple food colouring until it begins to simmer.
• Remove the saucepan from heat. Either put the milk in a blender or use a hand blender to turn the milk foamy.
• Pour milk into the two cups, holding the foam back with a spoon.
• Scoop the foam with the help of a spoon on top of the tea, completing your latte.
• Finally, sprinkle some dried lavender as garnish.
• Your lavender tea latte is ready to be served hot.

Notes

1. You can use any form of milk for this latte. However, full cream milk always gives a more sumptuous feel to your drink.

2. Any form of sweetener can be used like sugar, stevia, sugar free, jaggery etc.

More about Lavender Tea Latte

Lavender tea latte is officially the prettiest drink to be made this season, though it is an acquired taste for some. A charming, purple coloured drink, the Lavender tea latte is not just tasty, but full of relaxing benefits for your body. This is the kind of tea you should preferably have at night, before bed. The tea is low on caffeine but rich in antioxidants, catechins and polyphenols. Lavender tea works as a de-stressing drink for the mind, body and skin. It helps ease the entire day’s stress, while also bringing balance to your emotions. Furthermore, this tea provides comfort from headaches and migraines. Altogether, lavender tea is a boon for those who struggle in bed for a good night sleep. So this winter, make yourself a warm cup of lavender tea latte to avoid chilly toes and those unwelcomed winter blues.

Mukul Singhal

The post The Lavish Lavender Tea Latte Recipe appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

The earliest record of tea bags dates back to 8th century China. During the Tang Dynasty, the paper was folded and sewn from all sides to store tea leaves. This helped preserve their flavor and aroma.  However, the first commercial tea bag wasn’t sold until 1904, which used silk fabric sewn together to sustain dried tea leaves. By 1903, heat-sealed paper fiber tea bags were widely popular. It made transporting tea worldwide easier for retailers.

From differing shapes to diverse production materials, tea bags have taken various avatars over the years. The medleys in tea bags are almost equal to the endless assortments of teas produced.

Yet for many, the taste of tea made with tea bags is never as good as the one they brew themselves. Still, we are always on the lookout for products that give the best results. The debate over the shapes of tea bags is unending. And the recent competitors are Pyramid tea bags and Regular tea bags.

Pyramid Tea Bags & Regular Tea Bags: The Unending Debate

The standard folded and enveloped tea bag is what most of us are familiar with. They were the first ones to come around, after all. Only recently have the various shapes of tea bags become part of public knowledge. Yet many of us are still unaware of the innovation known as the pyramid tea bags. Also known as tetrahedron-shaped tea bags, these pockets have revolutionized the entire process of packaging brews into bags.

1. Quantity of tea:

When it comes to regular tea bags, they contain fewer teas and more fannings, making your brew taste rather dusty. With pyramid tea bags, the spaciousness of the bags allows for the packaging of larger, good-quality tea leaves. This gives you a top-shelf brew.

2. Variety of Flavours:

With the spaciousness of pyramid tea bags, an assortment of infusions can be packed in them. Regular tea bags may come in a lot of flavors as well, but upon brewing the taste is hardly different from plain tea, unless procured from a premium brand. In pyramid tea bags, the space allows infusions of flavors like rose, lavender, orange peel, lemon zest, etc to give the tea that extra punch of real flavor and mouthfeel.

3. Better Brewing:

The pyramid tea bags have brought about innovation, thus changing the older rules of brewing tea. The triangular structure of the tea bags allows the tea leaves to move freely. When hot water is added into the cup along with the tea bag, the tea leaves move in a circular motion, then cool down. This almost mimics what happens to tea in a teapot or infuser, which utilizes the tea leaves best. This shape also allows the ingredients to unwind and expand properly, releasing maximum flavor into your cup. This gives the entire tea leaf to be utilized and not just a part of it or its fannings.

4. Time Efficient:

The structure of pyramid tea bags is more porous. This not only allows a concentrated flavor to mix into the cup but also allows faster brewing. Whereas in regular tea bags, by the time your tea steeps to give you the best flavor, the water has already cooled down. The brewing process is neither taste-effective nor time efficient. Pyramid tea bags are the best option for those who are time-bound.

5. Travel Friendly:

The durability of regular tea bags is not very dependable. They are more susceptible to wear and tear. Carrying these during travel means putting them in a protective box which only occupies more space in your luggage. Pyramid tea bags, on the other hand, are very travel friendly. They are durable and strong and are not affected by an outside force that easily.

6. A Luxurious Gift:

Giving a gift to someone can be a challenging task. We often look for pocket-friendly, yet classy options. Pyramid tea bags can work great as gifts. They are soft to the touch, with a beautiful sheen over them. Plus, they deliver a spectacular brew to their users. Unlike regular tea bags, pyramid tea bags set a hallmark of luxury. These are great for personal use and even better for giving as gifts.

You may also read – All About Tea Bags

With so many advantages over regular tea bags, pyramid tea bags do seem like a better option. Plus, if you’re a tea junkie, then you know that they are adept at drinking tea while at work or at home. So, having a few bags handy is never a bad idea.

Mukul Singhal

The post How are Pyramid Tea Bags Better than Regular Tea Bags? appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.

Most people who have green tea on the daily have excellent skin, great hair, and a balanced body weight. They also flaunt a strong immune system, as the antioxidant present in green tea helps in warding off various diseases. However, the question remains, how much green tea is too much green tea? The fact of the matter is that green tea, like every other thing in the world should be consumed in moderation, an excess of anything is bad for human health and this brew is no different.

Many studies have come to the conclusion that around 3 cups of green tea a day, is the ideal amount. Anything exceeding this can cause a bit of a disruption in your system. The University of Maryland conducted a research wherein they concluded that 240 to 320 milligrams of polyphenols a day is the perfect mount. This too accounts for about 2 to 3 cups of green tea in a day.

An Excessive Amount of Green Tea in a Day Can Cause:

• A headache
• Irregular heartbeat
• Heartburn
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Sleeplessness
• Confusion

Benefits of Green Tea

• Having more than 5 cups of green tea in a day can cause the aforementioned problems, so it is best to stick to 2 to 3 cups of this brew on the daily. Loaded with nutrients, vitamins and trace minerals, green tea contains polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids, as well, which help in strengthening the immunity.
• It helps in protecting against breast and prostate cancer and reduces your chances of developing type 2 Diabetes.
• Green tea is often related to weight loss. The brew has the ability to boost metabolism in the body, whilst, accelerating the natural fat burning process within the body, which is known as lipolysis.
• It contains caffeine, which can really help you to push harder during a workout. If you have a cup of green tea around 15 minutes prior to workout, you will feel a lot more energetic when you hit the gym.
• A few studies have suggested that green tea alone can help in burning an additional 75 to 100 calories per day.

Green Tea Weight Loss

If you are consuming this brew for weight loss purposes, then it will better if you have it without any sugar or sugar supplements, to make sure that the tea remains to be a zero calorie beverage. This will make sure that the green tea contributes to a significant amount of weight loss over a long period of time. Apart from that, this brew is known for strengthening the heart by reducing cholesterol levels. It aids in removing the plaque from the arteries of the heart, helping it to pump blood faster. This, in turn, normalizes blood pressure levels and allows the heart to function much better.

Green tea is widely available in the market, but not all of them are of the best quality. You can only achieve the aforementioned health benefits of green tea by purchasing the brew from a reputable and trusted tea seller like Teafloor. Try and avoid buying tea bags as the brew may be adulterated and instead opt for loose leaf tea.

Mukul Singhal

The post How Much Green Tea Should I Drink? appeared first on Teafloor Blog : All About Tea | Health Benefits of Tea.