Lov Organic Lovely Glögg: Tea Tuesday

Although I love tea all year-round, the colder weather makes the perfect cup that much more enjoyable. Having some nice herbal tea before going to bed is one of my favorite ways to unwind which is why I’m always on the hunt for a good caffeine-free brew. One of my seasonal favorites is the amazing Lov Organic Lovely Glögg.

This tea is an organic blend of cinnamon, hibiscus, blackcurrant, almond flavoring and other ingredients that create an amazing sweet but warming tea. I absolutely love this blend because, unlike many other seasonal blends, it’s not too spicy but it still gives you that warming feeling that we all crave when the weather gets colder. Lovely Glögg is actually inspired by Scandinavian mulled wine and spending cozy evenings in during the winter. It feels really relaxing to drink and you don’t have to worry about having it in the evening as it is theine-free.

Lov Organic Lovely Glögg is available online from their website and you can find in stores that stock the brand. I believe this is limited edition for the winter so I wouldn’t hesitate if you are looking to treat yourself.

#Teatuesday Løv Organic Wild Berry Fruit Tea

Hello everyone, I thought I kick things off today by sharing my favorite summer drink with you all. Staying hydrated is super important when it gets hot outside and as much as I like good old water, sometimes you just want something a bit more flavorful. So, for today’s Tea Tuesday I am super excited to talk about the amazing Løv Organic WildBerry Fruit Tea.

To put it bluntly, I freaking love this tea, I originally bought a box with teabags but within a week I went back and got the large metal tin. It’s that good.  This is a mix of hibiscus, rosehip along with fruits pieces and natural wildberry flavors. It makes the most perfect iced tea you can ever imagine! Instead of going for sugary juices and flavors enhancers, infusing the tea in a large pitcher of cold water give you a healthy refreshment to enjoy in the summer’s heat. It has a light hibiscus and berry flavor that is very pleasant and not too sweet. A lot of times fruit teas can be either too tart or overly sweet, especially when enjoyed cold, but this one has a perfect balance without being watered-down.

I have been making it every day for the past month and I still can’t get enough. I’m sure both kids and adults will enjoy it. Also I love that it’s organic and caffeine-free. You can the Løv Organic Wild Berry Fruit Tea on their website and in many health food and tea stores. It truly is one of the best teas I have tried this year!

#TeaTuesday Løv Organic Løv is Beautiful Organic Herbal Tea

I don’t generally commit to teas, variety is the spice of life and all that, which is why I prefer mini tea tins. You get to try many flavors without having so much that you get bored of them. So imagine my surprise when I decided to commit to a whopping 113 grams (4 oz.)  of tea without having tasted it first. What can I say, when you know, you know! Let me introduce you to the lovely Løv Organic Løv is Beautiful Organic Herbal Tea.

This tea is an amazing blend of organic white tea, green tea, green rooibos, pieces of mango, pineapple and apricot, natural peach flavor and natural flavors. To me this is the most delicious way of getting in antioxidants from the different teas and it is so tasty you want to come back for more. It really tastes like peaches and the other fruits included in the blend, there is no bitterness from the green tea at all and it is not sickly sweet either. There are actual pieces of fruit mixed with the leaves, but you can’t see them in the picture below because I’m at the end of my tin (you can see them online here). Luckily, Løv Organic offers refills of their teas so you don’t have to buy a new tin every time. I’m planning on getting mine soon because as you can see, I absolutely loved this blend.

As a brand, Løv Organic has really great ethics focused on being environmentally friendly and offering high quality organic teas certified by ECOCERT and other certifying organizations. The metal tins are refillable as I mentioned and the brand only uses plastic when necessary and when they do, they go for the safer kind. You can read more about the brand and what they are doing here.

You can buy the Løv Organic Løv is Beautiful Organic Herbal Tea from their website (they have various international ones) as well as from many health/food stores.

#TeaTuesday: Traditional Medicinals Organic Hibiscus Herbal Tea

The last few months have seen me watching a lot of shows on The Food Network, most specifically Jamie’s Super Food (really great show by the way). In one of the episode, he made a really nice drink with hibiscus that he suggested as a great replacement for sugary drinks and sodas. It looked delicious and it turned out to be the perfect push to get me to try the Traditional Medicinals Organic Hibiscus Herbal Tea. So let’s get this #Teatuesday started shall we?

