Fall is knocking on our door, and one of our favorite self-care activities to do at home is having a cup of tea in a chunky sweater for a warmer mood.
Besides having a variety of health benefits like boosting the immune system, fight off inflammation and even ward off diseases, the impact of tea to our overall wellness is endless.
Today, we’d love to share some awesome facts of our favorite tea choices, which you can also to match to our bags!
Black Tea
If you are new to the world of tea, you most likely have found this type of tea being used in your local bubble tea shop as a base of their milk tea or as a classic option for afternoon tea.
The process of making black tea starts when tea leaves are harvested, wilted, and then lightly crushed. It is primarily produced in China and India.
Most popular blends include English and Irish Breakfast varieties. Black teas tend to be higher in caffeine level and when brewed, they turned into a dark, coppery color with more robust flavor than any other types of tea. Hence why, they do well with the addition of milk and sweetener. It will never fail you!Green Tea
A crowd’s favorite, Green tea is popular due to its many health benefits and mild but distinct taste.
It contains about half as much caffeine as black tea with blends like Sencha, Jasmine or Moroccan Mint been the usual go to’s. Like its name, it appears as a light green or yellow green color when brewed.
Tea makers in China and Japan harvest and then immediately steam or pan-fry the leaves to halt the oxidation process, which gives it its bright green color and vegetal taste.
Green teas are packed with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins A, C and E plus it makes people happy as it contains I-theanine, which boosts dopamine levels in your body naturally to increase learning, attention span, and sensations of pleasure.
Milk Oolong Tea
Somewhere in between black teas and green teas, there is Oolong Tea which is a partially oxidized tea.
Ranging between 10 – 80% oxidation, it can brew up from pale yellow to a rich amber color. You can re-infuse Oolongs many times with subtle differences and nuances of flavor in each cup.
Our favorite type of Oolong teas is Milk Oolong. Milk Oolong is originated in Taiwan.
It is grown from a special tea plant cultivated for many years to impart a unique milky flavor to the tea. Milk Oolong teas are shaped by hand into small tightly rolled balls before being dried and packaged.
It’s famous for being naturally milky in taste with a sweet, creamy notes.
Milk Oolong relieves stress, makes your skin clearer, and teeth stronger because it contains minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese!
Pu-erh Tea
If you love a tea with rich, earthy and deep satisfying taste, the brown-black color Pu-erh tea is the one for you!
It is an aged, partially fermented tea that is similar to black tea in character and caffeine level.
Originated from the city of Pu-erh Yunnan, China it has become the specialty food of this region. Pu-erh tea is processed in a similar way to green tea but only teas produced in Yunnan province are allowed to be called Pu-erh.
After shaped and dried, the pan-fried tea leaves undergo a fermentation process and are then aged for several years to improve the rich and earthy flavour.
Like wine, it becomes for valuable over time hence why some tea lovers collect Pu-erh Tea as an investment!
Matcha Tea
It is no secret that here in MDLR, we are a big fan of Matcha!
This popular Japanese powdered green tea can be consumed on its own or added to lattes, smoothies, and baked goods (our personal favorite).
Matcha’s smooth, rich flavor with a hint of bitterness and umami comes from special tea plants that are shaded for at least three weeks prior to harvest. This process increases the chlorophyll level that contributes to not only the taste, but overall better color of the tea.
After that, the shaped and dried matcha leaves are then stone-ground into a very fine powder. This method was popularized by Japanese monks in the 15th century and since then, there has been many tea ceremonies surrounding matcha.
The best part, is the side effect of the L-Theanine inside Matcha is it induces natural production of dopamine and serotonin in your body. These two chemicals are known as the happy chemicals that could enhance your mood, improve memory and promote better concentration. What’s not to love?
Silver Needle Tea
The prettiest of them all. This tea has an elegant sweet character to its taste and is loved by many tea lovers for its delicate appearance. Silver Needle tea is minimally processed and has a light, mild flavor with a crisp and clean finish with a very low caffeine level.
Silver Needle tea is harvested and produced primarily in the Fujian province of China, only from the very first tips and buds of tea plant before they open to form full leaves hence why they experience very minimum to no time of oxidation process.
It is perfect if you want something to improve digestion or to relieve heartburn, stomach cramps and nausea.
Which one of these teas will you try out soon? If you love to find out more of our favorite things to do this fall, stay tuned and sign up for our newsletter!