Try these vegan and gluten-free teas from Oteas

Whether enjoying earl grey for tea time or serving chai during book club, the vast array of teas in the world is intriguing and ever changing. For those who enjoy a regular or even infrequent spot of tea should also pay attention to the quality of the product and the sustainability of the packaging. Oteas has you covered on both accounts.

A row of Oteas packages with a Oteas branded mug in front of it

Oteas is a Canadian brand, presumably a name stemming from the fact that it offers a wide variety of “O”rganic “Teas” (Oteas). They offer certified vegan, GMO-free and gluten-free assortments. Each blend is made from whole leaves rather than crushed. In addition to a focus on providing a high-quality beverage, it’s mission since its start is to remain committed to sustainable actions, saying, “We recognize the effects of our current climate crisis and knew as a small business we needed to be the change.”

Oteas are also hand-blended with sustainably-sourced, plant-based ingredients. They offer a wide breadth of flavors, including black tea and apricot, black tea and white chocolate, cinnamon punch and honey and white nougat. There are rarely seen blends like rhubarb and passionfruit and orange. Then there are the common green, black, matcha, mint and chai teas. Even the standby flavors come with a bit of a unique twist such as the standard Moroccan mint. Similarly, there are six combinations that include Rooibos. According to the company, they are “responsibly sourcing ingredients from popular growing areas, including Darjeeling, Assam, South India, Nepal, Ceylon, Japan, Kenya and Java/Sumatra.”

Teas are available in loose leaf form or can come in bags. The company is committed to 100% plant-based packaging and provides 100% plastic-free, biodegradable, zero-waste quality tea. To achieve this goal, they use bio-based plastic inside the cardboard box that houses the tea, so it is plastic-free. These bags, along with the tea bags and tags, are certified biodegradable and household compostable.

To further show its commitment to the environment, Oteas partners with 1 Percent for the Planet with 1% of sales going towards non-profit groups and organizations working together to better the environment. Oteas earned Clean Eating Magazine’s Clean Choice Award for Innovation in Sustainable Beverages.

Tea bag seeping in a glass cup

Personal review

The company reached out, offering to send samples. As a daily tea drinker, I happily accepted. A few days later, a generous sampling arrived, and I’ve been eagerly sipping my way through the options in the awesome glass travel glass they included. We even had a nighttime tea party with the young adults in the house for some tastings and feedback.

The box arrived and, as promised, packaging was entirely plastic-free. Each of the seven boxes of tea I received was made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) mix cardboard, sourcing that ensures sustainable forest harvests. The colorful and artistic box designs are printed with vegetable ink so the boxes can also go into the recycling or the compost bin. The only suggestion I have is to label the flavor on each tag so the user can identify the tea bag once removed from the box.

Berry blend, raspberry leaf and strawberries and cream

These three options each smell exactly as the name suggests, and they are fragrant! A steeping time is suggested for each tea. The berry blend and strawberries and cream both steep five to 10 minutes. Of course I started sipping before the 10-minute mark. I couldn’t help myself. I will say the flavors are pleasantly bold, so consider removing the bag by the maximum steep time suggested. The strawberries and cream got a little strong for me after 15 minutes or so, but I balanced it out with a bit more hot water. I’m not sure how they achieved the subtle cream flavor, but it’s there.

Both these blends have the primary ingredient of hibiscus, yet they achieve vastly different flavors from there. While the hibiscus is notable, the combination of ingredients like raisins, elderberries, rose hips and apple pieces fill in the taste profile, each with its own contribution. The raspberry leaf has a short three to five minute steep time and, although it also contains hibiscus and rose hips, it has a taste all its own with more of a green contribution from the primary ingredient of raspberry leaves.

Lemongrass, ginger and cinnamon

This is my favorite combination of the selections I tasted. However, taste is extremely subjective. My son enjoyed the raspberry leaf and his girlfriend couldn’t get enough of the berry blend. These flavors filter through, offering a taste of each ingredient in the name. It’s balanced with a bit of a citrus overtone and a lingering dab of spice in the mix.

Hey dude organic hemp tea

This is the most unusual tea I’ve ever had. The name is fun and it’s the only tea I received that has caffeine. Honestly, this one’s not my cup of tea (pun intended). The primary ingredients are bean peels and roasted mate, which gives it a very earthy flavor. The apple pieces, hemp and cinnamon move in a little slower for the finish. When I come back around to this one, I plan to try it with a pinch of honey or agave.

