Tea Nerds

  You might think that your herbal teas from Celestial Seasonings or Traditional Medicinals or whatever brand you might pick up are going to be the easiest “tea” to brew. I thought the same thing until I started looking for something to post about how to brew a tisane and came up with so many options! This article is a good start for a “basics” page. What Is a Tisane? By Lindsey Goodwin Updated 10/25/19 Herbal teas —also called tisanes—are a major part of the tea world, but did you know they're not technically teas ? What is commonly referred to as an "herbal tea" is actually an infusion or decoction made from a plant other than Camellia sinensis— the plant from which true teas (green tea, black tea , oolong, etc.) are made. For this reason, there is a trend toward the use of terms like "tisane" (pronounced tea-zahn), "botanical," or "infusion." Tisanes are caffeine-free and can be served hot or cold. Herbal teas have a long history,...

 This article was copied from the following link from Simple Leaf Loose Tea. https://simplelooseleaf.com/blog/black-tea/chai-tea-benefits   This post may contain affiliate links. Simple Loose Leaf is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com.   Masala Chai is more than just a tea. It’s a tradition. It’s a soothing and warming drink made to bring joy. Masala Chai is a drink rooted in Ayurvedic tradition. And it all started with herbs and spices, before the real tea became a part of the blend.   What is chai tea? Chai literally means tea. But in India, it means tea with milk. Although the word chai in western countries usually implies black tea with spices, milk and sugar, the real chai is made pure–with no spices. The spiced version is called Masala Chai, which translates into Spiced Tea. Spiced or not, there are no doubts that Chai i...

  So. "Tea snobs". It's ok to be a tea snob. It really is. And now you're all going "WHAT?????" to the founder of a group that allows no tea snobbery. Even I am a bit of a tea snob. BUT. And here's where I draw the line, because there is a HUGE "BUT" in all of this. This group is a place where people can feel safe. They can feel safe to ask questions that may be mocked elsewhere. Where people can talk about their herbal teas or their bagged teas or ask about loose leaf tea. What sweeteners do you prefer and why? Where people can talk about flavored teas or single origin teas and NEVER talk down to another. When I started this group , I had seen a number of posts that absolutely crushed people due to tea snobbery. I finally had enough and Tea Nerds was born. So you can be here and be a tea snob. Just never act the part of a tea snob. Always, ALWAYS be kind. Thank you. #teasnobbery

  So I was looking at ingredients in a tea sampler and came across "Elephant Approved Black Tea".   What?  What is that?  I've never heard of that before!!! So I turned to trusty google and found it in only two places.  First was the company where I was reading the ingredients and the second was a single tea called "Elephant Approved Black Tea". What I found is actually pretty cool.   " The long leaf  black teas have come from regions which are most affected by human elephant conflict .  With support and encouragement our actions have started to help in small ways to mitigate the consequences of this problem  in the remote tea growing regions of the northeast. Try these exceptional organic grown black teas and help us support and maintain the  balance of the natural Eco-system." So the tea is created with the environment in mind.  They want to make sure that elephants are not negatively impacted by growing and harvest...

 It's that time of year again and I'm actually almost late on this now that I'm seeing that some companies are already almost sold out of their calendars for 2021!  How is that possible????? Since I have much to do on this, I'm just going to get into it! Adagio Tea has a loose leaf or bagged tea option on their calendar. Artful Tea was my second Advent Calendar.  Beautiful to look at and great tea to drink!  Bird & Blend , out of the UK, has become one of my favorite tea companies over the past year.  While I won't be getting their Advent calendar this year, I'm sure you will love it!  They have a regular and caffeine free option. Editing to add that they sent a link to the unboxing of the calendar and I wanted to share it here . Dammann Freres - France David's Tea has a large holiday assortment, including at least 3 varieties of calendars. Dryad Tea has two options.  I tried their calendar last year and absolutely loved it!   Dryad T...