If you follow me you know how important healthy foods are to me. Why should our drinks be any different? I began to think about the fact that many teas have been sprayed with pesticides and chemicals. Some are even genetically modified. Then there is the whole issue of “natural ingredients.
While we can argue on the organic label. The costs that a company ensues for being granted the organic label. This tea lover believes in the organic label and I trust it. Today we will discuss the organic teas and some of the best organic tea and their brands.
How to choose the best organic tea
Oftentimes I will say the best way to buy anything is by reviews. With tea, it reviews have something to do with it but it’s personal preference and taste buds. I’ve reviewed hundreds of teas and I’ve realized the best way to find the perfect tea for me was… taste.
Don’t smell the tea and think you will like it, or not. When I reviewed a tea I used to smell it and tell people about it. I’ve stopped doing that because it’s not a sign about the tea at all. Once it is brewed the tea can be a different indication. But the taste, the taste is the most important sensation of all.
How does your tea taste? Do you like fruity, musky, earthy, green, or floral? Then again, don’t be surprised if that fruity tea really makes you smile.
It’s the best way of all, taste. Get a sample, boil some water, and become your own tea reviewer. I’d keep a record also. Your palate is unique and different from everyone else. That is why when I review a tea, I try to not give my opinion. In reality, my opinion of the tea’s flavor will not help anyone. What I do is describe the tea and give my audience the best description to lead them towards teas they will like.
What are the best teas?
My mantra for a tea must be:
Single Origin – Single origin teas are simply that, they originate from a region or tea estate. They are not infused with other herbs or products. A blend is a single origin tea that is combined from different regions or estates.
Organic – My choice for all food and beverages. Organic means that first of all the company had to spend a lot of money to put that label on its products. Then it means it is the farmed and created in the healthiest ways we know today. It also is free of herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers, herbicides.
Non-GMO – Teas that have not been genetically modified. If you can’t find organic this is your next best option.
And do not contain:
Artificial Flavors and Colors – Why go through the trouble to pour yourself a cup of amazing tea. To have it full of artificial colors and flavors. Don’t. Tea drinkers are noted for being snobbish about their teas. They should also be snobbish and concerned about the ingredients in their tea.
Natural Flavors – I get more than a few comments on my dis-like of natural flavors and here is why. See the word “natural”. In the United States if you look up the requirements for “natural flavorings” it can mean anything. Even duck poop. Now duck poop is an exaggeration but I use it to prove a point. Duck poop is natural and by reason of the FDA it can be used as an ingredient and considered a “natural ingredient”. Most of the natural ingredients are ingredients to make you want more or an additive to enhance a flavor. You don’t want or need these natural flavors.
For me, if a company cannot tell me what that “natural” flavor is I won’t review their product or drink it. Neither should you.
Is there a difference? Tea vs Tisane?
I see it all the time. You will be out and someone will offer you some peppermint tea or how about some rose tea? Those are not tea. All tea comes from a singular plant, the Camellia Sinensis. All other “teas” are considered tisanes.
There are also infused teas. These are teas that are infused with an herb or spice.
A hot beverage other than from the Camellia Sinensis plant is considered a tisane.
Yet, like our generation, we consider all aspirin a Tylenol. All petroleum jelly is vaseline and tissue is a Kleenex. So all hot beverages brewed in water are tea.
Remember a tea is from the Camellia Sinensis plant and is the only teas. Those include Black, Green, White, Yellow and Oolong and Pu’erh.
Review of some of the best organic teas
Tea Forte
Tea Forte offers a lovely combination of teas for you to sample. Samples are a great way to find the tea or teas that you like. You can also weed out the teas you don’t like.
The teas contained are:
- Mountain Oolong
There is also a blended or infused tea:
- Darjeeling Quince
The final few are tisanes:
- Lemon Lavender
- Orange Jasmine
- Vanilla Pear
This combination of teas is relaxing and calming for the body, mind, and spirit. They are organic with no artificial flavors or colors. Tea Forte has a variety of teas and herbs for you to choose from. As well as more variety sets.
From Teaforte:
“We work directly with growers that share our dedication and determination to produce the definitive expression of every type of tea we feature. Our ingredients represent less than 1% of all the teas available worldwide. Our diverse, subtle flavors are a result of creating without compromise.”
“Handcrafted luxury tea blends, design-driven accessories, and exquisite packaging come together for an experience worth savoring every day. Steeped in over 35 countries, Tea Forté is proudly featured at leading hotels, restaurants, resorts and retailers – and is the exclusive tea purveyor for the James Beard Foundation.”
Stash Tea Organic Tea Six Flavor Assortment
Stash tea brings another combination of teas and tisanes to the table. Letting you make the best decisions for you. I love some of the amazing choices. If you don’t like one it’s no big deal, you just move on and there is no container of tea to find a new home. Samples are the way to go. There are six varieties with a total of 18 bags.
