Tea from Puerto Rico!

Tea from Puerto Rico!

Hola, amigas y amigos de Good Life Tea! Are you asking yourself right now, "Why is Kaytea speaking to us in Spanish?"? If so, it is because I am leaving in less than a week, with my boyfriend, for a trip to Puerto Rico! We decided to gift this to each other as a Christmas present and I am so over the moon excited, I can't even tell you! In preparation for this trip, and as tea has become such a prominent role in my life, I have been doing some research on teas to try while we are there and have found some interesting information/recipes that I wanted to share with you all! Check it all out below!

In searching for information about teas found in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico in general, I found out that the national flower of Puerto Rico is the flor de maga (Maga Grandiflora). This beautiful blossom is very closely related to the hibiscus flower, and thus is celebrated sometimes with different forms of hibiscus tea. We, at Good Life Tea, have our own delicious Hibiscus herbal tea which is both floral and tart at the same time in its flavor profile. This perplexing fusion of flavors is engaging and appealing to many, and the tea brews into an alluring deep, burgundy hue. We often hear that sippers taste delightful notes of cranberry or pomegranate as they enjoy this completely caffeine free beverage. As I enjoy this tea already by itself, I was absolutely elated and enamored when I stumbled upon a Puerto Rican tea recipe that incorporated it! See below:

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon hibiscus tea
- 1 tablespoon green tea (I recommend any of the following: Citron Green, Hello Hawaii, Ginger N Green, Summer Passion, or Moroccan Mint. The flavors present in each complement the other ingredients in this recipe well.  Each one adds its own unique flare and makes this drink your own!) 
- A pinch of lemon peel zest
- A pinch of orange peel zest
- 1 vanilla bean cut into small pieces

Simply mix all of these ingredients together for steeping, place in your infuser or biodegradable tea bag, steep for 3-5 minutes, and enjoy! 

I chose to drink my refreshment over ice, and let me tell you, it was unbelievable! It got me even more excited to embark on my Puerto Rican adventure, if that is possible! 

A few of our other teas that incorporate hibiscus as an ingredient include Last Mango in Paris (our most popular tisane tea), Angel Falls Mist (my favorite tisane tea), Autumn Sunset (Susan's favorite tisane tea), Piña Colada, Peaceful Journey Oolong Tea, Amethyst Berry (our very popular new tea), Blue Eyes, and more

Another popular ingredient I found to be prevalent in teas of Puerto Rico proves ginger. Ginger has been especially favored here at the store lately as well, for a variety of reasons. First of course being, it is delicious! Ginger has long been sought after and enjoyed for its sweet, yet, almost spicy flavorings. It is a root that is harvested and used not only in teas, but as a spice in cooking, added to natural cosmetic products, in oils or juices, and much more. Ginger, itself, also has long been used for its properties of alleviating nausea (including morning sickness), aiding in digestion, preventing the common cold or flu, helping with joint pain, supporting healthy levels of cholesterol and blood sugar, etc. Because of all of this, it is an ingredient that we choose to include in many of our teas. Just a few to mention here are our new tea, Joyful Release, Ginger's Island, our Ginger N Green, and our Fine Cut Ginger. I have thrown a small sample of our Fine Cut Ginger, specifically, into my suitcase to enjoy on the porch of my Air BnB on a few of my lazy mornings in Puerto Rico. I chose this delightful tea as another easy recipe I found for a traditional Puerto Rican tea involves steeping a cup of ginger tea, adding a teaspoon of honey, and stirring the two with a cinnamon stick. The spice from the cinnamon plays beautifully with the spicier side of the ginger, while the honey balances the sweeter notes. I'll keep you guys posted on how I feel about this Puerto Rican delicacy, but somehow, I feel as though that I am going to fall in love with it as I sip it with the sunrise oceanside.

Should you have any recommendations of your own on teas to try while I am in Puerto Rico, please forward them our way! In doing this blog, and formerly, I have found that a great way to get yourself even more excited for an upcoming vacation proves researching teas that are traditional to the area you are planning to visit, and making a plan on how to go about trying them. Should you have any travel plans of your own coming up, why not try this, and please let us know of your discoveries! I would love to feature some of your own favorites from other places in the world in another blog post. That being said, have a wonderful start to your week, friends! Happy sipping! - Kaytea :) 
P.S. We have some exciting Valentine's Day packages in the works for you all! Stay tuned for more on this! 

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