Organic digestive liquorice and mint

I was apprehensive of a title with liquorice in it. I like liquorice but it can easily be an overwhelming flavor. Not here. This combination does everything right. The mint is the overtone flavor and the liquorice slips in with just enough strength to make you question what it is. The ingredient list is literally peppermint leaves and liquorice root. It doesn’t get any more natural than that.

Organic sleep well

Finally, we have the bedtime tea as I call it. My system may be programmed to pass out following a dose of chamomile and mint in my standby bedtime teas, but this blend offers an intriguing variety that goes well beyond the standard chamomile, which it does contain as the final ingredient on the list. Surprisingly, the main ingredient is green rooibos, which, based on prior experience, may have been a turnoff if I had known prior. But the typical flavor I found very earthy. It is mellowed with lemon verbena and a touch of ginger, delightful but subtle orange peel and a dash of fennel, liquorice and peppermint.

I’ve never really considered myself a tea connoisseur, but I do select fair trade and organic blends when making my choices. Oteas raised the bar for me, and I’m already considering what flavors I’m going to explore next.

+ Oteas

Photography by Dawn Hammon

Editor’s Note: This product review is not sponsored by YouBodyCare. All opinions on the products and company are the author’s own.

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/3vRFx50
via IFTTT

Comentarios

imagenes del medio ambiente para dibujar

5 Benefits of Drip Irrigation Systems

If you want a stunning yard and a low water bill, a drip irrigation system could be for you. Image: Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images If you live in one of the parts of the country that’s been struggling with drought (or you just don’t want to spend a fortune on your water bill), you’ve probably felt that you face a choice with your outdoor areas. You can either be water conscious or have a beautiful, lush yard, right? When you’ve opted for traditional irrigation systems like sprinkler heads, that’s often true. But, good news, that’s not your only option as far as types of irrigation systems go. If you want a beautiful yard without the high water usage — and resulting bill! — a drip irrigation system could be just what you need. What is a drip irrigation system? This way to water your plants uses dripped water. A drip irrigation system runs either a perforated hose or drip emitters (connected by a hose) under the soil throughout your planting bed. Water drips through small h

New riverside development in China will be an urban renewal

Architects VenhoevenCS have won a major riverside redevelopment in Shenzhen, China . They hope to protect large areas of land from flooding while also creating a vibrant new urban identity for the Bao’an district. The Pailao River Blueway Project constitutes a new biodiverse landscape along the central Pailoa River, an area under rapid urban development where rainfall intensity is increasing. Architects are using this project to design with the water instead of against it. It includes elements such as ponds, green roofs, urban farming plots, wetlands and soft banks, contributing to a natural sponge effect to absorb excess water from the river . Related: 100-year-old railway yard turned into a green space VenhoevenCS also has their sights set on integrating urban regeneration in the area. They have planned cultural and social spaces, including pavilions and parks for cyclists and pedestrians. The design illustrates their nature-inclusive approach, reshaping how humans and the natu

Say hello to the new Toyota electric vehicle, the bZ4X

Toyota is trying to win the electric vehicle game with a stylish new SUV loaded with techy features. The all-electric bZ4X will be rolling onto the lots of U.S. auto dealers this spring. If the name doesn’t immediately strike you as catchy, it might help to understand that “bZ” stands for “beyond zero.” The bZ4X is the first of seven in Toyota’s new line of bZ vehicles. That’s seven out of 15 BEVs, to throw another acronym at you. BEVs are battery electric vehicles, as opposed to HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) or PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles). Related: Consider these factors before buying an electric vehicle All these Vs will help speed Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Already, Toyota has more than 20 million models on the world’s roads. The company has pledged to invest another $70+ billion in EVs over the next nine years. So, back to the bZ4X. According to Toyota, the new “BEV-dedicated platform, a first for Toyota, was developed with Subaru

NASA to test the world's first electric airplane

NASA has shared details of its new all-electric plane that is set to take off to the sky this fall. The plane is designed to run fully on electric batteries , departing from the tradition of fuel-powered planes. If all goes well, this will be the first step toward achieving a cleaner, cheaper, and quieter future for aviation. Known as the X-57, the plane is lightweight compared to traditional planes . Its weight helps it use less power over the same distance compared to its equal fuel-powered planes. Further, the plane produces less noise as compared to fuel-powered options. According to NASA, the plane is currently being prepared for initial tests, which will be conducted in the desert east of Los Angeles. Related: Rolls-Royce unveils prototype for world’s fastest electric plane The plane borrows its design from a four-seater plane constructed by the Italian Tecnam corporation. The main reason for this is to help in comparison of the two models of the design. The experts at NASA w

