I am sort of set in my ways when it comes to my tea routine. I almost never drink anything in the morning other than English Breakfast tea. And on the days when I'm super tired I will reach for the strong flavor of Irish Breakfast tea. For a person who does not like coffee, I don't even like the taste of coffee, breakfast teas are the jump start I need in the morning.
 |
| Traditional Hardy English Breakfast |
That's why I always say that I must have been British in another lifetime. Not only do I love tea, I love English Breakfast Tea. My only diversion is no milk. Brit's are famous for a dash of milk and sugar in their tea. But I go for just a dash of sugar.
Anyway, on this tea journey I have learned that while it's true that the British typically reach for a hearty black tea to match their hearty English breakfast in the morning, English Breakfast tea, might not have originated in England, thus shattering my hopes that maybe I was a Brit #ForReal.
It was long believed that Breakfast Tea originated in Edinburgh, Scotland by Brodie Drysdale in 1867. And it's popularity lead British tea shops to add "English" to their black tea blends. But for sure, in 1843, New York tea merchant Richard Davies, an English immigrant, created a blend of black tea with
Keemun Congou,
Pekoe and
Pouchong that he called "English Breakfast Tea." He sold the tea for 50 cents and it's success led to other brands and the overall success of "English Breakfast Tea."
So while the origins of English Breakfast Teas are in dispute, the variations of breakfast tea blends remained undisputed. Almost always, breakfast blends are made with teas from Assam for a warm malty smoothness, Sri Lanka for it's brisk golden quality, and Kenya for it's strength and depth of flavor and color. And many American companies, like with Davies, use China Keemun in their blend.
The breakfast tea connoisseur that I am, I love to try different breakfast blends, but when I received this
Better Morning Blend from
Two Leaves and a Bud, I was in doubt. Morning tea is suppose to be BLACK! I asked myself, "What have I gotten into on this tea journey?" I just have not been ready to step out of my box. So each morning I would turn on the tea kettle, determine my breakfast blend and sit to enjoy my morning tea that is BLACK! But honestly, I've had this blend for about a month now and I knew that I had to bite the bullet and sample the darn tea.
This tea blend of lemongrass and peppermint, combined with citrus, rose hip, and stinging nettle notes was indeed an eye opener. It's fresh! And it does give that morning push that we are often seeking. This herbal blend is a great alternative to a heavily caffeinated traditional morning blend. And the health benefits are screaming at us. I already blogged about peppermint, but this stinging nettle plant is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. And rose hip is rich in vitamin C and also contains some vitamin A and B,
essential fatty acids and
antioxidant flavonoids. Both have claims to work against arthritis. Hello, give your grandparents a cup of this tea!
So did it pass my test? Yes, but I still love black tea as my first cup in the morning. Honestly, I will probably reach for their
Original Breakfast Tea blend for my first cup and drink the Better Morning Blend as my second cup. Sometimes I still want the bang that I get from a black tea, but not the caffeine. The two together work perfectly for me. But those who want no caffeine, the
Better Morning Blend is perfect! And for me, it's the perfect second cup!
Two Leaves and a Bud
Original Breakfast Tea is made with organic Assam leaves, from Assam India. It's everything I look for in a black breakfast tea. Strong, smooth, malty and coppery, just the way I like it.
I've been trying
Two Leaves and a Bud tea in their sachet tea bags, but most of their blends are also sold as
loose teas. The bags give you the opportunity to have the whole leaf unfold and maintain it's flavor. The pyramid shape allows the tea to brew and expand in an organic way. The sachet bags are environmentally safe corn based tea bag, not giving you the chemical and dyes in some tea bags. This tea company is another winner. I will be making my way through some of their other tea blends and report back.
I am also going to join the associates program with Two Leaves and a Bud real soon. That will give you discounts and promotions and also give me a percentage of the purchase. That will give you a way to sow into my work. I will give you all the details on Tuesday. In the meantime, check out
Two Leaves and a Bud.
Tea began as medicine and morphed into a beverage of choice!
I don't quite remember when I fell in love with tea but I do remember the most 
Until recently I had never drank Peppermint Tea made with loose leaves. And Honestly, I will probably never go back. The freshness of loose Peppermint Tea cannot be denied. When I open the can of 
I love to read! Inside a book I escape into someone else's life. There is something wonderful about turning to the next page of a wonderful story. Something intoxicating about the smell of the book and the story it brings to life. Reading brings me joy, and these days with my health in the balance, I find solace in my books.
