Saturday 13 March 2010

Custom Blending Teas

Custom Blending Teas

As much as I love teas, and this being a twelfth article in a series on tea, it can attest, I also enjoy experimenting. I have been called a MacGyver in the kitchen, and I extend that experimentation to teas also. I love to try new things, and combine things I like. Here are some of my favourite custom blends. Each is made by combining equal parts, either by the cup or whole tin all from Teaopia.

Yerba Mate and Fit Active
Fit Active and Rise and Shine
Autumn Breeze and Natural Rooibos
Goji Green and Pomegranate Green
Super Berry White and Fit Active
Mate Citrus Buzz and Mate Sweet Energy
Cactus Fig and Mate Sweet Energy
Mate Citrus Buzz and Earl Grey Rooibos

The top three I keep mixed in tins and ready to go. The others I do often to give more variety to my tea drinking experience. It's like having more teas on hand. But a little caution needs to be taken with mixing custom blends and herbal teas. We must always remember we are dealing with chemical compounds in the form of plants and fruits for all teas. These teas can interact with each other or with other medicines a person is taking. Here are a few links to articles on medical caution:

Tea and Health
Herbalism - Wikipedia
Herb Drug Interactions

So please do use caution especially if you are on prescription medicine or already using herbal medicines. But enjoy yourself, experiment, try something new and have some fun. Come back and drop me a line with your favourite combinations, and what you have found that you think others should try. You might also extend your tea budget by extending flavoured teas by adding more of the base ingredient, which is often cheaper. For example I extend Mate Citrus Buzz by mixing with plain Yerba Mate. You get twice the tea and nearly the same taste for about a third less in cost. Or maybe you like the taste but find it a little too much - either way experiment and have fun with your tea consumption.

Articles in this Series:
0. Tea Tea Everywhere - Teaopia Mad Hatter Tea Party
1. Tea an Overview
2. Red Teas
3. Green Teas
4. White Teas
5. Black Teas
6. Matcha Tea
7. Yerba Mate
8. Fruit Blends
9. Wellness Blends
10. Herbal Teas
11. Purveyors of Fine Tea (my preferences.)
12. Custom Blending
13. My Favourite Teas

Top Ten Teas of 2010

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