There are several different tea blends, some made from all traditional tea, some from herbal tea leaves, and even some herbal and regular tea leaves mixed.
The more popular are made with your average black tea varieties, and come in loose leaf and tea bag form. Some examples are Lipton and Tetley teas which use Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya black tea varieties in their tea bag products...all which are balanced to brew a consistent cup.
For a more enjoyable cup of tea, loose-leaf-blended tea is recommended over your everyday tea bag, and also offer some great blends!
Irish Breakfast Tea
As stated, this is a great breakfast tea, and is a blend of Assam and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) teas. For the most, Assam tea is more present which is a kind of Indian black tea. The leaves are generally small, and produce a full-bodied cup that has a malty and citrus taste. Sometimes it may even taste a bit bitter, so adding a drop of honey helps round it out.
Herbal Green Tea
This blend take the leaves of Chinese or Japanese tea, and mixes it with herbs such as ginger, ginseng root, or even fruits such as mango and apricot. The result is an exotic tasting tea which adds character to the exciting taste of green tea. Also, for the folks who feel green tea is too grassy for them, these tea blends make a perfect alternative since they help mask the vegetal taste.
Earl Grey Tea
Although this is not a true blend per se, it does somewhat fall into the category. This popular tea takes black tea leaves which is then infused with bergamot orange oil. A great everyday tea that goes perfect with an afternoon treat. Many folks add lemon in this tea to give it more depth. Also, the tea may include white, green, and oolong infused leaves too.
Herbal Tea Blends
Tisanes such as chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, and lemon grass can be mixed together to make interesting concoctions. They may also be mixed with the leaves of regular tea and bring out new flavor to the cup. However, not all tisanes will mix well with all teas. Some trial and error may occur not giving you the flavor you attempted, but it never hurts to experiment.
You can also mix regular tea such as white with green, different varieties of black teas, and also oolong teas as well. If you have two favorite white teas, for example, you can mix them. I've done it, and since white tea has a sweet and mild taste, the mixing of the two won't destroy your sipping enjoyment.
Mixing different black teas like one variety of Assam with another, or two Darjeeling types can also produce an interesting cup! It comes down to what tea you like, and how you think it will fair with another favorite type or variety.
The above are just some of many tea blends you can play with to create your own unique cup!
