What kind tea

However, it does not taste anything like a sour lemon fruit, which is completely unrelated. As a result, the tea features some good flavors and it is very refreshing and enjoyable to drink. Some recent randomized controlled trials have suggested that consuming lemon balm is safe and that it may have slight benefits for blood sugar control and lowering LDL levels 24 , To make the drink, shade-grown tea leaves are picked and then carefully ground into a fine powder.

Matcha is popular in Japan, where people tend to drink it in its pure state. The drink has a strong, bitter, and grassy taste. However, much of the rest of the world mixes it with large amounts of sugar and steamed milk to make a green tea latte, in which case it has a sweet and milky taste. Unfortunately, drinking matcha in this way is worlds apart from the pure ground leaves in terms of health effects. Promotional marketing for matcha tea often makes strong claims of health benefits and promotes the idea that matcha is more beneficial than regular green tea since drinkers consume the leaves.

But what health benefits does this tea actually provide? See this evidence-based guide to matcha tea for more information. The flowers, seeds, roots, and leaves are all edible, and some Asian cultures use the leaves for culinary purposes. It is also possible to make tea from the leaves, and this comes in both dried and powdered forms. The tea itself has a light, grassy taste. It is quite mild and tastes somewhat similar to nettle tea.

Nutrient-wise, it is a rich source of several essential vitamins — particularly vitamin C and the B vitamins. Marketing promotions often make a strong point about this vitamin C content.

However, it is worth remembering that a typical serving of moringa tea is only a few grams — and nowhere near grams. There has been little research on moringa tea in humans, but a recent randomized trial found that moringa leaf had no effect on glycemic control The taste of nettle is a light, grassy, and earthy tasting tea that has a mild, refreshing taste. Research into the nutritional properties of nettle leaves has shown that they contain significant amounts of carotenoids and polyphenols Interestingly, a systematic review of eight randomized controlled trials demonstrated that nettle leaf may have benefits for controlling fasting blood glucose, but further research is necessary to confirm these findings Firstly, oolong is a partially oxidized tea — it undergoes part of the same process as black teas.

Oolong has a mixture of the potential benefits that green and black teas provide, and it contains a range of polyphenols found in both. In terms of human research, a small study found that oolong tea might be effective for helping control blood glucose levels Additionally, the tea contains a wide range of polyphenols that may potentially help to reduce levels of oxidative stress The dried leaves of the peppermint plant mentha x piperita make a bold, refreshing, and very minty tea.

There have been various small studies on this herbal tea, but there is no real significant research that shows a health benefit to the drink. On the contrary, observational research has linked frequent consumption of peppermint tea to an increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD in people with the condition It is also a fermented drink, and similar to red wine or kombucha, pu-erh contains lots of live bacteria This is due to the production process; the processing of the leaves allows for microbial fermentation.

As a result, the tea continues to age and change even after drying the leaves. Generally speaking, the taste is more bitter than standard tea, although it does become milder over time. Traditionally, green pu-erh tea is the preferred choice and it has been around for centuries.

However, making pu-erh from black tea has also ecome popular over the last few decades. Pu-erh has an equivalent caffeine content to whatever type of tea it is made from. Randomized controlled trials demonstrate that pu-erh tea might potentially improve health markers in patients with metabolic syndrome 34 , These trees grow in the Amazon rainforest and the inner bark taheebo contains a variety of phytonutrients That said, be careful of unsubstantiated health claims, especially those relating to cancer.

However, this borders on pseudoscience since there are no controlled studies in humans that provide evidence for this Raspberry leaf has traditionally been a folk remedy for pregnancy, and it is believed to shorten the labor period.

However, there is limited research in this area for humans. Rooibos has an interesting taste, and it is equal measures of fruity, spicy, and nutty. For those sensitive to caffeine, rooibos has the benefit of being caffeine-free. The tea contains a variety of phenolic compounds including flavanones and flavones The rose rosa is a flower that grows all around the world. Rose tea comes from the dried petals of the flower. These dried leaves can either make a pure tea or can combine with other herbs to make a rose-flavored drink.

In terms of taste, rose tastes light, sweet, and slightly tart. Also, the dried petals contain various anthocyanins, the same class of polyphenol present in different types of berries Making rosemary tea simply involves steeping approximately a teaspoon of rosemary leaves fresh or dried in hot water.

Once the tea has been brewing for several minutes, the color of the water will be light yellow and offer a mild-tasting tea. For a stronger brew, steeping the leaves for minutes will provide a more flavorful rosemary tea.

The drink also provides a rich source of polyphenols, which may potentially offer some benefits. However, there is no strong research from human trials on the potential effects of polyphenols in rosemary 42 , Notably, the tea is approved by the FDA as a nonprescription laxative, and it contains active chemical compounds anthraquinones that can help to relieve occasional constipation In other words, this means that it irritates the stomach lining to stimulate bowel movements.

