Detox

yaaay i’m drinking this again. as predicted, i could not resist the impulse to mix this with Stash’s Organic Premium Green (teabag format; apparently it comes in loose leaf, which i did not know!)

i’m on a new box! that’s right….living life on the edge. and i’m noticing this one smells just a tad bit fresher, brighter, and with the licorice more pronounced in the blend. the longer it steeps, the more the aniseed comes through. at first i thought fennel was playing a bigger role than it actually is. i came to such a conclusion after purchasing Numi’s Organic Fennel Spice savory tea (which is delicious!) and which is undeniably fennel in an undoubtedly non-aniseed way. i know licorice, so no guessing game there. i also know aniseed as i have it at home, so any previous notes claiming fennel is the dominant flavor in Pukka’s Detox, i now realize was much more aniseed. so there you have it!

oh, and the bready, pretzel note i keep getting, as it turns out, is actually from the Stash Organic Green tea i mix it with! will elaborate in a tasting note on that separately.

add a dash of salt—and people—you could have soup! well, broth. this could double as a non-alcoholic aperitif or palate cleanser. or just to help with digestion. what i love about this Detox blend, is that there are no suspect herbs or drugs that might impact your system unfavorably. this is detox the natural way (or relaxation or meditation, whichever you prefer..) the aroma is certainly soothing and the taste, pleasant.

also- the licorice in this is very nice and gentle. not that i mind it at higher (thicker, sweeter) doses, but i’m so impressed at how it plays nice in this medley. the initial burst i got from the aroma was refreshing, truly. all in all, this herbal blend is invigorating but ultimately calming.

so i’m a fennel/aniseed/licorice fiend. apparently.

Here’s a new (to me) herbal tea from Pukka I haven’t tried. I don’t really know if I need to detox anything but the combination of fennel, licorice, aniseed and cardamom seemed like it would be a really good digestif.

This tisane steeps up to be a golden yellow and tastes about as I was expecting it would. Not really something I would drink for the sheer joy of it, but it isn’t too bad. Smells and tastes very strongly of fennel and licorice which drowns out the cardamom a bit. I can’t say that I love the flavor but I think this will be very handy to have around in case of a stomach ache. If you hate the flavor of licorice, be sure to skip this!

Interestingly (for me anyway), this one is called “pure” in Japan. But it’s the same exact tea. I wonder why “detox” wasn’t used. I guess only pukka knows. I have been drinking this one before bed, to help settle my tummy, and because it’s actually pretty delicious. It reminds me a bit of the tea that Aveda used to give me whenever I went into their store or went to get my hair dyed by them- it’s the aniseseed and fennel, I think. Either way, I associate this tea with good feelings, and relaxation, so that’s tough to argue with. Plus, you can leave the tea bag in the water forever, and it never tastes oversteeped.

I got this tea over the weekend because I was fasinated with the smell. The taste is delicate and different so I’m pleased with my purchase. I haven’t taken the teabag out of the thermos, it’s tasting better with each sip.

Pukka Days of Christmas#1

Catching up. Browsing a bit through Pukka´s webpage and on steepster, I think the blend I tried with the name “Feel new” corresponds to what was used to be called “Detox” (the change must have been carried out at the beginning of 2019).
The advent calender reads “for mornings after the night before” and that´s why I decided to have it when my stomach was a bit upset …I can see cardamom in the teabag, but the aniseed and fennel come through without further observation. The brew offers indeed those two in an enjoyable yet not too exciting “fusion” and I must admit my stomach felt good with it as well.

I think I picked this tea up from a friend a few years ago, not reading the ingredients list until I got to adding it into my tea cupboard. If I’d seen the heavy anise-flavoured ingredients I wouldn’t have touched it.

But here we are, it’s still in date and I need to clear down my huge box of single-serving tea bags to make room for more worthy loose leaf blends.

I was surprised at how subtle the flavours were – I brewed for half the recommended time in an attempt to calm the anise, but I don’t think that was really necessary now I’ve read other tasting notes for this tea.

It’s not too strong, the anise flavour from the aniseed and fennel is hugged by the cardamom to add some warmth. There’s also a damp grass/woody herb aroma/flavour. It provoked a very specific memory for me, from summer mornings in my garden. I describe it a bit better in my full blog review.

Despite not being a fan of anise, I’d still recommend this tea. It’s quite nice and I’d drink it again… but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it. Full review with comprehensive notes and a few pictures of this tea in my favourite vintage tea cup: https://www.immortalwordsmith.co.uk/pukka-detox-tea-review/

350/365

This one’s described as an aniseed, fennel & cardamom blend, but it also features liquorice and coriander. At first glance it doesn’t sound as busy as some Pukka teas I’ve tried, which is encouraging. I also spent most of Saturday at a beer festival, so it seems fitting to begin the week with a detox tea – despite the fact that it’s not usually my thing. I’m more about moderation, in general.

I’ve tried a few detox-type teas in my time, though, and this has to be one of the nicest tasting I’ve come across so far. Fennel and aniseed are the main flavours, followed by liquorice. The overall effect is very sweet, but thankfully the liquorice isn’t too cloying. Another case of Pukka getting the balance right there, which I appreciate.

There’s not much cardamom at all, and very little coriander. On the whole, it’s a little too sweet for my tastes (when do I ever say that?!), but nice all the same. I’d drink it again, but for flavour more than supposed effects.

Well tasting. Does have to steep the Whole 15 min to get the full taste out of it. Very Nice anise aroma but also a pronounced cardamom taste. Its herbal so its safe to use in the evening for coffein sensitive People. Sweetish. A sting of the anis and licorice.

Thanks to MissB for passing down a couple bags of this! TMI, but I’m hardcore PMSing right now, especially after (temporarily) going off BC so I’m extra crampy than usual. And hella ravenous. Wow. I haven’t experienced this since before I started using BC.

So this is perfect for feeling better. That sweet licorice root is so soothing, but not overly sweet like it sometimes can be. Anise is also at the top, so yay! Love that stuff. I can maybe taste the slightly sharper fennel underneath them. And luckily no coriander.

glistening blackness
frozen flame with steaming ice
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