Four Cups of Tea: Unusual Flavors to Sip

“…the first sip is joy the second is gladness, the third is serenity, the fourth is madness, the fifth is ecstasy.” –Japhy Ryder, The Dharma Bums

Tea is a thirst quenching, relaxing, and almost universally traditional drink. Morning tea, bedtime tea, even afternoon tea—it’s to be found everywhere in the day, all across history, and around the world. Black tea, green tea, chamomile tea, and many more are staples at grocery stores and restaurants. Looking around a little harder, there are a few lesser known flavors and varieties, nothing new to some parts of the world, that are a pleasant novelty to many of us. Read on for an overview of four of these teas, and consider them next time you’re stocking the tea cabinet.

Saffron Tea

A cup of golden hued saffron tea - from saffronspices.co.uk

A spice with ancient allure and enduring use, saffron is important in many foods from India to Spain and all in between. Very commonly found today in your local Persian restaurant, the flavor of the spice is complementary to its perceived health benefits. The ancient Egyptians use it in food and medicine, and today in Iran it is still popular to believe that saffron is a sort of cure-all for simple ailments. Often made by dropping crystal saffron candy in water, saffron can also be found in tea form. It takes tens of thousands of crocus flowers to produce just a small amount of saffron, and this combined with the delicate hand cultivation makes for one of the world’s most expensive spices. Benefits may include alleviating respiratory problems, aiding with sleep, curbing depressin, and it is even said to serve as a sweat-inducing aphrodisiac. In addition, saffron tea has a rich and sweet flavor, enough reason to make it a drink of choice any given day.

Sage Tea

A glass of Lebanese sage tea - from tasteofbeirut.com

Native to the Mediterranean region, sage is also well regarded as an herb frequently employed in the flavoring of delicacies. In ancient Rome, sage was also revered for its medicinal properties, and over time its use in the form of tea was popularly embraced in several cultures. French sage tea became widely produced by the 1700s, and was in high demand in China as an alternative to traditional tea. Meanwhile, it today remains prominent for cultivation and consumption as tea in the Middle East, especially in places like Lebanon and Syria along the Mediterranean coast, while in Turkey the herb on its own is even referred to as “island tea”. Sage has empirically demonstrated particular potency in improving memory and learning in people with Alzheimer’s disease, while it is also traditionally believed to be effective in treating mouth and stomach pain, digestive problems, weak appetites, and depression. The unique aroma of sage makes for a soothing and pleasing flavor for any adventurous tea guzzler

Mate Tea

A traditionally prepared cup of yerba mate - from huffingtonpost.com

A South American herb called Yerba Mate is the basis for this increasingly well-known tea, already well established in countries like Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina and even imported en masse to places like Lebanon. Native to Paraguay, Yerba Mate was first introduced outside of South America and the Guaraní tribe in the 1500s, when the Spanish began their conquest of the region. By the 1600s it was being imported into Spain as an alternative to English tea, but its use ebbed until the 1800s when it was officially documented by a German botanist and once again began circulating. While the taste is bitter and earthy, this drink, said by the Guaraní tribe to be a gift from their gods, is alleged to have a holistic effect on health including relieving fatigue, heart conditions, headaches, depression, urinary tract infections, as well as assisting in weight loss and fluid retention. Be sure to try it if you’re traveling in its historical home, but also look for mate in many grocery stores as it grows in popularity.

Kava Tea

Women making ground kava - from the book "Kava: From Ethnology to Pharmacology" edited by Yadhu N. Singh

Originating in the tropical Pacific islands, from Tonga to Hawai’i and Tahiti to Fiji, kava has been domesticated for over 3000 years. Sometimes celebrated for its vitalizing, life-giving powers, legends tells that kava first grew from the womb of a buried woman and curried the grief of her mourning brother. Captain James Cook, journeying across the Pacific, encountered the drink and named kava “the intoxicating pepper”—a reference to both its flavor and effects. Today, the bitter-tasting herb is exported from the Pacific across the world, and still used locally in as a social drink, as well as for ritual and medicine. While kava most notably brings on a relaxing and sedated sensation, it is also used more specifically to treat anxiety, depression, psychological ailments, as well as venereal diseases and infections. Found in some grocery stores, kava is most readily available when directly ordered from growers in the South Pacific. Take care, however—kava is banned in Canada and a few other countries for its alleged link to liver damage, a curious irony considering its consumption has been displaced in the Pacific islands by the use of alcohol as an alternative.