Best flavored teas for 2020

Tea drinking in many countries has acquired the status of a ritual. A certain time is allocated for him, dishes are selected. Tea became widespread in Russia in the 17th century. From that moment it was difficult to imagine a house without a samovar. Since then, many varieties have appeared, the approaches to brewing the drink have changed. One thing remained unchanged. Its popularity. But, if our great-grandfathers did not have much choice, then today in tea shops eyes run up. The assortment contains more and more varieties with various additives. Let's try to dispel myths about their dangerous properties and choose the best flavored tea.

Differences between varieties of tea

It's no secret that biological varieties of the tea tree do not exist in nature. The exception is to some extent oolong. Plants with large leaves are specially selected for it. The taste, color, aroma of the drink depends on many factors.

• The quality of raw materials. The best varieties are obtained from still unblown buds or buds with 1-2 leaves.
• Places of growth. Connoisseurs of tea ceremonies know that tea collected in China will differ significantly in flavor, aftertaste, astringency from a drink made from raw materials collected in Sri Lanka. Much depends on the composition of the soil, air temperature and humidity. And tea bushes have one peculiarity. Their leaves, like a sponge, absorb the aromas hovering nearby. Often, when brewing simple leaves, you can pick up floral or fruity notes.
• Fermentation degrees. Depending on the method of processing the leaves, black, green, oolong or white drinks are obtained. It is these three species that are aromatized. Yellow tea or pu-erh tea is expensive, with an amazing bouquet of taste and aroma. They don't need any additions.

Tea aromatization has been started since ancient times. They just didn't do it on an industrial scale. 40 years ago, getting quality products was a huge problem. A pack of Indian tea was considered a great gift. People added dried and crushed leaves of mint, lemon balm, linden, currant, willow tea or thyme to the Georgian and Azerbaijani tea available at hand and got amazingly tasty drinks with healing properties.

Methods for making flavored drinks

The cheapest and most efficient method to add flavor to the drink is to process the leaves with synthetic essences. It cannot be said that they are harmful to health. The proportions are small. Taste a little different. As a rule, low-grade raw materials are often used for the production of budget varieties. Namely, the lower leaves from the tea bushes.

There is another point. The tea leaf is not wine. Over time, it significantly loses its taste characteristics. The process starts about six months after fermentation. Many companies, in order not to lose profits, give it a second life by using a flavoring agent. But to return brightness and natural taste, this does not help. There is often a feeling that the cup is not tea, but a fruit or berry drink.

The situation looks a little different when using natural flavors.

• The use of extracts, essences or essential oils of certain plants.As in the case of synthetic components, raw materials are processed at the stage of fermentation and drying. Thus, drinks with the aroma of citrus fruits, lemon, orange, bergamot are most often obtained. The cost of such raw materials is relatively budgetary, while the taste is more tea-like, with a subtle fruit aroma.
• Natural flavoring can also be done by adding flavoring ingredients. For example, flowers of jasmine, mint or lemon balm. They are added at the time of fermentation, when the tea leaves actively lose moisture and absorb the taste and aroma of additional components. Then the raw materials are cleaned. Regular black or green tea gets on the shelves. When brewing, it fully reveals its qualities.
• Natural supplements are increasingly being used. Dry berries, pieces of fruit, aromatic herbs.

Today, manufacturers have a place for imagination. They use several methods at the same time, endowing the drink with the most incredible tastes and aromas.

With or without scent

Debates often flare up among tea lovers. The most ardent tea drinkers claim that any additional ingredients kill the real taste of the drink. Others believe that why not take advantage of the latest in the tea industry and try new flavors, since they are there anyway.

However, everyone has different preferences. Therefore, we will give a small rating of the most popular brands with a third-party scent.

Top Best Flavored Teas

They argue not only about tastes, but also types of tea. Often, fans of black varieties flatly refuse to drink green tea with its mild taste, not to mention oolong tea. But today the choice is huge. The drink can be purchased at regular stores. But it is better to turn to specialized ones. Here they will tell you about the properties of certain varieties and help you navigate the variety of assortments.

Black varieties

Differs in a deep degree of fermentation. Its period is up to 4 weeks. At the same time, drying at rather high temperatures is characteristic of black species. A high-quality drink has a rich reddish-brown hue and astringency, an astringent aftertaste. Its bouquet is not as versatile as that of other species. Manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to soften the taste of the drink and give it more personality. That is why black varieties are more often aromatized.

Tess Pleasure

Popular brand from the Russian concern "Orimi-Trade". It has been operating on the market since 1994 and today it rightfully occupies a leading position among manufacturers of tea products. His lineup includes black and green varieties, with and without flavors. In the manufacture of black varieties, large-leaf varieties from Ceylon are used. Despite the democratic cost, mass production and a very distant relationship to elite brands, "TESS" is distinguished by its pleasant taste, wide assortment and use of mainly natural ingredients.

