Flavored Tea
Flavored tea is different than herbal tea. This is where an herb, flower, fruit or root is placed on the top of the tea leaves to add flavor. The more popular types of tea are by far black and green though oolong and white is available in flavored varieties too. Teas can be flavored with multiple flavors, mostly those that can be found in herbal counterparts.
The difference between the two is that herbal teas strictly use the roots, flowers and stems found on the herb or plant. It is not added to the tea plant leaves or fannings. Additionally, herbal teas are not truly tea in that it isn't derived from any of the tea bushes. Most herbal varieties are naturally caffeine and tannin free, while flavored teas since they come from the tea bush, contain these properties.
Tea leaves are known to easily absorb flavors. Perhaps you want some flavor to avoid adding sugar, cream or other high calorie additives. With flavored tea you may be able to achieve an all naturally, tasty and health beneficial drink. While black and green teas have come in flavored varieties for years, oolong and white flavored teas are beginning to flock to the shelves. Additionally, flavored tea is not limited to bagged teas or the small pieces found within called fannings. Fine grades of teas and even loose-leaf varieties are now available as a flavored delight. You will be happy to know that flavored tea is even available in a gourmet tea bag for the convenience while still being able to enjoy the full flavor of the tea due to the larger pieces of tea being used and the larger bags, which allow for the tea to expand.
While just about every flavor imaginable can be found in flavored teas, and the list is endless, there are some more popular tastes. Prepare for a mouth-watering experience as you read through some of these taste bud delights. For starters there are apricot, apple, almond, banana, blackberry, caramel, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, cream, ginger, grapefruit, hazelnut, lemon, lime and mango. Additionally, you will be able to find orange, melon, passion fruit, pomegranate, pineapple, raspberry, rum, hibiscus, peach, plum, strawberry, tangerine and vanilla. While this is only a few of the many flavored teas, most can be found at specialty shops. It is interesting that flavored tea even comes in a Christmas variety offering all of the familiar smells and tastes of the happy traditional holiday celebrations.
If you have wanted the health benefits of green tea, but don't particularly like the grassy flavor, then flavored tea can be your savior. The flavor masks the grassiness leaving a taste that is more favorable to the flavored counterpart while still allowing the sweetness and lightness to shine through. The best-flavored green teas are those, which are flushed or cultivated during the first flushing season. White tea is the most rare tea because it can only be harvested once during the growing season. With that said, it is worth waiting for a flavored white tea since the mild and subtle sweet properties absorb the full flavor of the added taste pleasers. While flavored teas in the black variety are also better during the first flush, there is one exception; the Assam black tea. Here, you will want to find the second flush to fully appreciate all that this tea has to offer.
Flavored tea has become more popular; perhaps because it is an opportunity to partake in a time-honored traditional beverage where health meets taste and class meets drink. Your favorite flavored tea is now available at most specialty shops and can easily be found online, though I would take care in choosing your supplier. The merchant should be reputable and knowledgeable in order to offer you the most delightful and informed flavored tea tasting available.
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