For one thing, animal studies show that long-term consumption of senna can potentially cause intestinal hyperplasia, which is a known risk factor for gastric cancer Unlike matcha tea, sencha is grown under the sun, and we drink it by making an infusion from the whole tea leaves. In Japan, it is the most popular kind of green tea, and it has a relatively mild flavor and a bold green color.

In fact, compared to other types of green tea, sencha contains the highest amount of these compounds Since spearmint leaves contain a much smaller amount of menthol than peppermint leaves, it imparts a slightly different taste It has a subtle flavor which is quite refreshing. Medically, spearmint tea has been used as a treatment for hirsutism in women. Hirsutism is a kind of hair growth that follows male hair patterns, such as growth on the face and chest.

A small randomized controlled trial shows a possibility that spearmint may help with this condition, but further, longer studies are necessary Despite these differences, the nutritional profile and polyphenolic content of both green and white tea are similar For more information, see this complete guide to white tea.

Yerba mate is a popular, traditional tea from South America, where it is regularly consumed. In recent times, it has been gaining popularity around the world too. It is made from the leaves of a species of holly tree that grows in the South American rainforests. Yerba mate has a deep and intense taste, and it is a caffeinated tea too. In fact, it contains around 80 mg of caffeine per cup, which is almost as much as coffee In addition to its pleasant taste, people enjoy yerba mate for its supposed energy and mood-boosting properties.

A big part of these likely come from the caffeine content of the drink. Some small randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that yerba mate decreased abdominal fat, reduced blood viscosity, and improved blood flow 51 , However, higher-quality research with more consistent results is necessary to confirm such findings.

There has also been an identified concern with yerba mate consumption, which is that consuming the tea is associated with a higher risk of oral cancer That said, association does not equal causation, and it may be that South American populations consuming more yerba mate overlaps with tobacco and alcohol intake. Further, yerba mate is traditionally consumed at extremely hot temperatures, which may also be detrimental for oral health. See this complete guide to yerba mate tea for more information.

Butterfly pea flower tea is a unique traditional drink from South-East Asia, and it has a striking blue appearance. Interestingly, the tea may have some benefits too, with studies suggesting that butterfly pea flower tea may potentially help to control blood glucose.

However, in truth, any single drink will only have minimal if any benefits, and as always: the overall dietary pattern is the most important thing. It is not steeped and removed from the water like traditional teas. Matcha is the tea served during the famous Japanese tea ceremony, but culinary grades are now used for all kinds of more casual purposes such as smoothies or baking. Black tea is tea leaves that have been quickly and heavily oxidized.

This gives the leaf a dark appearance and significantly changes the aroma and flavor. Oxidation is the natural chemical reaction carried out by enzymes within the leaf that begin once they are exposed to air like an apple does after being cut open. Though all teas other than green tea go through some degree of oxidation, black tea is the only one that is defined by its high level of oxidation.

Black tea originated in China , but its popularity in the west has made most of it destined for export. Countries that were once British colonies — mainly India , Sri Lanka , and Kenya — make almost exclusively black tea and in a style geared towards western tastes and purposes.

Because of this the flavor profile tends to emphasize a strong, brisk, full-bodied cup often with milk and sugar in mind with varying degrees of fruitiness or maltiness. However, regional styles create such large distinctions that there is no universal black tea flavor.

Black teas are frequently mentioned as having the most caffeine, but that is because of the common instruction to steep with water brought to a full boil and for an extended time of up to five or six minutes.

Any tea made like this will deliver a lot of caffeine in the cup. These blends often feature teas from the Assam region of India, Ceylon teas Sri Lanka and African teas since they tend to have brisk, earthy characteristics.

The small particle size will make sure the cup steeps up strong and full-bodied quickly and deliver as much of its caffeine into the cup as possible. There is no exact recipe for how to make this, but all include those four ingredients. In its most traditional form, the black tea, sugar, and spices are boiled in water. Then milk is added, boiled again, strained and served. Wulong oolong tea defies a fixed definition. There are four separate regions that produce commonly recognized wulong tea.

Each has its own distinct style that it owes mostly to local techniques and traditions. This is not a complete list. There are many more lesser-known styles not listed here.

These teas bear little or no resemblance to each other, because each region will emphasize different aspects of the process. Subscriber club Reader offers More Good Food. Sign in. Back to Recipes Pumpkin recipes Butternut squash See more. Back to Recipes Chicken slow cooker Veggie slow cooker See more.

Back to Recipes Cheesecakes Cookies See more. Back to Recipes Family meals One-pot recipes See more. Back to Recipes Quick and healthy Quick vegetarian See more. Back to Recipes Vegetable soups Healthy soups See more. Back to Recipes Chicken curry Pasta See more. Back to Recipes Smoothies Autumn drinks See more. Back to Recipes Whole foods recipes Healthy dinners See more. Back to Recipes Vegetarian dinners Quick vegetarian See more.

Back to Recipes Vegan storecupboard Vegan baking See more. Back to How to Roast timer Conversion guides. Back to Health Is air-frying healthy?