Review of Republic of Tea’s Superflower Hibiscus tea-Pineapple Lychee
Recently the Journal of Nutrition published a report on a study that examined the effects of hibiscus tea on high blood pressure. The results revealed that hibiscus tea lowered high blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive subjects. In short, it was so effective that it could allow some people to reduce or stop taking their blood pressure medications.
Now the Republic of Tea, a well-known tea company in Novato, California, has developed Superflower herbal teas. Although there are five different flavors, each has at its base African hibiscus, mostly from Nigeria. African hibiscus is a rich ruby-red and imparts not only beautiful color, but also a fruity flavor to herbal teas. It’s been described by some as a sort of cranberry-citrus combination while others think it more resembles rhubarb.
Continue reading Comments (0) brewed on Mar 10th, 2010
Review: Dark Mayan Chocolate Latte, a General Foods International Coffee
Anyone who’s seen the movie Chocolat couldn’t help but be intrigued by the words “Dark Mayan Chocolate." In the film, Chocolatier Vianne seems to enchant others with the unusual chocolate recipes learned from her South American mother. She magically senses which chocolate is each person’s favorite and which chocolate will change his or her life. Her most special recipe is her hot chocolate, made with just a pinch of chili pepper stirred into each cup.
Unfortunately, General Foods seems to have missed seeing that movie because Dark Mayan Chocolate Latte contains no chili. It also contains almost no coffee at all, at least none that you can actually taste. It tastes pretty much like hot chocolate with cinnamon in it, not bad but not really good. The instructions say to use 1 and 1/3 tablespoons, (four teaspoons) and 8 fluid ounces of boiling water. This yields a weak and watery brew that while tasty has so little body it is almost like drinking chocolate water. Adding more mix just made it lumpy rather than improving texture, as did using less water.
Continue reading Comments (0) brewed on Mar 9th, 2010
How to Make a Great Cup of Tea
It does not seem very hard to make a cup of tea; just put a teabag into a cup and pour hot water on it. Sure, if all you want is a cup of hot brown, or tan, liquid, you could do that. The question is do you want just a cup of tea, a cup of good tea, or a cup of great tea. Which tea you use and what you do with it are big factors in how your tea will taste.
You need to start with the most important part of the formula, the tea itself. While it is true that many teabags contain inferior quality tea, there are some good ones. Both the quality of the original tealeaf and the size of the leaf pieces affect tea flavor. If you want to use teabags, select a brand that has extra large teabags or pyramid-shaped. Tealeaves need room to expand when they steep, so tea companies who use large pieces use bigger teabags.
Continue reading Comments (0) brewed on Mar 8th, 2010
Cook with Coffee
Do you think coffee only belongs to a coffee cup? Then I strongly suggest you change your way of thinking! Nowadays, coffee is not only treated as a beverage that is served during breakfast and after dinner breaks but can also be a main ingredient in your meal. This definitely gives coffee a starring role!
You might be thinking by now, how exactly are you going to create a recipe with coffee? Will it taste good or is it going to be weird? Don't be afraid to experiment. There are actually a lot of celebrity chefs that have tried it. Like for instance Emeril, he did a coffee bourbon BBQ sauce and that created a little punch to the dinner table. If you try this one out, I'm sure the people you are serving will ask for more. Another good one is Martha Stewart's coffee with molasses and cocoa on black bread.
Others have tried cofee with different recipes and mixed it with chili, coconuts, mashed potatoes, rice, steaks, chicken, beef and a lot more. It's also nice to combine it with backed goods such as cookies and cakes. You can even mix coffee with desserts such as tiramisu, flan and ice cream. So go ahead and make your very own coffee recipe. The possibilities are endless. This is surely a great way to surprise the whole family especially when they are also coffee lovers like you.
Comments (0) brewed on Mar 7th, 2010
