Exotic Teas of the World
Tea has mostly been consumed in the east and that too primarily for medicinal purposes. Only recently has tea been deemed as a recreational beverage to be enjoyed other than as a medicine. The west has a great contribution in bringing about this change and even now many teas are being tried and different flavour combinations being tested to make tea a truly enjoyable beverage for everyone around the world!
- Some of the more exotic teas are follows:
Guayusa: Guayusa is a rare tea native to the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador and is produced from the leaves of a holly tree (ilex guayusa). Due to it being heavily caffeinated it has an awakening effect similar to coffee. (Guayusa contains 90 mg of caffeine/cup making it the second most caffeinated plant on earth next to coffee).
It is available pure, or infused with a number of different flavours such as mint, chocolate or chai. Guayusa tea contains 50% more anti-oxidants than green tea, and has been found to balance the bodies pH and blood sugar levels, improve the functioning of the kidneys, improve digestion and lower blood pressure
Black Forest Cake Pu-erh Tea: Enjoy the taste of Black Forest Cake without the guilt. Black Forest Cake tea is a tea for those who like tea and dessert, and even won second place in its category at the 2013 North American Tea Championship. Pu-erh tea comes from China and is from the same plant used in making green, oolong and black teas. It is considered a healthy beverage with benefits that include help in losing weight, preventing cancer and anti-aging benefits. In one study – albeit on laboratory animal – pu-erh tea was the only kind of tea that actually lowers the bad and raises the good level of cholesterol.
Mate Tea: Mate teas come from the South American yerba mate plant, which is mainly found in Argentina. Yerna mate is more nutritious than green tea and has been used as a base for herbal medicines in South America for centuries. It contains vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex, and minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium and Zinc. It is rich in antioxidants too – it’s got about 90% more antioxidants than green tea, enhances your ability to focus, and the chemical compounds and nutrients in mate tea affect your metabolism to make your body use carbohydrates more efficiently.
White Pearls White Tea: This white tea is comprised of 100% newly sprouted buds, hand-rolled into small pearls, that then gently unfurl when infused. White tea comes from a special strain of the tea plant and is harvested only a few days of the year and produced solely in China, mainly in the Fujian province. It is difficult to obtain as production is extremely limited and therefore it is a very expensive and rare tea. Its health benefits include reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disorders, and it contains anti-aging properties which help in maintaining good health and healthy skin.
Yellow Gold Tea: The final exotic tea in this list is Yellow Gold Tea. It is considered to be the most expensive tea in the world and was once a favorite of Chinese Emperors! Today it is mainly found in Singapore. Each tea bud is lavished in 24ct gold, which once infused, yields a delicately metallic and floral aftertaste.
