Cold Season

This one is Cold Season tea, by Yogi.

Note: This blog was originally published on May 1, 2010. I am republishing it today with a description of the new taste, after adding 1 teaspoon of molasses to the tea.

Flavor: The initial taste resembles a mild green tea flavor, but the aftertaste is slightly spicy. It is not overpowering though, so even if you have a sensitive mouth, I think this would be a good tea to drink. Only by the very end of the cup did I start to feel a soft lingering burn in the back of my throat- a good burn! I left the teabag in the cup for the entire time, so this is probably what made it a bit stronger. If you don't enjoy spicy foods, you might want to take the teabag out earlier. Also, I have noticed with a lot of the Yogi teas, that leaving the bag in for a long time creates little floaters in the bottom of the cup, so if you are squeamish about foreign objects in your drinks, you also might want to take the bag out early.

Suggested Additions: I did not add anything to this tea. It is not as sweet as many of the other Yogi teas, but the spice (and even the smell of the bag before I even poured the water) is so unique that I wanted to taste the full effect of it on its own. A tiny bit of molasses might be an interesting addition; perhaps I will experiment with that next time.

After adding molasses, I feel that the spicy, peppery flavor has become much stronger, but in a pleasant way, because the molasses has made it sweeter as well. It feels unusual to be drinking a tea with molasses, since I rarely use molasses except in some southern recipes such as baked beans or collard greens. However, I do enjoy the experience and taste of molasses that is not hidden by other flavors.

Ingredients: Ginger, Licorice, Eucalyptus, Orange peel, Valerian, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Orange, Basil, Cardamom, Oregano, Clove, Parsley, Yarrow, Black pepper, Cinnamon.

Purpose: The description on the box says that the ingredients support nasal function, free breathing, and sinus health. As I am recovering my health this week, I felt mildly stuffy this week, yet I could still smell the tea from the moment I opened the packaging. I feel that the healthful effects were achieved through this tea. As an experiment in aromatherapy, I put it under the nose of the asthmatic in the household and asked what he thought of it. He found it to be quite a nice smell, and I have decided this is definitely a tea I will be buying more of. As for pure flavor, I would drink this tea regardless of its possession of health benefits, especially since I would like the chance to play around with a few types of sweeteners, such as molasses or raw sugar.

Additional Bonus: Yogi puts little words of wisdom on the paper tags on the ends of the string. Today's word of wisdom says, "A relaxed mind is a creative mind."