Tea of the Week: Pukka’s Lemon, Ginger, and Manuka Honey

I’ll admit it, I’m not always the biggest fan of herbal teas. Sometimes, they can taste medicinal, bitter, or just plain strange. Just when I want to write them off, I’ll stumble upon a blend that changes my mind. It’s possible for caffeine-free blends to be every bit as delicious as tea-based ones…sometimes, it just takes a bit of trial and error. One of these pleasing herbal blends is Pukka’s Lemon, Ginger, and Manuka Honey Herbal Tea…enticing from first site to last sip!

If you aren’t familiar with the tea company Pukka, this colorful, vibrant brand is built on organic herbal teas for well-being. If you ever come across a set of Pukka’s teas, you won’t be able to take your eyes off of them. Each box looks like an artfully wrapped gift. The mere glimpse of their packaging makes me feel like some yoga and meditation time are in order.

I first discovered Pukka Teas at the Berkeley Bowlan artisan food store just outside of the U.C. Berkeley campus, which happens to be my hubby’s alma mater. It’s not surprising to find a brand like Pukka in place Berkeley, as the label prides itself on values like healthfulness, conservation, and the protection of nature. You can literally taste that vision in each sip of their teas…all of their brews are naturally organic and free of artificial flavoring.

If you like the spicy taste of ginger, then you will certainly enjoy this blend. At first, you’ll taste the sharp acidity and slight bitterness of the lemons. This gentle kick is followed by a tinge of heat from the ginger followed by a smooth, lingering touch of mild sweetness from manuka honey, a New Zealand sourced treasure that’s thought to have antioxidant properties.

As we head into flu season, Pukka’s Lemon, Ginger, and Manuka Honey Tea is the ideal brew to nourish yourself with. The blend is so deeply soothing that you can easily drink it before an afternoon snooze or even just before bedtime. Whether you are feeling sick or not it doesn’t matter, because this rejuvenating cup of pure comfort is bliss anytime you’re in need of some extra TLC.

Tasting Notes for Pukka’s Lemon, Ginger, & Manuka Honey Herbal Tea:

BREWING TIPS:  212 degrees F for at least 5 minutes. Just leave the tea bag in to steep for as long as you want!

THE BLEND:  Sun-ripened Sicilian lemons and ginger root, both slow-dried. The blend also has licorice root, elderflower, fennel seed, lemon verbena leaf, turmeric root, lemon essential oil, lemon myrtle leaf, and manuka honey flavor mixed in.

THE SCENT:  Smells of sunny citrus blossoms and fragrant ginger.

THE STEEP:  The tisane is floral, slightly sweet, and very smooth and soothing. Brews to a frosty yellow like fresh lemonade. Even though the blend has a good amount of lemon and ginger root, it isn’t harsh, acidic, or bitter. The fennel seeds help to round out the flavors without overwhelming the brew.

GET IT:  Find this blend online at the Pukka’s beautiful site and also on Amazon or some vitamin/health food stores. If you are ever around the Berkeley area in Northern California, definitely check out the Berkeley Bowl, where you’ll find a huge variety of Pukka’s teas to choose from and many other organic goodies as well!

FOOD PAIRING:  This blend will enhance any lightly sweet treat with ginger or lemon in it. Gingersnaps, a lemon poppy seed muffin, or a thick slice of Hachiya Persimmon Bread would all be perfect with this herbal brew.

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Bonnie Eng

So happy to see you here Martina! Pukka does such a wonderful job of helping to convert pure tea lovers into herbal lovers as well. I’m curious…what are your favorite herbal teas? I’m always up for a new tea discovery! 🙂

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Martina

Thanks Bonnie! Well I change my mind every other week. Right now I love Yogi’s orange, ginger and vanilla but my favourite right now is a green tea from Tencha with grapefruit and açai flavour. It’s soooo tasty. I wonder though if Tencha is a Swiss brand. I can’t seem to find out..

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Bonnie Eng

Wow, thanks so much Lisa! I just visited your blog and am now a follower as well…I bet you can make a killer omelette! I love Pukka teas, and must say that this blend is one of my favorites…it would pair wonderfully with breakfast or brunch type foods..hope you love it! 🙂

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Bonnie Eng

Yes, I totally know what you mean Daisy! This blend is just different enough to be interesting. There are many traditional flavors here, so I think it’s a good choice for gaining a new appreciation for herbals. 🙂

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shootingvienna

Oh finally a brand I know and can by here in Vienna, thanks for the review Bonnie! My friend recommends me Pucca all the time but this lemon ginger tea sounds perfect for me and my throat. Always wanted to try out manuka honey anyways 🙂

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Bonnie Eng

Wow, who knew Pukka was sold in Vienna! Do you mind if I ask…is it sold at regular grocery stores or fancier ones? Pukka is only sold at specialty food stores here in the US. And manuka is supposed to be a very healthful ingredient…some people even use it topically on their skin!

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shootingvienna

Yeah finally right?! Haha, sure no problem. I have mostly seen them in vegan/vegetarian shops but I will keep a look-out for them in other shops, don’t think they are available at normal groceries though! I have aslo heard of matcha facial masks but I’d rather drink it and saviour the taste 🙂

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platedujour

Aha! Finally! I know this tea 🙂 It’s true that is delicious, and you know I’m not a big fun of ginger but this combination it wonderful 🙂 I hope you’re having a nice week xx

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Bonnie Eng

It’s so neat that I’ve finally featured a tea that my international readers enjoy too! Now we are truly connected through our cups of tea! 😉

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Margie Ann Stanko

Bonnie,

I’m wondering if you could tell me the name of a good matcha tea for smoothies and food preparation. I’ll be needing to order it online, as the rural town I’m in has no sense of the exotic…:). Thanks so much.

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Bonnie Eng

Hey there Margie! Presently, there are a few that I love using for culinary purposes…one brand is Mizuba and the other is Aiya. I love them not only because they have great flavor but also for their brilliant color. Culinary matcha is a lesser grade than regular drinking matcha, but even so it’s important that the blend should taste wonderful and also be economical…hope this helps Margie!! 🙂
http://www.mizubatea.com/products/culinary-organic-matcha
http://aiyamatcha.com/consumers/index.php/matcha-poducts/cooking-grade-matcha-100-gram-bag.html

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Ngan R.

I’ve never seen this brand before, but will definitely look it up as the lemon ginger tea sounds great for a cold evening!

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Bonnie Eng

Ngan, you should be able to find this brand easily up in NorCal. I think you will really love their products as they focused on health and well-being, without artificial flavorings. Many of their blends would pair deliciously with your beautiful baked creations…good luck finding!

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PaulaW

On the same shelf as the Lemon Ginger Honey Tea was a box of Pukka Three Cinnamon, a mixture of Indian, Indonesian and Vietnamese cinnamon. I brought both boxes and oh my goodness, the Cinnamon tea is absolutely lovely with some local honey.

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