Biomimicry house hints at a solution to the climate crisis

Houses separate us from nature. At least, that’s the idea we’ve had until now. Architecture that uses biomimicry , permaculture and related practices to keep nature in our building spaces offers a green alternative. B+H Architects Director of Biomimicry Jamie Miller is an advocate of sustainable building practices like biomimicry to help with the climate crisis. Biomimicry creates an architectural option that keeps us connected to nature, without removing the biodiversity from the spaces where we live and work. Now the B+H Architects’ newest residential project shows us how a home can blend right into nature itself. Related: It looks like a shark fin and helps urban river flooding A house that disappears into the landscape “Imagine stepping inside a house that disappears into a forest all without ever leaving the city,” B+H said. A landowner in Bengaluru, India wanted to achieve just that, connecting his home to nature within a dense urban area. He didn’t just want to live wit

What are stellar earthquakes that make stars move?

What are stellar earthquakes that make stars move? The Gaia mission of the European Space Agency revealed the earthquakes that occur thousands of light years away. Argentine astronomers explain the scope of this space telescope and its discoveries. In 2013 the European Space Agency (ESA), launched a unique space mission: the Gaia space observatory, a spacecraft designed specifically for astrometry: the science that measures the positions, distances and motions of stars with a precision never seen before. Scientists say the mission aims to build the largest and most accurate 3D space catalog ever made of the observable universe, with a total of approximately two billion astronomical objects, mainly stars, but also planets, comets, asteroids and quasars, among other fascinating objects in the vastness of space. This week, ESA released a new update of data collected by Gaia in the last three years, after having observed 10 million stars and space objects, which led to the publication of s

Bananatex launches a sustainable material revolution at Milan Design Week

A party of three has collaborated to create a multi-purpose material sourced entirely from banana leaves. Swiss bag brand QWSTION, a yarn specialist from Taiwan, and a Taiwanese weaving partner spent four years developing the new material, which is being revealed at the 2019 Milan Design Week. The strong, flexible material, called Banantex, offers a new universal option in the search for sustainable materials . Beginning at the source, the banana leaves come from a natural ecosystem of sustainable forestry in the Philippines. The banana trees grow naturally without the use of pesticides or other chemicals. Plus, they do not require any additional water. The banana plants are a boon to an area previously eroded by palm plantations, bringing back vegetation and a livelihood for local farmers. Related: See how banana trees are recycled into vegan “leather” wallets in Micronesia With a long history of creating materials from sustainable resources, QWSTION saw the strength and dura

Diet for Depression: 8 Foods To Eat And Avoid

According to the World Health Organization, more than 264 million people suffer from depression globally. [1] Symptoms of depression can include sadness, lethargy and a general loss of interest in life. There are a number of ways to combat this and a diet for depression can help not only your mental health but your well-being as well. In fact, a 2017 study found that the symptoms of people with moderate-to-severe depression improved when they received nutritional counseling sessions and ate a more healthful diet for 12 weeks. [2] Just imagine having higher levels of optimism, energy, positivity, focus, and a greater interest in life. Well, you can. Making some adjustments to your diet can help with your depression. Not only are there foods that you could eat to help with your depression but there are foods that you should avoid. Foods That Help With Depression 1. Oily Fish Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, light tuna and mackerel are a healthy source of Vitamin D. [3]

New biofabricated clothing made from algae goes through photosynthesis just like plants

There are a products that completely revolutionize the fashion industry for their eco-friendly approach and innovative vision. Although the fashion industry has made strides over the past few years in terms of sustainable clothing production, there is still a long ways to go. Thankfully, a handful of designers are coming up with incredibly innovative solutions to really change the concept of eco-fashion . One such visionary is Canadian-Iranian designer Roya Aghighi , whose new line of clothing, Biogarmentry, is made from algae that turns carbon dioxide into oxygen via photosynthesis. Made in collaboration with University of British Colombia (UBC) and Emily Carr Univeristy, the Biogarmentry line is a revolutionary design within the world of eco-fashion . While most sustainable designers are searching for fabrics that don’t harm the environment, Aghighi went straight to the environment for her unique fabric, using living, photosynthetic cells in its design. Related: SAOLA offers su

Eco Vlog News

Welcome to my Vlog about the environment and general news related to it. The advancement of technology and the expansion of the human being are inevitable and an essential mark left by progress as a race, but it is important in the process not to lose respect for the environment and the world in which we live. Become aware of its deterioration as an initial measure to begin to become aware of how to take care of it. For these reasons, our little grain of sand as a contribution to an ecological blog in which we offer you the latest Internet news as a reference so that you can inform yourself and become aware of it. In the articles you can find the respective news sources and most current magazines on which the subject in question is being addressed.

Eco-Vlog

Buscar este blog