I’d had my eye on this for a long time, mostly because I love the hibiscus flower and I thought it would probably taste good. Well people, it is delicious! This herbal tea has the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. It is slightly fruity and great to serve either hot or iced. The hibiscus also gives it a gorgeous red color and serve cold in a large pitcher, it can totally pass as fruit juice!

If you are looking for a great way to stay hydrated or want to cut down on your sugary drinks, this is a lovely tea to try. Traditional Medicinals makes really good affordable teas and I appreciate that they use organic ingredients. Their Organic Hibiscus Herbal Tea is available on their website and I found it in many health food stores. 

Tea Tuesday: Stash Green Tea Pomegranate Raspberry with Matcha

It’s the holiday season and along with gingerbread cookies, tea becomes an everyday staple for me. This is why I’m bringing back Tea Tuesday, my collection has grown quite a bit in recent weeks and I want to share the love with you all. I see a lot of green tea and herbal teas in the future for this blog. Let’s start with the Stash Green Tea Pomegranate Raspberry with Matcha.

I rely on fruity green teas a lot because I want to get those antioxidants, but I’m not a fan of plain green tea. This Stash one is the perfect solution for my problem and I love that it contains matcha because it is even better for you than regular green tea. It has a great balance of sweetness and tartness so it is not too fruity, but it completely masks the taste of green tea. It leans more towards raspberry than pomegranate which is what I prefer because I don’t need to add any honey to balance it.

I love Stash’s herbal teas in general, they have flavours that are different from other brands, but I think this is a very unique concept. I feel like this is such an easy way to add a healthy boost of antioxidants to your diet, why not do it if it tastes delicious!

You can find the Stash Green Tea Pomegranate Raspberry with Matcha in most grocery and health food stores as well as on the Stash website. 

Pukka Elderberry and Echinacea Herbal Tea

For today’s Tea Tuesday I bring you a nice organic herbal tea. I personally prefer going for organic teas and blends whenever I can, which is why I really enjoy teas from Pukka. The Pukka Elderberry and Echinacea is a very unique blend and I really felt a need to review it.

This specific tea contains a blend of aniseed, elderberry, echinacea, ginger, elderflower, beetroot and licorice among other ingredients. Pukka categorized it as a “super fruity” tea, but I have to say it is not very fruity at all. In fact, the stronger notes are definitely aniseed and beetroot with a hint of ginger and licorice. This gives it a very unique taste and while it is pleasant I would not recommend it is you are looking for a fruity infusion.

The ginger and orange peel actually give it a warming/spicy quick, but the licorice and elderflower add a sweetness that keeps it from being an overly wintery tea. Also, it leaves quite a fresh feeling and aftertaste in your mouth because of the peppermint it contains, thought you cannot actually taste the mint. I told you it was very special!

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed when I first tried it, because it was not as sweet or fruity as I expected. That being said, I do enjoy drinking it and I think it will make a great transitioning blend into the fall. It is something worth trying for yourself as it might be an acquired taste, but most tea lovers should enjoy its very unique flavor.

The Pukka Elderberry and Echinacea Herbal Tea can be found on the Pukka website and in tea/health food stores that carry the brand. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Prince Vladimir

The time has finally come for me to tell you about my favorite Kusmi in this edition of Tea Tuesday. I have been loving their Russian Blends and for the past few months, I went through my collection and kept my absolute favorite for the end. So without further ado, let’s talk about the Prince Vladimir tea.

This tea is actually one of the oldest Kusmi blends and it contains a blend of Earl Grey, citrus fruits, vanilla and spices. The citrus fruits and spices are really the main notes of this tea, you cannot smell the Earl Grey and the vanilla adds sweetness with making the scent and taste vanilla-centered. As for the taste, it is actually not spicy at all, on the contrary it is actually quite light and slightly sweet with a hint of bergamot.

To put it simply, it basically smells like Christmas and it is amazing. Simply smelling it puts me in a holiday mood and I love how warming it is. I find it very comforting and it is making excited for it to be fall already. I think it would appeal to most people with its delicious taste  and come the colder months, I will for sure repurchase a larger tin.

If you are interested in Kusmi teas, I highly recommend the Prince Vladimir blend. You can find it in most health food/tea stores and it is also available on the Kusmi website. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Green St. Petersburg

I reviewed the Kusmi St. Petersburg tea a few months back and I really liked it. It also made me very curious to try the Green St. Petersburg to see how it would compare and which one I would like best. So for today’s Tea Tuesday I am bringing you my review of Green St. Petersburg by Kusmi.