The tea container here are:
- Organic Breakfast Blend
- Organic Premium Green
Blends:
- Organic Gold Cup Chai
- Organic Chai
Tisanes:
- Organic Chamomile
- Organic Lemon Ginger
Each sample pack is wrapped and sealed in a foil packet. The teas are organic and you have a variety of caffeine and caffeine-free. Smooth teas that are full of flavor.
The tea bag and string of Stash teas are made of a non-GMO material, verified and compostable.
From Stash Tea:
“We source only GMO-free ingredients and materials, ensuring a safe and healthy product for you and the environment.
Our concern goes beyond our main ingredients. While tea, herbs, and spices are not genetically modified plants, some of the other ingredients we use in our blends, like natural flavors, have sub-ingredients derived from potentially GMO sources. You can sip easily knowing that every component is free of GMOs. Popular tea packaging is often composed of plastic that originates from GMO-corn. Our tea bags are free of plastics and made from sustainable, unbleached natural fiber and GMO-free cotton string.”
Rooibos Tea, USDA Certified Organic Tea, MY RED TEA
No variety pack here, My Red Tea shows us the rooibos or red bush tea from South Africa. These tea bags are tagless to remove any concern of chemicals in the tea bag tag. The teabags are 100% organic in unbleached tea bags. These teas are organic as well as Non-GMO, Farmer Friendly, and Single Origin.
From My Red Tea
“MY RED TEA Organic Rooibos Tea is a passion for health, for fairness and for the environment.
I’m a mom of two boys and live in Larkspur, CA, but still call South Africa my home. I grew up (literally) with Rooibos Tea: a naturally caffeine-free beverage that has been used by generations of South Africans for anything from a delicious anytime drink, to a soothing beverage to calm Baby’s colic, to put in the bath for dry & flaky skin. You name it, Rooibos is the cure.
As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I’m a massive Rooibos fan, not just because I grew up with it and it reminds me of home, but also because of the incredible health benefits it provides to the whole family – from baby to granny. Inside and out.”
Numi Organic Tea World of Tea Variety Gift Set
This variety set comes with its own tea “chest”. It’s more of a box that holds some tea bags. Numi teas are organic and this variety set comes with different caffeine levels.
Teas:
Breakfast Blend
Gunpowder Green
Infused:
Aged Earl Grey
Golden Chai
Jasmine Green
Golden Chai
Herbals:
Mate Lemon
Moroccan Mint
Chamomile Lemon
Rooibos
The teas are wrapped and stay fresh until you use them. These are full leaf teas and tisanes. The tea bags are compostable and made from plant fiber. The bags are non-GMO, oxygen whitened. The tags are 100% recycled materials with soy inks.
From Numi:
“100% of Numi’s teas and ingredients are certified organic. Numi only sources organic tea, spices, and herbs, and we have not found pollutants of any kind in the teas and ingredients that we source. We are committed to sourcing only the highest quality organic, non-GMO teas from farms we have known and partnered with directly for years. Additionally, we require laboratory testing for all of our teas, and each purchase we make from our partners is accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis verifying that the teas and herbs meet our quality requirements. Our suppliers are also subject to random and annual inspections to verify organic and fair trade/fair labor practices.”
Numi Organic Tea Jasmine Green
Another top tea was Numi’s Organic Jasmine Green. Jasmine tea is a green tea that is infused with jasmine flowers. The jasmine flowers are placed on top of green teas to allow the green tea to infuse the scent of the jasmine. It’s a delightful method. When you open a container of jasmine green you will be so pleased with the floral scent. That scent will catch your attention right away.
From Numi:
“Numi Tea was named after the Middle Eastern dried lime tisane that our founders, Ahmed and Reem, drank as children. The full name of the lime is Numi Basrah.
Numi was founded in Oakland, California in 1999.”
This tea was rated very high and I have to agree. Jasmine Green tea is green tea. The leaves have had jasmine flowers laid on top of the leaves so that the Green tea will embrace the jasmine scent. The jasmine scent is incredible as you tear open a teabag.
These are fair trade certified organic tea with a caffeine level and fall in the middle. No artificial or “natural” flavors used”
Conclusion
While there are so many different varieties of teas as well as tea merchants. The top five above are the ones with the highest ratings. But they are not alone in the tea world. There are tons of tea companies and that is not to mention your local tea shops. It’s time to experiment in searching out your best organic tea.
First, find your variety, for me it’s oolong it’s my favorite all-around tea. Once you find the variety of tea you can start to include infusions or not. It’s up to you. I don’t love or even like every oolong I try. It’s a process in finding not only the best organic tea but the best organic supplier of that tea.
I urge you to try and even after you find your favorite tea, find your next favorite. There are so many choices. Trust me, once you find your favorite, two weeks later you will find your next favorite tea. The next thing that happens is you will have a tea cupboard full of your favorite teas. Trust me on that one.
