In the 17th century, European tea was a heavily taxed commodity in Great Britain and Ireland, making it too expensive for common citizens to enjoy on any regular basis. In order to make the beverage more affordable and accessible, Britons began adding fruit juices and botanicals to their tea-creating fruit tea as we know it today! For example, black tea with lemon became known as Darjeeling Tea (Darjeeling was once an English colony). And in Ireland, green tea with mint became known as Irish Green Tea; it was also popular in England at this time.
A Brief History of Fruit Tea
Once you begin to branch out in your tea-drinking habits, you’ll quickly notice that fruit teas aren’t a common offering in most restaurants and hotels. The origin of fruity tea blends can be traced back to ancient China, where they are known as Chun mee or blend tea. Chinese fruit teas have spread west over time, adapting in new ways along with their neighbors.
Common Ingredients
Before you can use these three main ingredients in a fruit tea, you’ll need to know what they taste like so that you can create a recipe around them. Cherry tea is often mixed with other flavors such as lavender or raspberry. Apple cider and black tea are both popular flavor teas that are infused with pomegranate and other fruits. As far as mixed teas go, tropical blends often include pineapple, coconut, hibiscus flowers, and mango.
How to Choose Which Teas to Drink?
It’s not uncommon for a person to buy a new fruit-flavored tea and find that it leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. Why? Because they made poor choices when they purchased their tea. First, it’s important to understand that there are two types of fruit teas-blend teas and mixed teas. Blend teas are simply black or green teas with pieces of dried fruit added to them.
What Are Herbal Teas?
Herbal teas (also called tisanes) have been used in Europe for hundreds of years, and they are becoming more popular in America, too. In fact, a recent study found that 70% of Americans drink herbal tea regularly. Herbal teas offer many health benefits and come with no caffeine or calories-making them an ideal refreshment on hot summer days or when you want to curl up with a good book. The most common types of herbal tea include peppermint, chamomile, rooibos, and fruit and flower blends. There is also a category known as mixed tea which includes both fruit-flavored teas as well as those made from herbs. Read on to discover how these tasty beverages originated.
How are Herbal Teas Beneficial?
While you may think herbal teas are used for medicinal purposes, these beverages are actually healthful in another way: they can assist with weight loss. Herbal teas generally contain very few calories and lack sugar and caffeine. Plus, they’re often packed with antioxidants. Herbal tea varieties include green tea, chamomile tea, fruit-flavored herbal tea, peppermint tea, and ginger tea.
Types of Fruit and Herb Blends
There are many varieties of fruit and herb blends; there are over 300 fruit teas alone. Here’s a list of some common blends: lemon and ginger, pomegranate and rose, cranberry and basil, strawberry jam, and almond butter. Regardless of what type you choose to mix together for your tea, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist before using herbal medicine as medicine may interfere with any existing health problems.
Why Should You Switch From Coffee To Fruit or Herbal Tea?
As we’ve discussed, drinking too much coffee isn’t good for your health. Caffeine can wreak havoc on your liver and cardiovascular system. It can also increase anxiety and raise cortisol levels. In fact, one study found that people who drink more than three cups of coffee a day suffer from a 50% higher risk of death than those who don’t drink any at all. That’s why you should switch to fruit or herbal tea! And here are some reasons why…
There are plenty of benefits associated with switching from coffee to fruit or herbal teas. For starters, these types of tea contain antioxidants and other nutrients that can improve your health in multiple ways. Meanwhile, they contain significantly less caffeine per serving than most cups of coffee do-meaning you have fewer jitters but still get enough energy throughout the day.