VidaTea: Pomegranate Green Tea
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
I don’t know what it is, but I’ve managed to save the best for last. It must be my RTD intuition. I’ve been trying VidaTea’s Ultra Premium Sparkling Green Teas, and the pomegranate green tea turned out to be my favorite. To me, it came down to overall balance. The delicious berry flavor of the pomegranate seemed to have just the right amount of sweetness and tartness to blend with the sparkling green tea. I found this beverage to be very light and refreshing. It left my mouth feeling cleansed with a very pleasant aftertaste. The pomegranate flavor was natural and inviting. My only problem with this beverage was the fact I only had one can…now I need more.
What are some of the key ingredients found in VidaTea? Organic Agave Nectar, Grape Seed Extract, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Coenzyme Q10, and EGCG (Catechin).
You can read more and order the product at vidatea.com
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The champagne of the ready-to-drink teas…I’m still getting used to this combination of fizz, fruit, and tea. The desert pear green tea is very interesting. As I sit here taking drink after drink, I will certainly say the beverage is an experience. The sparkling tea will have your tongue wondering what hit it, and it will have your body saying thank you. With each drink, you get an overwhelming blast of sweetness and tartness swirling in a pool of crisp-sparkling green tea. You’ll either love it or hate it. If you’ve experienced flavored sparkling waters, you’ll have a greater appreciation for this beverage. If you don’t enjoy green tea, you might have problems enjoying VidaTea. The green tea flavor is present in every drink, but it is not the focal point. The pear is one of my favorite fruits. So, I was looking forward to trying the desert pear green tea. The pear flavor and scent of the beverage is very inviting. The beverage is sweetened with organic agave nectar. Agave is an excellent sweetener due to it’s low glycemic nature. If you are watching your sodium intake, this is a great choice because it has ZERO sodium. VidaTea gives the consumer another healthy alternative to the same-old-same-old. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, VidaTea is a smarter choice for RTD tea consumers
If you haven’t heard, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding VidaTea. VidaTea offers an “ultra premium sparkling tea.” The tea has a light amount of bubbly that makes it unique. VidaTea is emphasizing the fact that it’s products are sweetened with organic agave nectar. I started my VidaTea experience with the wild berry green tea flavor. The flavor is 3 part: first the sparkling tea sort of tingles the tongue, next the wild berry flavor and agave sweetener are exposed, and lastly the green tea makes its presence known with a bitter bite. The wild berry and agave are not overpowering. In the end, the berry blast with a bitter and dry twist left my mouth slightly confused.
Orange Sherbet Green Tea is one of Dr. Tea’s signature craving teas. This tea came from Dr. Tea’s Tea Garden & Herbal Emporium. I was very excited to try this tea for many reasons. Orange sherbet is one of my favorite ice creams. The philosophy behind craving teas is to substitute the high calorie snacks with a healthy and tasty tea selection. Tea can simultaneously help boost your metabolism and help you shed some pounds. Recently, Dr. Tea authored a book titled “The Ultimate Tea Diet.” The book discusses in great detail the many health benefits of tea, and how to empower the world’s number two beverage (second only to water) to help lead a healthier life style by replacing snacks with tea. The book is a great source of tea knowledge for both the tea beginner and expert.
One of the first Japanese green teas I’ve ever tried was Adagio’s Sencha Overture. For those of you that drink Sencha you know that distinct vegetally sweet flavor that is everlasting. The dark green, thin, dried tea leaves are full of flavor and antioxidants. If you are new to green tea or you want to start drinking real tea that doesn’t taste like a flower, fruit or candy - give this a try. Yes, the first time I drank Sencha, it reminded me of a mix of seaweed and vitamins. After the initial shock, I started to appreciate the grassy flavor mixed with sweet and nutty notes. Adagio’s Sencha Overture is an affordable everyday green tea that is havested during the second flush. The tea comes from the Shizuoka region of Japan. It’s important not to over steep Sencha. Adagio recommends a 3 minute steeping time with a water temperature of 180 degrees. You may need to experiment with your steeping equipment to find your desired flavor.
Açaí Green Tea is one of The REPBULIC of TEA’s Superfruit Teas. You can purchase a container of 50 round tea bags containing the tea for under $10. The green tea in the bag is finely cut. The berry scent from the tea bag is very fragrant, but the green tea scent was not to be found. I steeped the tea in water that was just below a boil. The bottom of the cup quickly turned red as the bag absorbed the hot water. I’ve had several teas containing Açaí, and I’m always wishing for something more at the end of the cup. I just can’t get the flavor where I want it without sweetener. I find Açaí flavored teas are best when it’s not the only additional ingredient in the tea. Açaí is just not naturally sweet enough for me to thoroughly enjoy in my tea. It’s not that it tastes bad to me, it just falls slightly below my expectations. Again, if you load it with sweetener, it’s good.
It’s hard to have a line of teas these days and not include one that is infused with pomegranate. Until I started drinking teas, I never heard of a pomegranate. This fruit is still not that popular in the U.S., but it has certainly increased its exposure to tea and fruit juice drinkers. When you start drinking tea, you learn about a lot of fruits and herbs that may not be popular in the U.S, but they are widely popular throughout the world - the pomegranate is no exception. I’ve read that pomegranates are being grown in areas of California and Arizona. With that said, it’s only fitting to try AriZona’s Pomegranate Green Tea.
I’ve been really impressed with Revolution Tea’s style and tea selections. In an industry that is very competitive, it’s great to see a company delivering in both quality and value. Their packaging and labeling sets them apart from many of their competitors. Today I’m drinking their Tropical Green Tea. First of all, the biodegradable infuser (mesh-like tea bag) allows the tea consumer to see what’s inside the bag. You can actually see the full-leaf tea and various ingredients clearly inside of the bag. Another uniqueness about the products I’m trying is how each bag is individually sealed in a little box. I find this to be very important because I like to try a large variety of teas. I don’t want the various flavors contaminating the other flavors. In other words, I don’t want my English Breakfast tea tasking like pineapple.