Featuring Chicago Tea Garden’s Bi Luo!

Guayusa plant in the wild

Guayusa is a rather unique “tea.”  I say “tea” because it is in reality a tisane, a plant not from the true Camellia sinensis plant, but rather a special plant (a holly plant, in fact) from the depths of the Amazon rainforest.  Native tribes praise the plants’ leaves for its energy enducing properties, effectively “steeping” it in boiling water and drinking it just like the rest of the world does.  In my opinion, it’s fascinating that humans from all around the world had the similar idea of boiling water (or at least making it very warm) and putting some type of leaf in it in order to enhance and add incredible flavors.

Anyway, I digress.  This plant contains about 1.75% caffeine, as well as the chemical called guanidine.  This chemical compound adds an extra boost, much like caffeine, but does not have the crashing feeling, and also makes it easier to fall asleep when you want to do so.  In fact, these leaves are so potent that the aboriginees use these leaves multiple times, with a surprisingly similar punch as the last infusion did.

One such company, RunaNation (@RunaNation),  has taken the plunge into the mysterious Amazonian rainforest in Ecuador and hired local farmers to harvest Guayusa exclusively.  With this team of young entrepreneurs, this brew is taking off, with their excellent debut at the World Tea Expo this June.  I am not sure of what it tastes like or anything like that (trust me, I plan to try), but from what I can gather, it gives you quite a boost!  But that’s stating the obvious .

…Enjoy!

Like I said, I really wanted to like this tea, but I just cannot find myself getting into it. I expected to taste green tea, but all I got was HEY HERE’S SOME MINT, TRY IT. And it wasn’t even like “oh it’s minty, but it’s pretty good,” more like this came from my grandpa’s candy dish from the Post-WWII era. In essence, this tastes like a STRONG mint leaf with a mix of random other small flavors, like it’s been sitting in the dish w/ other minty stuff (remember those little white chalky mints?) and red hot fireballs. Bad combo.

Just doesn’t CUT IT for me.

Check this out on Steepster:

DISCLAIMER:  I added a half a teaspoon of ITO EN Matcha with this Genmaicha tea, to see what it tasted like.  The results may frighten you.  Okay not really, but maybe.

To start off, I just wanted to say that this was not my idea alone.  My good buddy @paintedleaves put this on her blog and I decided to try it.  After a bit of WikiResearch (note: I coined that phrase), I found that this is sometimes sold as a package (Genmaicha and Matcha) and it is known as Matcha-iri genmaicha.  Lackluster title.  I prefer to call it Genmaimatcha or Genmaitcha.  But what do I know about Japanese?  Anyway.

Genmaicha for those of you unaware, is a blend of popped rice, green tea leaves and occasionally popped corn (in this case, Adagio’s HAS popped corn in it, need to try some without it).

COLOR
The color of normal Genmaicha is a surprisingly light green from my experience.  It’s very clear and it tastes like grass that has been slathered with butter and roasted (even sauted) over a skillet.  It’s almost overwhelming when you first try it, and the variety of green tea associated with is almost FIERCE.

Now, mix this combination with ITO EN’s premium Matcha and you get a hell of a combo!  Flavor pops out the wazoo, not to mention it looks like something you would find in a swamp or sewer.  So basically you’ve got your tea that looks like something out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and “Gak.”  But smells absolutely enticing.

Now onto FLAVOR

This is a strange combination.  Though I tasted the typical genmaicha flavor, it was overridden (overrided?  whatever.) by a blast of the pure strength of the Matcha powder.  It was like I put more powder in than genmaicha.  It had this really smooth and silky texture to it, almost like chocolate with a mix of tannin.  It also tasted like if you had sand in your mouth, or if you were ever a kid and tasted a rock by accident (hey, what the hell, kids are weird, I know I was)!  It was bland, yet it had that KICK to it, given mostly by the genmaicha’s popped rice and unique flavor.  It also tasted like vegetals that you would find around the beach.  The smell of that driftwood and seaweed, THAT’S what it tasted like.  It’s so seaweedy, like you accidentally got a gulp of Lake Erie’s water.  All in all, INCREDIBLY potent.