There are more than 10 flavored brands in his line. Among them:

• invigorating Tess Orange;
• a variety with a summer mood Tess Berry Bar, the aroma of raspberries and blackberries will remind you of sunny days spent in the forest or in the country;
• fans of unusual tastes will love the TESS Chocolate Kiss with cocoa beans and apple;
• or Tess Caramel charm with a sweet creamy finish.

In addition, there are assorted packs and gift sets with a mug.

Separately, it is worth highlighting Tess Pleasure with the addition of chopped rose hips, lemon sorghum, apple pieces and cornflower flowers. One cup will charge you with vivacity for the whole day. And in winter it will warm you on long evenings and give you a large portion of vitamin C.

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Available in sachets or pyramids, packed in boxes of 25.Packing cost: 100-150 rubles.

Basilur Four Seasons Winter Tea with cranberries

The Basilur company supplies tea from high quality raw materials to the market. Tea leaves are collected from the high plateaus of the island of Sri Lanka. They are distinguished by their purity and excellent performance. Its products include about 200 items. They differ in packaging. The best brands are packaged in cardboard boxes with an inner layer of foil or tin cans. In the world, the company's products are recognized by the logo in the form of a lion. The most popular lines are "Fruit Motives", "Eastern Charm", "Seasons". The “Four Seasons Winter Tea” or a real Christmas fairy tale belongs to the latter.

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The cost of a package weighing 100 grams is 250-300 rubles.

Lancaster, Indian spices

Despite the fact that the production is located in Russia, black teas from the company's assortment are distinguished by their true British character. Strong, rich, toning, and at the same time discreet. The assortment is not distinguished by the richness of brands, but each of them strives for perfection.

Indian spices are a mixture of large leaf tea, ginger, and cloves. Pink pepper and cardamom add spice. Orange zest gives softness. The final note is a rich cinnamon aroma.

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Sold in cans with a window through which you can verify the quality of the components. Net weight 75 grams. The cost is 380-400 rubles.

Green varieties

Green tea differs from black tea in the oxidation state. It is no more than 12%. For this, the leaves are first warmed up. And then dried for 2-3 days. The last stage of processing is heating with steam or heating in ceramic containers. Thus, a large number of nutrients are stored in the leaves. Green tea protects against cardiovascular diseases, acts as a powerful antioxidant, and starts metabolism. It is recommended to use it in its pure form. Responsible companies use only natural ingredients for flavoring.

Greenfield, Mellow Peach

The Russian company "Greenfield" is another manufacturer of a flavored drink for the mass consumer. Her portfolio includes at least 50 brands. All of them are made from quality raw materials that come from China, India, Kenya. It is produced in bags, each of which is packed in a separate sachet, which allows you to maximize the preservation of taste characteristics and useful properties.

Mellow Peach is a combination of green tea, refreshing tangerine aroma and delicate pink peach aftertaste.

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Mellow Peach is sold in cardboard boxes. The number of sachets is 25, 50 and 100 pieces. A small package will cost 100-130 rubles.

Zylanica, "Fashionable Tea Collection" with jasmine

Another company from Sri Lanka.She does not give up her position, preferring to produce classic brands of tea. Only the packaging is different. As a rule, these are cans with bright patterns. Great for a gift.

The Fashion Collection with jasmine is an amazing drink. Spring motives are intertwined in it. With its help, it is easy to be transported to a blooming garden to enjoy the ringing of drops and the murmur of streams.

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A package of 100 grams costs about 400 rubles.

Newby, Moroccan Nights

Newby is one of the largest tea producing companies in the world. Its products have won awards at prestigious world-wide competitions more than once. Success lies in the final production cycle, which allows you to control the quality of products from the moment of harvest until the moment of shipment. And also in the use of only high-quality raw materials in the form of buds and very young leaves. The assortment includes over 100 brands. There are also flavored varieties among them.

Moroccan Night is one of them. The name itself speaks of the depth of taste. The composition is quite simple. Baikhov tea and mint leaves.

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Made in the form of pyramids. On sale comes packaged in cardboard boxes of 25 pieces. The cost of packaging is 530 rubles.

Oolong

For the preparation of tea, take large leaves of adult tea bushes. After deep fermentation, the leaves are rolled and dried. The result is small balls of rich emerald color with a deep tea flavor and a slight floral or fruity aftertaste. The scent has a smoky trail. It should be noted that aromatization of oolong tea has recently begun. In the past, the balls were sometimes coated with ginseng or licorice extract. Milk oolong is popular today.

Lancaster, Milk Oolong with Raspberries

The tea combines a mild creamy flavor with a bright fresh raspberry aftertaste.

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The cost of 100 grams of tea leaves in a tin package: 350-400 rubles.

Oolong Strawberry with Cream

Many varieties of original teas can only be bought in bulk. In tea shops or online resources. This is one of them.

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The cost of 50 grams is 150-180 rubles.

Tea is a healthy, tonic drink. And its aromatization is a nice bonus for lovers of new sensations.

It doesn't really matter if it's flavored or not. The quality of the tea leaf itself is important. In a quality product, all tea leaves are the same size and shape. There are no spots or mechanical damage on the leaves. When brewed, they slowly open up, bringing with them a harmony of taste and aroma.