If you drink tea on a daily basis, chances are you probably tasted different tea types and flavors. Today, there are a lot of tea flavors that are available in the market. They might look the same, but their taste and their benefits are different. When it comes to tea, what is delicious to one person may be too bitter or sweet to another. Which is why we are here to find out what are the popular tea blends. We are also going to highlight some of their characteristics to help you which tea matches your taste.
Tea Flavors
- Earl Grey – The Earl Grey tea is considered to be one of the world’s most famous tea blends. Earl Grey tea is a mixture of Ceylon and Indian tea and is flavored with a type of orange called bergamot. Producers of this tea add some cornflowers in it to help it achieve its distinctive color. One of the reasons why Earl Grey is one of the most popular tea flavors is that it has several varieties such as Lady Grey which is mixed with lavender, French Earl Grey which uses rose petals instead of cornflowers, and London Frog which is an Earl Grey tea latte.
- Breakfast Tea – This tea flavor is a full-bodied, caffeinated black tea that has been long popular, especially in British culture. The most common breakfast tea blend would have to be English Breakfast which is made from Ceylon black tea and Assam tea. The intense flavor of the breakfast tea is often enjoyed with milk and sugar, just like a cup of coffee. English breakfast and Scottish breakfast teas both have heavy and malty flavors while the Irish breakfast tea tends to have a slightly stronger taste.
- Jasmine Tea – Out of all the tea flavors and blend, Jasmine tea is the most flavorful and fragrant. This tea blend also happens to be the most popular Chinese flavored tea. It is made with high-quality loose tea leaves and jasmine petals. The jasmine petals are the key ingredient that gives the tea its slightly sweet flavor and delicate aroma. Usually, Jasmine tea is made from green tea, but it can also be made from oolong, white, or black tea leaves.
- Lavender Tea – This tea blend is known to be a herbal tea, and it is made from tea leaves and fresh buds of lavender flowers. It has a unique flavor along with an aromatic fragrance. Some lavender tea blends tend to have a smoky flavor, while others have a sweeter and floral taste. This tea can have hints of rosemary, mind, rose, and green apple.
- Gunpowder tea – This tea is made from tea leaves that are hand-rolled until they become tiny pellets. It has a full-bodied taste with a hint of smokiness and a smooth mouthfeel. This tea is usually blended with spearmint, which creates the famous Moroccan mint tea.
- Masala Chai tea – This tea is a combination of spices, milk, black tea, and sugar. The masala chai tea blend is a traditional Indian drink that has been popular in the West over the years. The popular way of creating masala chai tea and achieving its distinctive flavor is to actively boil water with the loose tea leaves, spices, and milk. Ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and even bay leaves are sometimes added to Chai tea to add more spice.
- English Afternoon tea – This tea flavor has a bright, medium-bodied, and refreshing taste. The English afternoon tea is typically made from the mixture of Assam black teas, Ceylon black teas, and Kenyan black teas. This tea is usually served with a delicious selection of cakes, miniature sandwiches, or muffins.
- Russian Caravan Tea – This tea is a mix of Lapsang, Oolong, Keemun, and Souchong teas. The Russian caravan tea has a full-bodied taste with a rich smoky flavor. The name of this tea blend comes from the Russian caravans that took the tea trade route from Europe to Asia via Russia.
- Moroccan Mint Tea – This tea blend is made from gunpowder green tea and crushed mint leaves. Most of the time, Moroccan mint tea is consumed hot, but it can also be drank as a delightful iced tea that helps you cool off in the summer heat.