Rooibos (pronounced ROY-boss) appears to rival the health benefits of green, white and black tea. A favorite among South Africans for years, the tea is made from Aspalathus Linearis, an indigenous shrub that grows only in the mountainous region close to the Cape of Good Hope.

The beverage is said to have 50% more antioxidants than are found in green tea and new research is showing rooibos helps delay the aging process! The aging of our bodies is caused by toxic compounds called free radicals which are produced as a by-product of normal cell function. These free radicals attack our healthy cells. Over our lifetime this damage contributes to aging and our immune system weakens. Recently, Japanese scientists have found that Rooibos tea contains a mimic of the enzyme Super Oxide Dismutase (S.O.D.), an antioxidant which attacks the free radicals and limits their damaging effects.

Rooibos tea contains no colors, additives or preservatives. It helps to relieve insomnia, irritability, headaches, stomach ulcers, nausea, constipation, and heartburn. It also shows anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activity.

Rooibos contains alpha hydroxy acid and zinc for healthy, smooth skin. This wonder tea is especially useful when brewed and applied to skin irritations like itchy skin, eczema, sunburns, diaper rash and acne.

More Amazing Benefits of Rooibos Tea!

* Helps to give you strong bones and teeth because of its calcium, manganese and fluoride content.
* Is often prescribed for nervous tension and mild depression as it makes a relaxing sedative.
* Helps to control your appetite thus beneficial in weight loss.
* Contains magnesium which is necessary for a healthy nervous system.
* Helps pacify infants with colic, stomach cramps and sleeping problems. Simply mix some Rooibos tea with expressed breast milk or formula. It is 100% natural with no colorants or preservatives.
* Contains no oxalic acid and can therefore be enjoyed by persons suffering from kidney stones.
* Put used rooibos tea bags in the refrigerator or freezer. After a hard day’s work, put on tired or red eyes to soothe and relax.
* Increases the absorption of iron in the body.
* Makes a great thirst-quencher and sport drink. Because of its mineral content of iron, potassium, zinc, manganese and sodium, it restores the body’s equilibrium after strenuous exercise.
* Drink it hot or cold, with or without milk, sugar or honey. Add lemon or mix it with fruit juices for a lovely blend. Rooibos tea is also used in cooking and baking. It replaces the liquid content in recipes for soups, marinades, sauces, stews and cakes for added flavor and nutrition.
* And Rooibos tastes divine! It is less bitter than most teas.

My Thoughts:

Rooibos is my new favorite tea and it’s very versatile! I brew it for about 4 minutes…delicious! With its many positive attributes, Rooibos tea is a great choice of drink for health conscious people and a superfood we should all consume!

Special shout out to all the ladies at PoshMama!

via Steepster review:

Matcha. Wow. This is probably the most bizarre type of tea I have had in a long time. It’s SO different from anything I have ever had and is incredibly strong. I’m not surprised at this fact though, considering it is the pure leaf ground up and mixed with hot water.

My first thoughts when I tasted this were BAM! and STRONG!

How I made it:

• Two bamboo scoops of Matcha powder (in Matcha bowl)
• 3 Oz of spring water at 185 Degrees Fahrenheit
• Mix with bamboo whisk until powder is gone

Flavors tasted:

• STRONG Grassy/vegetal tones, almost overpowering
• It’s “darker,” in the sense that it’s a lot heavier than your typical green tea, much more punch to it
• THICK! Boy I wasn’t ready for this at ALL. I can still feel some of the stuff on my tongue even after I am done drinking it! This is incredibly potent, due to the ratio of powder to water.
• Finally, it has a sweetness to it in the back of the throat/aftertaste. Absolutely delicious even after I was done drinking it. It lingers for awhile, which can be blasted away with some hot water swishing, but I love the way it tastes!

I’m going to be honest, at first I hated it. Then I added a bit more water to the mixture and LOVED it! I think my first taste was bad only because I didn’t stir it enough and got some powder in my teeth . I’m so glad I bought this Matcha kit, it is so tasty! I can’t wait to try the other samples I got!