This green tea version of the blend contains the same notes as the original: bergamot, caramel, red fruits and vanilla. The main difference between the two for me is the taste of the base tea. The green tea is quite strong and the main thing I taste, whereas the original blend with black tea allows for the different notes to be more present. Here the caramel and red fruits are more present but the green tea can be a bit overpowering.

It is still a very pleasant tea to have and the added antioxidants are a great bonus, but I have to say the original St. Petersburg is more flavourful and complex. That being said, I found that a touch of honey really helps tone down the bitterness of the green tea and it nicely brings out the sweetness of the vanilla and red fruits notes.

All in all, I think green tea lovers will probably enjoy this quite a bit and it is a nice way to incorporate more green tea into your diet if you prefer something a bit sweeter. You can find the Kusmi Green St. Petersburg in many health food/tea stores and the Kusmi website ships internationally. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Anastasia

Once again, it has been a while since my last Tea Tuesday. Honestly, the main reason is that I have been drinking the same fruity herbal tea for weeks. I really want to complete all of my Kusmi tea reviews soon, so today I am bringing you my thoughts on one Kusmi’s most emblematic and oldest blends: Anastasia.

I have always been fascinated with Anastasia’ story, so when I first heard of this tea I had to try it. When I first smelled this, I really did not like it. It smells very strongly of Ceylon and I really don’t like that kind of tea, so let’s just say my expectations were quite low as to how it would taste. Well, this turned out to be quite a nice surprise and while it is not my favorite, it is quite good. The Anastasia tea contains a blend of black China tea, Ceylon, bergamot, lemon and orange blossom.

Like I said, the Ceylon scent is very strong, but the taste is far more delicate with the black tea being the main flavor. The bergamot and orange blossom add a very light floralness to the blend and you can taste just a hint of citrus fruits. In the end, you will get a light and floral black tea perfect for mornings or afternoons when you want a simple cup of something relaxing. The more I drink it, the more I enjoy it, it is a very classic and while that may seem odd, classic is the perfect word to describe one of Kusmi’s most iconic blends.

You can buy the Kusmi Anastasia tea from their website and in many tea/health food stores. Also, like most teas from Kusmi it comes in different sizes and packaging and it is also part of the Kusmi Russian Blends Assortment. 

Tea Tuesday: Pukka Cleanse Tea

So let’s be honest here, I haven’t been drinking a whole lot of tea recently, which explains the lack of Tea Tuesdays. I have really missed how calming drinking tea was in my daily routine and I can’t say no to the health benefits either. That being said, a new health food store recently opened in my city and their tea selection is incredible. This led to a few purchases and I can now introduce you to my new favorite tea, the Pukka Cleanse Tea.

This blend contains nettle, peppermint, fennel seed, dandelion root, licorice root and aloe vera. I love the effects of peppermint and dandelion on my health and I supposed this particular blend is made to help cleanse your system (dandelion is great for the liver). In the bag, it smells quite strongly of fennel, which is not my favorite, but once you steep it, the taste is not strong. In fact, this tea tastes mostly of peppermint and licorice with a little something else I can’t put my finger on. Personally, I like adding a bit of honey for added sweetness and benefits, but it tastes great on its own too.

Pukka makes great teas and like their other blends, the Cleanse Tea is organic and fair trade. You can both buy it on the Pukka website and see a list of stockists here. I found mine in a local health food store so keep your eyes peeled for it. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi BB Detox Tea

The main reason I like to drink tea is for its known health benefits, but as with everything else, certain teas are much better for you than others. Luckily, choosing a healthier tea does not mean you have to drink something weird and grass-tasting. Kusmi makes some of my favorite teas and its BB Detox Tea is my pick for today’s Tea Tuesday.

This is the first detox tea that actually makes sense to me in terms of ingredients. This blend contains a base of green tea (antioxidants), mate, rooibos (anti-inflammatory), guarana, dandelion (detoxifies the liver) and it is flavored with a hint of grapefruit so it tastes great. The taste is quite light and sweet with a definite citrus base and I surprisingly enjoyed even though I am not typically a fan of citrus fruits. It is great to have in the morning as the grapefruit scent/taste is very uplifting and energising.

In all honesty, I have not experienced any spectacular effects from drink this, but I haven’t been drinking it daily. Kusmi does not state you should use this for a tea cleanse or a detox so it is different from other detox teas on the market. In my opinion this more like a great tea that can have health benefits over time and that contains ingredients that are known to have positive effects on the body. It can be a healthier option for your morning drink of choice and it is simply a good-tasting tea.

