Loose Leaf Pomegranate Green Tea
"TeaCo's Green Tea is a 'True' tea with leaves coming from the Camellia Sinensis plant. It is created by the leaves going through very little oxidation while being processed. There are many health benefits to drinking green tea. Green tea is anti-oxidant rich and has been linked to lowering cholesterol levels. Studies have also shown that green tea is healpful in preventing or reducing cancer, arthritis, infection, and cardiovascular disease.
TeaCo's Pomegranate Green Tea is made from the finest ingredients possible. This freshness is unmatched in the tea industry and provides the consumer with one of the most unique drinks imaginable.
Ingredients: Green Tea, Pomegranate Peel, Hibiscus Flower, and Natural Pomegranate Flavoring." -TeaCo
Now, while Green Tea does have health benefits, it does not mean that drinking a cup a day is going to keep you healthy forever. The health aspects of Green Tea are widely debated. Over a decade of studies to determine all the health aspects of tea and yet there are very few real-world evidence. Most of the facts are coming out of labs and not from word of mouth reports. There are very few studies actually done on humans to determine the exact effects of Green Tea.
Despite that, it does have important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health. The antioxidants in Green Tea are similar to the ones found in grapes and berries, red wine, and dark chocolate. It is also unknown just how much Green Tea would need to be consumed in order to reap the full benefits of the leaves.
Still...it's good to drink.
Today I've brewed myself a cup of TeaCo's Pom-Green Tea. For Loose Leaf Tea you're going to want some way to get the leaves and pieces out of the cup (though they are not harmful to digest). You can use a tea ball, French Press, tea strainer, cheese cloth, or even make your own tea bag. I use a combination of tea ball packed with a homemade tea bag. To make the tea bag you can either purchase empty bags and fill them yourself or pay $1 for those boxes of 100 Iced Tea bags at the store and empty them yourself. I empty them myself and save the Iced Tea leaves for use in the summer when I need to make pitchers of Sweet Ice Tea for parties and what not.
Measure out your leaves 1tsp per 8oz of water. My cup holds 10 oz and I like my tea a little stronger, so I put 2tsp. Heat your water and dunk your bag or press into your infuser. Let steep for 2-5 minutes depending on how strong you like it. The longer is steeps, the stronger the flavor. Be aware that the longer your tea steeps, the more bitter it can become too. For a first time taster, I would say about 3 minutes steeping should do to get you a nice, light flavor.
The color should be a light, tannish color. You may need to bob the tea ball or bag a little to get the coloring and flavor to disperse. If you look in the cup before that, you can see the tea water settling at the bottom of the cup. But don't worry, once mixed up it won't separate again. The longer you let it steep, the darker the color will be.
As for the taste, since I like mine a little stronger, tastes a bit like biting into a Pomegranate seed. It's a light flavor (even after 5 minutes of steeping) and you just barely get them smell of the fruit after steeping. While steeping the scent is a little stronger. Those with not-so-good sense of smell may not smell anything at all. The taste washes all over your tongue, getting more bitter as it reaches the back and down your throat. Strangely enough, if you have ever bitten your cheek or lip while chewing or anything like that...it kind of leaves that irony taste in your mouth for a few minutes after drinking.
While I don't add anything to my teas, this is a tea that can have honey easily added to it without damaging the flavor. The honey may make it easier for some people to drink it since most people are more used to sugary flavors. Again, I don't do this, but I have in the past and I don't enjoy it. Still, many people do and it doesn't hurt the flavor. It will get rid of that irony after taste and does cut some of the bitterness if you over steep. I would say that about 1/2 to 1tsp of honey is more than enough for a 8-10oz cup.
Personally, I think it's a nice starter tea. Like most Green Teas, it can sit and cool without losing it's taste. Personally, I like dropping a few cubes of ice into it.
Now, while the Loose Leaf Pomegranate Green Tea is wonderful and I do prefer it...there are Bagged Tea options that are just as good:
Bigelow Green Tea with PomegranateBigelow Green Tea with Pomegranate For Keurig BrewersThe Republic of Tea, Pomegranate Green TeaYoga Teas Golden Temple Tea Co Green TeaBigelow, Republic of Tea, and Yoga Teas are the brands that I find to be equal in quality to most Loose Leaf teas. Bigelow is one that you can
usually find in your grocery store.
If you don't live near a TeaCo store, you can purchase this tea from their site:
TeaCo Pomegranate Green Tea.
