Coconut Tea: A Tea Review

I have spoken briefly about Tea Tonic teas when I reviewed The Aviary Dessert Kitchen and had a pot of Apple Tree Tea. Tea Tonic is an Australian tea company that claims to create Australia's healthiest tea. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure but what I can tell you is that they make some truly dreamy teas. Tea Tonic teas are blended by the lovely Lisa, a naturopath and herbalist. Many of the herbs used in the teas are grown organically in Australia and if you choose a tea bag you can enjoy your tea knowing it has been made in an unbleached tea bag. That's the other thing I enjoy about these teas, you can buy the tea loose leaf or in tea bags. Whilst I drink loose leaf at home I prefer to have some tea bags with me at work for pure convenience.

Earlier this year I discovered an incredible day spa, it rates second on my list of favourite day spas. Encase you were wondering, number one is the Onsen Spa at Dinner Plain in Victoria. There is something magically relaxing about sitting in a hot spring, albeit man made, surrounded by snow. I had been searching for something that would come close to the experience of that incredible day spa and then I found this gorgeous little place not far from my house. Obviously there is no snow here, no plunge spas or saunas in the change room but one of things that I loved most about my visit to this spa, apart from the incredible treatment that I had, was that upon arrival I was handed a cute little tea pot and tea cup and told to relax. I kind of chuckled, 'me relax' I thought, 'impossible'! I just don't relax, I'm always on. I sat down and took a sip of this tea and something started to happen, I was being relaxed whether I wanted to or not. This was when I decided I had to buy myself some of this deliciously relaxing tea.

The tea was Coconut Tea. Tea Tonic describe it as a 'bright and breezy blend' and I would certainly agree. There is something lovingly refreshing about this tea with its blend of coconut flakes, pineapple pieces, aloe vera pieces and Yerba Mate. Its flavours are slightly reminiscent of a pina colada. Before I go in to much more detail, let me show you my tea place for this tea. When I drink this tea this is where I imagine myself to be, relaxing in a hammock, drinking straight from a coconut.

A key ingredient to this tea is Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate is considered the green tea of South America. Yerba is Spanish for herb and unlike a tea bush the Mate is actually a tree growing as high as 15 metres. Grown in places like Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, Mate is high in antioxidants and whilst still containing caffeine it has less than traditional black teas and asian green teas. Much like your asian green teas, Yerba Mate based teas should be brewed at a lower temperature to black teas, say around 75 celsius, otherwise they too can become slightly bitter. Both the leaves and twigs are used in the tea which produce a herby taste.

Another ingredient in this tea that I'm fairly sure I've never ingested before is aloe vera. Usually it's something we find in gel form to ease the sting of sun burn. The health properties of aloe vera are disputed but none the less it adds a refreshing aftertaste to this blend.

This is a great tea for summer and a bonus is that it doesn't really need any sugar or sweetener as the pineapple adds enough sweetness. This tea is best consumed warm as the aroma is incredible.

Tea Tonic teas are not readily available in supermarkets however you can buy them online from the company direct or check their website for a stockist near you. The great thing about these teas is that you can purchase them so many ways. You can buy the small travel size tin of loose leaf tea like the one pictured below, a large tea caddy, tea bags or even half a kilo of the blend! In my honest opinion the best thing to do is browse through the Tea Tonic online store and purchase yourself a tea bag sampler box containing the Coconut Tea, Apple Tree Tea and many other fantastic blends.

The Verdict

Tea: Coconut Tea

Store: Tea Tonic (online store)

Rating: 5/5 

Comment: A perfect summer tea for relaxing or even jump starting your morning. Make sure you brew it correctly at around 70-80 degree celsius and drink it warm.