I have almost finished my little tin and I will purchase the larger size when it is done. Out of all the Kusmi teas I have tried, this is my favorite and the one I would recommend most. You can find the Kusmi BB Detox Tea on their website as well as in many health food/tea stores.

Disclaimer: I am not a health specialist, I just listed some of the known effects of the ingredients in this tea. Before making any substantial changes to your diet or starting a cleanse/detox you should talk with a health professional. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Imperial Label

People often say there is nothing a cup of tea cannot fix and I have to say, there is something undeniably comforting about a nice cup of hot tea. The key is in finding the right blend, some are invigorating while others relax you. When I’m seeking comfort, I usually opt for the Kusmi Imperial Label, a lovely tea that I want to introduce you to for this Tea Tuesday.

Label Imperial has a base of green tea enhanced with orange, cinnamon, liquorice and a hint of vanilla. Just the scent of this is comforting, the cinnamon is quite strong and it feels like a warm blanket for your senses. Taste-wise however, the orange comes out more and it is actually made softer with the vanilla that adds just a hint of creaminess and sweetness. When I first read all the ingredients and notes, I was not sure how this would turnout but it’s a truly unique and lovely blend. 

The Kusmi Imperial Label Tea is available online here and from many health food/tea stores. 

Tea Tuesday: Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea

Tea always makes me think of England and even though I don’t take mine with milk, I enjoy the whole experience and tradition of tea drinking. One of the most iconic tea brands in my opinion is Twinings. The British brand makes some of my favorite teas and their fruity herbal tea blends are delicious. In the spirit of spring and tea time, I bring you the lovely Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea for this Tea Tuesday.

This is a true fruity tea, it is sweet but you can actually taste real fruits in it and there is a light tartness to it. I love a cup of this in the morning or in the afternoon, it just feels refreshing and reminds me of nice summer days. It is actually quite similar to the Twining Cranberry and Raspberry Herbal Tea but it is not as fruity. I personally prefer the cranberry and raspberry over the pomegranate one but it is not available in Canada. If you live in the U.K., I highly recommend you give these a try. I feel like fruit teas are not as popular as other but they are perfect to curb sugar cravings and they can bring so much diversity to your cupboards.   

You can find the Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea in most grocery stores as well as on their website. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Bouquet of Flowers No. 108

I am back with more Kusmi for this Tea Tuesday. I have slowly worked my way through half of my Kusmi collection but you can expect more reviews on this amazing brand in the next few weeks. For now, I bring you a perfect tea for spring: the Kusmi Bouquet of Flowers No. 108.

Fun fact, this was actually the first recipe created by the brand’s founder Pavel Kousmichoff and it dates all the way back 1880. This particular blend is a mix of black tea and Ceylon with citrus, flowers and bergamot notes.  I really liked this one, unlike most black teas it is quite light and the flower notes really soften the taste and fragrance. I’m personally not the biggest fan of Ceylon but I thought the bergamot really helped sweeten the bitterness and balance it with the flowers and citrus notes. Not only is its name spring-like the taste is as well: it’s light, delicate and needs to be savored. It does not pack a punch flavor-wise, but it makes it really nice to sip when you want to have a relaxing cup of tea.

You can purchase the Kusmi Bouquet of Flowers No. 108 online from the company and you might be able to find/order it in any stores that carry the brand. 

Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Herbal Tea

For today’s Tea Tuesday we’re going down the herbal tea road with a super delicious and sweet tea. I’m talking about the Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Herbal Tea. This is a lovely caffeine-free addition to any cupboard and perfect for an afternoon break or in the evening.

This tea is a blend of red hibiscus, lemongrass, orange peel, rosehips and raspberry flavor which are all 100% natural ingredients. It has a very sweet fruity taste, with the raspberry flavor being quite strong. I really enjoy drinking this whenever I’m craving sugar. Sure it’s not as good as ice cream but it helps curb the craving and it won’t make you hyper like sugar or regular tea would. 

I got the Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Herbal Tea from my local grocery store, it is widely available and affordable. You can also get it online here. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Troïka

For some unknown reason I went on a tea break recently, but now it’s back in my daily routine. To get started again, I decided to go for something fragrant and sweet: the Kusmi Troïka blend.

