5 teas to try if you’re over Green Tea

As someone who loves her cuppa-chai, I’m quite finicky about the tea I drink. But I’m also willing to experiment. I’ve tried some very interesting blends. And some that are incredibly underwhelming. 

In my endeavour to health it up, I started drinking more green tea, substituting my second and third cups of sweet, milky tea (that’s as many as I’m willing to admit to) with their healthier avatars. But I’ll be honest; I’m not the biggest fan of green tea. It’s ok. And for a tea lover, ‘ok’ just doesn’t cut it. 

So after many tastings and testings, here are 5 teas I discovered are super alternatives to green tea and are best enjoyed sans milk and a sweetener. 

1.    Chamomile Tea: Trouble sleeping? Tough day? Or just need a happy warm beverage. Chamomile is the way to go. Just the smell of chamomile makes me happy. It has mild sedative properties and is also good for immunity. And while many save it for their sundown cuppa, I think it’s the perfect tea for any time of the day.

2.    Lemongrass Tea: This one’s light and fresh, and a good lemongrass tea is one where the flavour isn’t overwhelming. Everything about this tea feels healthy. You can either opt for adding your own lemongrass stalks to a green, white or first flush tea base or buy a lemongrass variant of white tea.

3.    Lavender Tea: This white tea, is subtle and mildly fragrant. I prefer to drink this light (2 minutes steeped in hot water). It’s soothing, and like chamomile, a great tea to enjoy in the evening or before bedtime. A lavender iced tea is also quite lovely on a summer afternoon.

4.    Mint Tea: This one’s a complete pick-me-up. I prefer mint white tea to mint green tea, because it’s so much more subtle, and happier on my taste buds. This is also a great tea for when you’re feeling sluggish or too full from a big meal.

5.    Jasmine Tea: Served with love in most Asian restaurants, this naturally sweet, floral infusion is familiar and comforting. I like my Jasmine tea really light and enjoy both its brewed and iced avatars. Again, I prefer jasmine tea with a white tea base.

White teas and green teas come from the same plant. White teas are harvested earlier and are processed lesser than their green cousins. It has also been claimed that white teas are healthier than green. White tea has a more subtle and gentle flavour, which makes it a favoured base for flavoured teas.   

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