Product Review: Numi Savory Teas

footerNumi, an organic, fair-trade tea company that I love has recently released a new type of tea: Savory Tea. To be sure, savory tea is a little bit different, but in a lovely way. Most teas lean towards sweetness; even if you drink plain black or green tea, they still seem slightly sweet. But Numi has turned this idea on its head with clever blends of decaffeinated green tea, herbs, spices and dehydrated vegetables.

As with all their teas, Numi chooses organic and fairly traded ingredients and blends them into beautifully rich concoctions. With combinations like Broccoli Cilantro and Carrot Curry, these drinks are similar to drinking a cup of homemade vegetable broth. Some of the flavors seem weirder than others, such as Tomato Mint, but they all actually taste quite similar. Numi says of their savory teas, "It's not quite a soup, but more than a tea." Other flavors include Spinach Chive, Beet Cabbage and my favorite Fennel Spice. They also offer a garden sampler so you can try two of each flavor!

Savory teas are warming and soothing, and can be especially delightful on those very chilly days or when you think you might be coming down with a cold. For a richer flavor, you can stir in a teaspoon of miso or a handful of leftover grains. Savory teas like this are gentle on the digestion and feel so good! And because they are decaffeinated, you can drink them all day long to stay warm and hydrated.

Numi is also offering a fun contest featuring their Artisan Tea Blending Kit. You can blend your own herbs and teas into a unique blend the Numi might adopt as their newest flavor. If your blend is chosen you can win a trip to San Francisco and a tea tasting ceremony in their headquarters. (Sounds like a dream trip to me!). Enter on the link above.

What's your favorite tea for the cold weather? 300

This is not a sponsored post, just my honest opinion about a company that I love!

My new Favorite Tea: Pu-erh

mug of pu-erh tea

my favorite new tea

I don't have many guilty pleasures, so I spend my money on fancy tea. My tea shelf is constantly being filled with new goodies: dried herbs, whole spices for homemade yogi tea, grain teas, green teas, Tulsi (Holy Basil) and my daily green jasmine tea. And now my new favorite tea is taking up some space: Numi Pu-erh Tea. It's so incredibly delicious and addicting!

I have always been curious about Pu-erh tea, supposedly full of antioxidants and full of earthy, rich flavors. There are lots of companies offering this type of tea, but I've long been a fan of Numi. They are a small brother and sister company that offers organic, fair-trade, delicious tea products. They offer many varieties of Pu-erh tea on their site- including cardamom, basil mint, ginger, and chocolate. They did have a coconut-flavored tea, but according to the vendor, it was clogging their machines and they had to discontinue it! You can find Numi teas at well-stocked natural or gourmet stores, or purchase online in the Numi store.

numi tea

But what is pu-erh tea, aside from being a tongue-twister (say poo-air)? Pu-erh is an 'ancient healing tea picked from 500 year old organic wild tea trees in the majestic mountains of China's Yunnan province" according to the Numi tea tutorial. It is a black tea, though significantly lighter (less tannic) and more refreshing than traditional black tea. Don't let the dark color fool you– pu-erh tea actually has the body and the caffeine level of a green tea, which I love. Pu-erh tea is fermented, which results in an altogether different, mellow flavor, and high antioxidant content. It's been credited with all sorts of health benefits, but according to Dr. Weil, none have really been confirmed. But, other studies have shown that all tea is good for our bodies. Pu-erh tea is specifically known as a weight loss tea as it can allegedly help break down fat. It has been said that this tea can, "aid digestion and metabolism, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, help with weight management and naturally boost energy." But most importantly, this tea tastes amazing!