Every year as March 17th rolls in, we begin the hustle to find ingenious ways to color foods and beverages green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with. Green beer is so passe, and those globby green milkshakes at drive-thrus are oozing with carbs.
We have a few “green things” up our sleeve that’ll taste delicious AND packs a punch with over-the-top healthy benefits.
The Mysterious Green Beverage
There’s a beverage that’s been around for thousands of years. The Camellia sinensis plant grows throughout the lush tropical valleys in exotic areas of the world. This plant is nurtured until it is mature enough to be harvested. Every leaf is handpicked by people carrying large baskets on their backs. Over 2.5 million tons of these leaves go through harvesting, processing, packaging, and exportation.
Have you guessed what this mysterious beverage is yet?
Perhaps you are well acquainted with green tea, or you’ve never had it and are curious to learn more. There are many different green teas sold on the market today. Some are unique blends with other teas, spices, fruits, or flowers.
Green tea is used in cooking, Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, beauty products, cleaning products, and more. But did you know a few things are hiding behind this tea that has some powerful health benefits?
Kick Those Carbs To The Curb With A Drink That Melts Pounds
A constituent in green tea called polyphenols plays a vital role in making this tea anti-obesity. Catechins present in the tea also played a role. Studies done on individuals who consumed green tea found that the tea acted as an appetite suppressant. This led to a reduction in the amount of food consumed. The polyphenols and catechins affected how the body stored calories.
A Multitude Of Health Benefits
Green tea helps numerous ailments, but more importantly, it has the power to fight cancer, heart disease, liver disease, obesity, diabetes, inflammation, arthritis, bacteria, viruses, and more. Flavanols which are present in the tea, are the key component that battles these conditions.
11 Different Green Teas To Celebrate St. Patty’s Day
There are so many more flavor dimensions in green teas. Just imagine being able to experience a warm fireside embrace or the mist of the ocean air. Drinking these teas provides an experience.
Check out our online shop to order your green tea before St. Patrick’s Day!
Organic Dragonwell
Origin: China
Flavor Profile: Chestnut, Grassy, Mineral
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: low to medium
Simple and pure, naked in form. This tea is reminiscent of foggy days along the seaside cliffs where the sea mist engulfs one’s senses. Earthy notes break through with a smooth chestnut finish.
Kyoto Rice Genmaicha
Origin: Japan
Flavor Profile: Nutty, Sweet, Vegetal
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: low to medium
This tea features roasted rice combined with Japanese Sencha green tea. One could say this tea is bold and quite appetizing because of the toasty rice that adds a whole other dimension of taste. Many enjoy this tea when fasting because of the lovely element of nutty rice that staves off a growling stomach.
Japanese Hojicha
Origin: Japan
Flavor Profile: Grassy, Earthy, Notes of Caramel Coffee
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: low to medium
This mild tea is a combination of Sencha and Bancha teas. It pairs perfectly with a sweet confection in the afternoon or after dinner. The earthy flavor is soothing, while hints of sweet caramel subtly waft through. It’s quite like a fireside sit wrapped up in a cup of tea.
Organic Sencha
Origin: Japan
Flavor Profile: Nutty, Fruity, Floral, Grassy, Earthy
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: low to medium
A light-bodied tea perfect for pairing with shortbread or scones. The aroma and flavor embody an ocean breeze wafting over a basket of freshly cut flowers. This makes a lovely tea to enjoy when a rainy day robs you of the outdoors.
Organic Spring Jasmine
Origin: China
Flavor Profile: Sweet, Grassy, Floral
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: medium
When you need a “pick-me-up” on a rainy day, this is a lovely choice. As you take that first sip, you are met with a beautifully delicious experience as the aromatic florals flirt with your nose while notes of a sunny day dance on your palette.
Pinhead Gunpowder
Origin: China
Flavor Profile: Vegetal, Nutty, Smoky
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: medium
Tea artisans hand-roll tea leaves into pearls that bloom open during the brewing process. Although Pinhead Gunpowder is a milder tea, your senses will quickly pick up the nutty flavor with a smokey oak finish. This tea pairs beautifully with bold, spicy meals such as a feisty curry or a traditional southern jalapeno-infused entree. Whether you enjoy a cup with a meal or on its own, you’ll find a certain familiarity with it that you’ll come to love.
Tropical Green Tea
Origin: China
Flavor Profile: Fruity, Sweet, Floral, Vegetal
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: medium
If there ever was such a thing as a “tea-cation,” this tea is it! Before the stress of our busy lives takes over, find a short reprieve in a cup of tea. You’ll be transported to a tropical island where the warm sand fills the space in between your toes, and the smell of pineapple and fruits waft through your nose. Your palette meets a complex combination of sweet tropical fruits. Do you know someone (or yourself) that could greatly benefit from the toils of life with a “tea-cation?”
Aloe Serenity Green
Origin: China
Flavor Profile: Floral, Vegetal
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: low – medium
This tea is infused with aloe, rose petals, and inulin. Inulin is a slightly sweet, naturally occurring fiber found in plants (mainly Chicory.) When added to tea, it elevates the health benefits of tea while adding a subtle sweetness. Enjoy Aloe Serenity Tea as a prebiotic. The lovely rose petals add a floral dimension in both flavor and aroma. Who knew a healthy tea such as this had such beneficial powers for the body, soul, and mind?
Marrakesh Mint
Origin: China/Morocco
Flavor Profile: Spearmint, Smokey, Sweet
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: low
Chinese Gunpowder green tea and Moroccan mint is combined to provide you a tea that awakens the senses the moment you begin to brew a cup. The first sip commands your sense of smell and taste to stand at attention with the all-consuming mint aroma and flavor. On those days when a stuffy nose puts a damper on things, the powerful mint penetrates inflamed sinuses. If a boost of energy, sunshine, and jolt of giddiness could come in the form of tea, this one definitely fits the bill!
Yaupon Green (A TRUE TEXAN TEA)
Origin: Texas
Flavor Profile: Nutty, Grassy, Hints of Roasted Veggies
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: medium
This tea has a primitive history that dates centuries back as a beverage enjoyed by indigenous people, Native Americans, and soldiers during the Civil War. The Yaupon plant is the only native plant in North America to be naturally caffeinated. Today, many Texans consider Yaupon to be the only true tea. It is a mild sustainable tea that can be enjoyed anytime. If you were to gather the beautiful landscape of Texas with all of its beauty and splendor and serve it as a tea, this would undoubtedly be the one!
Yaupon Medium (A TRUE TEXAN TEA)
Origin: Texas
Flavor Profile: Caramel
Uses: Multi-Brewable
Caffeine: medium
Yaupon Medium is a medium roast of Yaupon Green that takes this tea’s flavor dimension to a deeper level. The warmth of a hot brew provides subtle notes of caramel. If there ever were a tea that embraces us with the hospitality and love Texas is known for, Yaupon Medium would be the one. Let’s pour ourselves a great big Texas hug in a cup.