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What Is Twig Tea, Anyway?

Camilla Salem — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:45:16 PST

Alicia Silverstone claims that twig tea, also called kukicha, cures just about everything. And we've been noticing it appearing in more and more stores (we also saw it a few times at the Fancy Food Show). But what's the deal with all of the hype?

Twig tea is essentially a Japanese blend of the tough stems, stalks, and twigs from the Camellia sinensis plant. These bits usually get discarded, but when they're saved, toasted, and steeped in water, kukicha is formed. The flavor is nutty and slightly creamy, and since most of the caffeine is stored in the leaves of the plant, you won't get the same buzz from a cup of this stuff as you would a cup of green or black tea, so this is a great option for anyone trying to eliminate caffeine from his or her life. Its alkalizing properties and low caffeine level also make it a beverage of choice for the macrobiotic diet.

Kukicha tastes deliciously rich and toasted, which is the perfect way to start your day (in fact, there is a quality about it that reminds me of a good cup of coffee). Steep your twig tea in freshly boiled water for four to five minutes. Have you ever tried it?

7 Reasons You Should Love Tea

Camilla Salem — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:32:45 PST

We've just wrapped up National Tea Month and learned plenty about different teas along the way. Tea, like wine, is a complex and intricate subject, but now we feel ready and able to brew the best cup of tea ever. If you weren't a tea lover before this month, here are seven reasons you should become one.

Source: Thinkstock, Flickr User A Girl With Tea, Flickr User abon

Get to Know the Types and Benefits of White Tea

YumSugar — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:32:48 PST

As National Tea Month wraps up, we're still filling you in on all things white tea. Although green tea tends to get most of the credit when it comes to health benefits, white tea is actually the least processed form of tea. Translation: it contains even more nutrients than the black or green varieties. Curious? Keep reading to learn more about white tea.

The Healthiest Drinks For Your Diet

Leta Shy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:29:33 PST

When eating healthfully, a large focus may be on what not to drink: no sugary juices, sodas, or high-calorie cocktails. But many drinks can actually help you live a healthier lifestyle. We all know that drinking enough water is essential, but find out what other drinks should also be on your OK list below, and remember to enter our healthy living giveaway for a chance to win a $500 Under Armour gift card!

Coffee: The hot drink is the perfect accompaniment to a cold morning or a drowsy afternoon, but offering you a warm pick-me-up isn't its only advantage. Coffee has been proven to help improve memory, increase endurance, and ease muscle pain. The list doesn't stop there; read more about the health benefits of coffee here.

Watch for: The benefits of coffee don't always outweigh the risks, especially if you drink too much. Drinking too much java can cause you to become anxious or jittery, disrupt your sleep patterns, develop high blood pressure, or endure regular headaches. Stay attuned to caffeine's affect on your body and, in general, don't drink more than 300 milligrams a day (the average cup of coffee contains 100 milligrams of caffeine).

Red wine: All those studies about the health benefits of red wine makes me feel that much better about relaxing with a glass of Cab after work. Red wine contains a compound called resveratrol, which has been proven in studies to be beneficial to your health - everything from fighting cancer to antiaging, along with other disease-preventing benefits.

Watch for: The benefits of wine stop at one glass a day, so don't go overboard. You may be doing yourself more harm than good, especially since one glass of red wine usually runs around 127 calories. And while scientists have researched resveratrol in many lab studies, there have been few studies in humans - and let's not forget the recent news that a leading red wine researcher actually falsified data in dozens of studies on heart health and resveratrol.

Two more good-for-you drinks after the break!

Let's Dish: What's Your Favorite Kind of Tea?

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:28:18 PST

I'm a huge tea drinker. I would choose tea over coffee any day. In fact, I drink all kinds of tea throughout the day. I start my morning off with a cup of green tea, have some kind of green or herbal tea in the afternoon, then close my night off with a nice cup of mint tea. But there are so many delicious brands and varieties of tea out there that I'd like to try out. So I'm asking you, what is your very favorite tea to drink?

