Ironically, I quickly grew out of that mindset in Taipei as many restaurants, especially hole-in-the-wall spots, only offered tea or plain water. I immediately realized that traditional Chinese teas were nothing like the horrible Lipton yellow tea bags mom used to make iced tea from (sorry Mom).

Since that point, I couldn’t get enough tea. I’d order wholesale tea everywhere, I’d buy it anywhere, and I’d drink it all day. I think my love affair with tea was superseding my obsession with wine. And with that, I took the time to start learning more about the different types and qualities of tea, justifying why it was ok to spend $50 or more on a high-end award-winning option. From that point forward, anywhere I travel, I look not only for local wines and coffee, but now tea as well.

Although I am no longer living in Asia and focusing on Chinese teas, I am continuing to learn more about all teas’ properties, benefits, and the important cultural aspects that often come into play.

We’d like to introduce a new series on Our Tasty Travels called Tea Tuesday. I want to start sharing some of these awesome finds we’ve encountered in our travels and hopefully ignite some passion for tea in others.

And to kick Tea Tuesday off, here’ s our first post on a very unique find: Grapefruit Chili Pepper Green and White Tea — found in a Netherlands grocery store of all places!

Grapefruit and Chili Pepper? Really?

Surprisingly, it’s good.

Really good!

I was rather surprised when I tried it because in my head, the idea of grapefruit and chili pepper in a tea was not exciting me. Although I have tried salsa with grapefruit and even salad dressing, just something about those flavors combined in my morning tea made me want to crawl back in bed.

The grapefruit is not overpowering and the chili pepper adds just the perfect touch of spice on the finish. When I did a web search to see where I could buy this online, I wasn’t coming up with any options. Sorry, but unless you are visiting The Netherlands and stop by one of the Albert Heijn grocery stores, you are likely out of luck.

Grapefruit and Chili Peppers

Wondering on why the combination of flavors and types of tea? My guess is because all of these are naturally strong antioxidants, they help with weight loss, and the flavors do work well together. Grapefruit is also said to balance out blood sugar levels and help prevent metabolic syndrome. Chili peppers are said to speed up metabolism and aid in weight loss.

Green and White Teas

There is endless documentation on the wonders of green tea — from helping with fat burning to increasing mental alertness. It is believed to play a role in the prevention of various cancers and aid in the treatment of many stomach disorders. Some people even use the leaves directly on the skin to soothe a sunburn!

White tea is one of the best out there but you don’t hear about it very often unless you are “into tea”. It’s the least processed and has a host of health benefits including cancer prevention, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and some believe it even makes your skin healthier. White tea also is said to be a natural killer of bacteria and viruses and its small dose of fluoride might help keep your teeth and gums healthier.

Triangle Tea Bags

Although this tea is ridiculously cheap (1,35 euros), it utilizes triangular tea bags. You might be thinking, ” so what?” Typically, higher end tea companies are switching to the triangle bags that are made out of nylon and they are sewn shut rather than stapled or chemically heat-sealed.

The benefits of the triangle shape allow the leaves to swell and infuse additional flavor, while helping reduce breakage or “tea dust”.

Have you tried grapefruit chili pepper tea before? Tips on where else to find this interesting flavor?