Time for a cup of tea...

 

Would you like a cup of tea? This is such a common phrase, we say it to our guests, loved ones. At the sign that a conversation might be upsetting "I'll go make some tea" is almost always bound to be the next step. Ritual of making tea is such a huge part of our lives, that it is almost impossible to imagine doing without it. I absolutely love tea, although I guess my preferred kind is actually would be more accurately described as infusion. While loose tea or herbs make the best cuppa, there is no denying that a tea bag is a lot more convenient.

 

I can't remember when I first came across pukka, it was such a long time ago that I feel like I have been drinking their teas all my life. I know that I was searching for interesting flavours, and boy it was hard to find something that was up to my standards and in a bag. At the time organic was a bit of an afterthought, but when I started to switch it was a huge relief that actually my Pukka tea was organic already. The selection is truly wonderful, there is something for morning, evening and everything inbetween. I always have a few boxes on hand, but when one box runs out I tend to swap it for a different flavour, so what you find in my tea cupboard is never quiet the same.

 

My current pukka selection:

Morning tea has been renamed to Rooibos & Honeybush (they had a little change of packaging a little while back and some of my tea is still from the older stock). I am not the biggest fan of rooibos on its own, but I have been looking for a caffeine free alternative that would still perk me up in the mornings. This blend of rooibos, honeybush, licorice, red ginseng and maca has a lovely balance of strong flavour and mild sweetness. It really delivers, I always feel more clearheaded after drinking it.

 

Chamomile, vanilla and manuka honey, is like a hug in a mug. This is a sort of tea that I like to have in the evenings, or when I'm a little under the weather. The blend is made of chamomile, sweet fennel, licorice, vanilla, and manuka honey flavour. It tastes a bit like a chamomile creme brûlée, if such a thing existed. It has a lovely soothing and calming effect on me. I can almost instantly sense the tension leaving my body and the stress of the day being left behind.

 

 

Womankind was specifically created for the ladies, I think it's pretty clear why I picked this one up. It is a very intricate blend of chamomile, shatavari root, licorice, hibiscus, marigold (aka calendula), beetroot, orange essential oil flavour, vanilla, rose, cranberry. This tea is probably one of the most unusual flavours that I have tried from pukka, and it has been created to bring balance. I do feel that it makes a difference when I drink it through that special time of the month, but I enjoy having it whenever. It is an interesting combination of florals and fruit, with an underlying note of vanilla.

 

Lemon & mandarin with lemon verbena is my latest obsession. I only have a few left, and I don't remember going through any other boxes of tea so quickly. This blend is made of licorice, sweet fennel, orange peel, rosehip, hibiscus, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon myrtle, lemon, mandarin essential oil flavour, lemon essential oil flavour. There is a lot going on in here, the result is not quiet like drinking marmalade but definitely reminds me of it. If there was ever a tea to go with Pharell's "happy", this would be it.

 

 

To make the best out of the above blends you need to steep them in freshly boiled water for at least 5 minutes, flavour would be naturally more intense if you are using a smaller cup as opposed to one of the big mugs. At the moment there is a promotion, and you can get 40p of any tea if you order directly from their website (I wasn't able to find out when it runs out).

To go with the awesome variety of blends, pukka has an amazing collection of stories and information as part of pukka planet. I just love browsing their website on a lazy Sunday morning. If you are like me and love knowing more about herbs in your blends, they made it really easy with this directory.

 

Have you tried these or any other pukka teas? Let me know in the comments.