Green Tea 101: A Primer

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:29:10 PST

January sure is a busy month. Along with National Soup Month, it also happens to be National Tea Month. We thought we'd start off the festivities with a primer on a very trendy tea. Green tea came from Asia and took America by storm with its claims to fix just about every ailment. But what exactly is this wonder tea? Keep reading to find out.

Savory Sight: Cherry and Chamomile Nightcap

Yum Community — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:01:55 PST

We are loving My Fare Foodie's delicious cure for insomnia. The description makes us sleepy just reading about it!

As an attempt to cure my chronic insomnia, I came up with a nightcap featuring all types of natural sleep aids. Warm milk, chamomile tea, honey, cinnamon, and tart cherry juice help the body miraculously produce melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. This drink not only helps me sleep soundly, but it also happens to taste delicious! So long, sleepless nights.

For the recipe, check out her blog and share your recipes with us in our Kitchen Goddess community group!

The Truth About the Health Benefits of Tea

Health — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:13:17 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Tea - does it really fight cancer? Lower cholesterol? We filter the research to find out which health claims actually hold water.
By Kate Lowenstein

The way scientific studies and health gurus alike have touted the perks of tea over the past few years, you'd think the stuff was some kind of all-powerful magical elixir. Improving heart health, reducing cancer risk, warding off dementia and diabetes - there's barely a health benefit that hasn't been credited to tea. It's true that the brew has disease-fighting antioxidants, and, as far as anyone can tell, should be great for us.

"The science is certainly promising," says David L. Katz, MD, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "But the hype goes beyond it and tends to make promises which the science can't yet deliver." (No, tea probably will not cure depression, eliminate allergies, or boost your fertility!) We talked to the experts and weighed the studies to separate the truth from the hype.

Health.com: Drink This Tea to Lose That Belly

Why tea is so hot
First, a definition: When scientists talk about tea, they mean black, green, white, or oolong teas - all of which are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal brews, like chamomile and peppermint, are not technically considered tea; they're infusions of other plants with different nutritional characteristics. If you're not sure what kind you're drinking, check the ingredients for the word "tea."

Keep reading to learn even more about tea.

3 Throat-Soothing Herbal Teas

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:51:09 PDT

If you find yourself suffering from a scratchy, sore throat, take comfort in the herbs astragalus, licorice root, and elm bark, which have a soothing effect on throat and respiratory issues. While the medical properties of these herbs have not undergone extensive scientific research, they have been brewed as healing teas for centuries and are mainstays in the alternative medicine community. Their natural sweetness, earthy scent, and slippery texture are pleasant, soothing, and worth trying out when colds strike.

Astragalus

What is it: Dr. Weil recommends taking astragalus, a sweet-tasting Chinese root which has immune boosting properties and helps soothe sore throats and bronchial infection.
Where to try it: Astragalus Immunity Tea ($6)
What scientists think: While the root has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, no detailed, Western clinical trials have been done to prove or dispute its benefits for throat and respiratory issues. (Studies have shown astragalus to be helpful in reducing symptoms related to seasonal allergies.) Astragalus is also traditionally taken with ginseng, angelica, and licorice.

See more throat-soothing teas.

5 Tips For Making Oolong Your Pot of Tea

Susannah Chen — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:00:00 PDT

After learning the fundamentals of coffee brewing and the right way to taste coffee, I figured it was high time I took the same care into understanding that other hot caffeinated beverage, tea.

Like coffee, the all-encompassing category of tea includes everything from the most basic and low-quality to the really expensive, high-end stuff. One of my personal favorites is oolong ("black dragon") tea, a partially oxidized, semi-fermented tea that has a storied history in Chinese and Taiwanese tea culture. Truly fine oolong is made from unique plant cultivars that are picked, left out to wither in the sun, partially fermented, roasted, then rolled or twisted and dried. Depending on their variety and level of fermentation, oolongs can range in flavor and aroma from warm and nutty to sweet, fruity, and floral.

To further enhance my appreciation for oolong, I spoke to tea expert Lawrence Lai, who founded Naivetea, currently the only company in the country to focus on Taiwanese oolong teas. Keep reading for his suggestions on how to embrace America's latest tea trend.