There’s no better feeling than sitting down with a mug of warm, soothing tea – whether it’s a refreshing peppermint tea to get your day started, or a calming chamomile tea before bed – tea is daily ritual for billions of people around the globe. In fact, tea is said to be the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water of course.
There are countless varieties and blends of tea available on the market, but all “true teas” come from the Camellia sinensis plant – including black tea, green tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea and white tea. The differences between the five types of tea are the result of degrees of processing and the level of oxidization. Herbal teas, on the other hand, are made from flowers, grains, leaves, and even mushrooms.
Here at Flora & Fauna, we love all varieties of tea – we have a fabulous range of bagged and loose-leaf teas from Tea Tonic, Eloments and Love Tea. All brands are dedicated to crafting the perfect cup of tea with only the finest organic ingredients – and are all from Melbourne, too!
Are you looking for a new type of tea to drink? Or, perhaps you’re looking for a type of tea that serves a certain function? Below, we’ve put together a list of teas with different purposes and health benefits. Keep on reading to find your perfect cup of tea!
Which type of tea should I choose?
First, we’ll address a few of the most sought-after outcomes from consuming a cup of tea: to feel relaxed, to feel energised, or to aid in digestion and relieve nausea.
Need to relax and unwind before bed? Drink chamomile tea or lavender tea.
Chamomile tea has been used for centuries to mitigate stress, anxiety, and insomnia, making it the perfect drink to consume before bed. Not a huge fan of chamomile? Try the Tea Tonic lavender and lemon relaxation blend to calm the mind, body, and soul.
Or for a soothing blend of both lavender and chamomile, reach for Love Tea's Calming Tea, a gentle blend with subtle hints of mint and lemon to help support the nervous system and relax and calm the mind.
Need to feel energised and more alert? Drink black tea or green tea.
Black tea has the highest caffeine content on the “true teas”, but both black and green tea contains an amino acid that slows the absorption of caffeine; resulting in a longer-lasting energy boost! However, we just can't beat a cup of English Breakfast Tea to kick-start the morning.
We also love Bright Spark Tea, great for learning, concentration and to help your mind be the best it can. It tastes great too!
Feeling nauseous or under the weather? Drink lemongrass & ginger tea or peppermint tea.
Scientific studies have shown that ginger tea is super effective at alleviating nausea; add in lemongrass and you have the perfect blend to combat sickness. Peppermint tea can also help with digestion, but it’s especially useful in combatting the awful congestion we usually get with colds.
We also love the Digestive Blend from Love Tea - a sweet minty tea, that's also packed with aniseed, ginger and lemon balm. It's sweet and soothing!
Anything for the Tea Addicts? Yes! We have just the thing for you! Our Tea Tonic Sampler Box contains 31 different teas, to make your daily cuppa healthy, interesting and fun!
What’s better – tea bags or loose-leaf tea?
It really depends on how much tea you drink, what you can afford, or the type of tea bags that you buy.
Did you know that a lot of tea bags actually contain plastic? Polypropylene is sealing plastic, which is used to keep tea bags from falling apart. Polypropylene is not recyclable or biodegradable. So, even when you put all your used tea bags in the food waste or compost heap, it can lead to plastic pollution as not all of it will be broken down.
To combat this plastic waste, we love using The Swag Tea Swag Set. They’re nifty little reusable cotton bags to put your loose-leaf tea in! Speaking of infusers – the Tea Tonic Tea Infuser and the Love Tea Spring Handled Tea Infuser are both fabulous options to use your loose-leaf tea.
If you’re committed to using tea bags, there are some environmentally friendly options. All the Love Tea Pyramid Bags are completely biodegradable, so there’s no need to feel guilty about your tea obsession! In fact, all of the packaging from Love Tea is biodegradable – including the ‘plastic’ wrap they come in, and the box as well.
Generally speaking, loose-leaf tea is better for your pocket and for the environment. Buying a larger bag of loose tea may seem like more of an investment, but it lasts you longer and produces less waste overall.
Are you a big tea-drinker? Let us know your favourites down in the comments!
