A New Discovery: Pukka Tea

I love tea. If you know me, this is no secret, but it's time I officially put it out there. I love tea. I'm not entirely sure at what moment I started really getting into it, but I have vague memories of black tea with lemon and honey being my go-to beverage in the winter because it's what my mother would give me at the first complaints of a sore throat. Now, whenever I wander into a supermarket, I have to pass by the tea aisle to scope out if they have any flavours that I have yet to try. I'm currently mostly a tea bag girl because of convenience and habit; I have yet to agree with arguments that loose tea is better. What I do like about loose tea is the possibility of making your own flavours by mixing things up. But I digress.

Today's post is about my recent discovery of Pukka Teas. I'd seen them on the shelves in my perusals of tea when I was still in the UK, but I'd always thought myself more of a Twinings girl. It wasn't until my sister sent over some teas from London, amongst which was the Peppermint & Licorice and Three Mint. I instantly fell for the packaging: the designs are bright, vibrant and make you want to reach for the tea on the shelves. I didn't expect much before each first try, as I'm used to teas falling short of expectations in the flavour department. You can imagine the shock I got when I discovered that these teas taste amazing! 

How pretty is the inside of the Three Mint box? 

If you like your mint teas then Three Mint, a "verdant fusion of organic peppermint, spearmint & fieldmint", is definitely worth a try. What I like about this is that it really is a mix of the three mints, rather than one of the mints overpowering another: they're in perfect harmony. It's my favourite post-lunch drink as it's refreshing and peppermint is really good for digestion. That is why the Peppermint & Licorice is currently my favourite after dinner tea. I really didn't expect to like this tea as I'm not a fan of licorice, and thought it might taste bitter or for some reason thought licorice and aniseed taste the same. As it turns out this tea is actually quite sweet, but not in a sickly sort of way, just a soothing, calming sort of way.

The Elderberry & Echinacea is the most recent of my Pukka buys and again I didn't expect it to be as fruity as it claimed. It has blackcurrant and elderflower notes to round out the flavour, and I just love how full of flavour the end product is. I don't usually take out my tea bags when it comes to herbal teas so I really like that this doesn't get that tangy, bitter aftertaste you can get with some fruity herbal teas when you steep them for too long. 

Another plus of the Pukka Teas is that they're organic, vegan and Fairwild (they aim to take their ingredients from the wild and ensure that those who grow and cultivate them have a fair wage, rather like the FairTrade concept). Who doesn't want tea that tastes good, makes you feel good and does good? I'm looking forward to trying more teas from their range, so expect more Pukka posts (and tea posts in general) in the future! 

Have you tried Pukka teas? Which is your favourite? Are you a tea person?