This is a lovely of black teas with a combination of bergamot, orange and mandarin. It’s one of my favorites from the Russian Blends Assortment and makes for a nice energizing beverage in the morning. I’m typically not a fan of black teas because of their strong taste and slight bitterness, but the Troïka one has a nice sweetness to it. You can really taste the bergamot and mandarin, making it pleasant to drink as well as smell. The scent is very uplifting and comforting which is something most of us enjoy when trying to wake up.

You can find the Kusmi Troïka tea online here and in most tea shops. 

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Spearmint Green Tea

Today, I’m back with more Kusmi tea for this edition of Tea Tuesday. I chose to feature the Kusmi Spearmint Green Tea as I felt like this is a great basic tea everyone should have.

Green tea is known for its amazing antioxidant properties and is a beverage we should aim to consume more of everyday. The thing is, not everyone likes the taste of green. I personally find it a bit bitter and it’s not my favorite, which is why a tea blend like this Spearmint Green Tea one is so great: it kind of masks the taste of green tea and it offers added benefits. Mint in general is great to sooth upset stomachs and its refreshing scent can clear your mind and uplift your senses.

In this particular case, the spearmint scent is very strong and I find it super refreshing and invigorating. However it doesn’t taste very strongly of mint which I was a bit disappointed about. The taste is very hard to describe but know that it’s not as bitter as regular green tea and while it doesn’t taste like a typical mint herbal tea; there is a minty aftertaste that feels cooling in your mouth.

At the end of the day, I think the Kusmi Spearmint Green Tea is a nice addition to any collection and you can find it in a variety of size from the Kusmi website and stores that carry the brand.

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Russian Blends Assortment

Today’s Tea Tuesday is going to be shorter because of my schedule, but I still wanted to talk about something tea related. So, I decided to write about this lovely tea set from Kusmi called the Russian Blends Assortment. The box contains 5 mini tins (25g.) of Kusmi’s Russian teas: Prince Vladimir, Anastasia, St. Petersburg, Bouquet of Flowers N°108 and Troika. They are all black teas and based on Earl Grey, however each one has a unique flavor that makes this set very diverse. Also the mini tins last quite a long time and I really enjoy the idea that you can sample a wide variety of flavors before committing to the larger size tins.

I will be doing a review on each of the teas in the coming weeks, but overall, I was very impressed with the quality of both the packaging and the teas. I enjoyed all of the flavors, there was not a single one that wasn’t delicious, which is always a worry of mine when buying a set of something. This particular selection is great because you get floral teas, some that are spicier and others that are just light and refreshing.

You can find the Kusmi Russian Blends Assortment for about 25$ on their website and I have also seen it in health food stores and tea stores. Also Kusmi offers other tea sets but I haven’t had the chance to try them out yet.

Have you tried any tea sampler sets? 

Tea Tuesday: Teavana Passion Tango Herbal Tea

For this second installment of Tea Tuesday I want to introduce you to the Teavana Passion Tango Herbal Tea. This is a lovely sweet tea that is caffeine free and contains notes of papaya, mango, lemongrass and hibiscus. It tastes super fruity and there is a nice natural sweetness to it, so you don’t feel the need to add any sugar or sweetener to your cup.  I think this is one of those rare teas that actually is excellent both hot and cold due to its fruity flavor.

I bought my Passion Tango Tea from Starbucks, but if you can I would definitely recommend having a look in a Teavana shop, they have an amazing tea selection, but you can also purchase it from their website.  

Tea Tuesday: Kusmi Saint Petersburg

My love for tea has grown immensely over the past few months and because of this I thought it might be fun to start a new series on the blog: Tea Tuesday. With this, I aim to bring a new tea to your attention every Tuesday and hopefully you’ll discover new ones you’d like to try.

To get us started I chose the Kusmi Saint Petersburg tea which is a lovely blend of black teas (earl grey), bergamot, red fruit and caramel. I love having a cup of this in the morning, it smells very fresh and the red fruit notes add the perfect amount of sweetness to balance everything. Plus, as far as black teas go, this is not too strong or bitter to the taste. I absolutely love it! Kusmi also offers a green tea version of this blend and I’m quite looking forward to trying it.  

The Kusmi Saint Petersburg tea comes in many different sizes, including a smaller 25g. sample tin and a large 250g. tin. Obviously prices very on the size but I find them well-priced for the quality. You can also purchase refill bags to use with the pretty metal tins the teas come in. For more information on prices and the tea, you can have a look at the Kusmi website, the link is to the internationalwebsite (prices are in euros) but you can select specific countries in the top menu under languages.