Tea of the Week for November 2, 2015!
I’m not the biggest fan of rooibos on its own. I mean, I like it OK and I’ve been known to enjoy many a rooibos blend but I’d really prefer a honeybush over a rooibos blend. But even better than either a rooibos blend or a honeybush blend is a blend with a base of both these leaves! So here it is, folks: an organic honeybush/rooibos blend serves as the base for a sweet (think candied) pecan flavor that’s been spiced up with some cinnamon, ginger, clove, pepper, cardamom and nutmeg.
And since I’m dedicated to creating tree-nut-free teas (with the exception of coconut), there’s no pecans in this blend. Instead, I tossed in some salted sunflower seeds to bring just a wee bit of salt to the party. I can’t actually taste the salt, but I think that the presence of the salt helps emphasize the flavors of this blend.
It’s really good. Sweet and zesty with spice. My husband chugged about two cups of this tea in no time flat!
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To Brew: I used my Kati and added a heaping bamboo scoop of tea to the basket and added 12 ounces of nearly boiling (195°F) water to the tumbler and let it steep for 10 minutes.
Mmm! This is really tasty. The pecan flavor is evident. There is a pleasant sweetness to this and the warmth of the spices comes through toward the tail of the sip and lingers in the aftertaste. I like the combination of the honeybush and rooibos, it enhances the nutty flavors.
As I mentioned in the description of this tea, I’m hopeful that people don’t read too much into the “spicy” part of the name of the tea. This isn’t a super spicy tea. There is a nice balance of sweet and spice and the spice flavors do develop as I continue to sip. Every once in a while, my palate will discover a rather distinctly spicy note and it will perk up and take notice.
I don’t notice a lot of salt from the sunflower seeds, but I think that the itty bitty touch of salt that is in there seems to help define the flavors rather than add a definitive salty tone to the cup.
Overall, this is warm and delightful – a really nice blend to cuddle up to.
Ingredients: organic honeybush, organic red rooibos, organic spices (ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper & nutmeg), salted sunflower seeds and all-natural, organic flavorings.
Steep: 1 1/2 tsp of tea to 12 oz. 195° water. Steep 6-10 minutes. Allow tea to cool 6 minutes after brewing for best flavor.
