The Republic of Tea: plantain coconut raw green bush tea
November 11, 2010
Tea drinkers know that this ancient beverage is not only fragrant, delicious and warming, but it's also healthy and beneficial to the diet.
I'm a coffee drinker most mornings. But because of the antioxidant-rich properties of tea, I'm interested in the health benefits of tea-drinking.
Recently, The Republic of Tea sent me a sample of their new raw green bush teas - red teas made with the South African wonder herb Rooibos, pronounced roy-boss.
Rooibos was originally prepared and enjoyed by local African Bushmen, who fermented and sundried the leaves of this wild mountain plant.
The Republic of Tea uses modern production
processes - lightly steaming just harvested plants below 115 degrees F - to halt oxidation and the green version of this red tea is the base for their new line of Raw Green Bush Teas.
The line has five flavors - Organic Raw Green, Plantain Coconut, Black Currant Cardamom, Mango Chili, and Orange Red Carrot.
We sampled Plantain Coconut - two of our Island favorite flavors. One of the ways I love tea is milky, perhaps spiced with chai, and sweetened with honey. But I know studies show milk reduces the benefits of tea's antioxidants, which can reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and stroke as well as protect against Alzheimer's disease.
So, I was delighted to find this low tannin green tea tastes great without milk or sugar.
Even though I steeped it for a strong brew, there was no bitterness and the tea had a slight natural sweetness. The tea's bouquet was perfumed and aromatic.
A complementary benefit of tea-drinking is taking the moment to slow down, to sip and savor, engaging all the senses. Plantain coconut raw green bush tea is a great brew to indulge yourself with a little exotic flavor.
Raw green bush teas are also rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, calcium and Vitamin C. For the diet conscious, they are caffeine and calorie free.
The teas come in a canister with 36 unbleached tea bags and retail for $10 U.S.