Given a choice between green tea or black tea, I always go with green. Yet there are also health benefits to drinking black tea.

A small German study found drinking black tea significantly improved the ability of arteries to relax and expand to keep blood pressure healthy.

Another study at The University College London also found that black tea helps cut levels of the stress hormone cortisol circulating in the blood.

Professor Steptoe said, “This has important health implications because slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a greater risk of chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease.”

Once I had my first cup of St. Dalfour organic Earl Grey tea I just love it. It took me a while to find black tea this good.

The bergamont in this black tea makes it that much better. Made with pure organic Ceylon tea. Selected and blended under the direction of the tea experts of St. Dalfour France. Enhanced by the all natural flavor of bergamot.

St. Dalfour tea come from the Himalayas of India and the highlands of Ceylon. St. Dalfour describes this about their tea:

“Since tea is made directly from tea leaves plucked on a continuous basis during harvest (and these tea leaves are not washed), it is vitally important to make certain these leaves are free of any chemicals. Be confident of having pure, wholesome tea when buying St. Dalfour.”

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Two leaves & a bud is one of my favorite tea company. The latest tea from their line that I’ve tried is Organic White Peony.

The white tea is minimally processed, gently sun-dried to preserve the mellow, smooth and savory flavor of the tea. So it’s a very light tea with a floral note.

White tea is prized for it’s high levels of antioxidant and other health promoting properties. It gets the name white tea from the silvery bud that forms along with the two leaves of the tip of the plant.

Tea Notes:

* Caffeine: LIGHT
* Top note: Smooth
* Middle Note: Robust and sweet
* Finish: Complex texture

I like how this tea never gets bitter after steeping. I can also steep it 2 or 3 times before tossing it out.

This tea is also easy to drink with any meal. A cup of White Peony is perfect for this time of year.

Comes in an eco-friendly cylinder holding 50 grams of loose tea. Makes 25 cups.

The company is also on a mission to support all Fair Trade teas. Their teas come from small farmers.

We need more small family farms and should do our best to support them. Both at home and around the world.

“Our journeys to the gardens show us time and time again that great growers deserve to be rewarded for great tea. As a result, we pay more for premium whole leaf teas, ensuring that more money makes it back to the source.” - two leaves & a bud.

My latest tea obsession is oolong tea.  I am now drinking Prince of Peace organic Oolong tea.  The tea is from China’s northern Fujian province.  I have always been drinking mostly green tea in recent years, mixing it with white tea and fruit tea.  But I am not a fan of black tea.  Oolong for me is more like a mix of green and black tea.  It’s a very mild tea with a bright golden color.  It never gets bitter and has a pleasant reminscent of coffee too.  A cup of oolong tea contains 30 mg of caffiene. I usually drink tea instead of coffee.

Oolong is mostly grown and processed in China, but much loved in Japan.  Oolong tea is harvest very differently then other teas.  The first stage is picking units of one bud and three leaves.  Followed by exposure to the sun.  The second stage is to dry them indoors to promote fermentation. The most important part in the production of oolong tea is when to stop fermentation.  This happens when the leaves are 30% red and 70% green.  It is now semi-fermented.  Then during the final stages, they are rubbed repeatedly to generate good flavor, aroma, and texture. Some say this makes it more gentle on your stomach as well.  And finally allowed to dry using charcoal.

Tea has been in the news lately for it’s health benefits.  Tea contains a large amount of polyphenols, namely tannin.  According to the Department of Dentistry, Osaka University, consuming polyphenol found in oolong tea  helps fight tooth decay significantly.  There are even claims that drinking tea also helps beat obesity.

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