The "King of Fruit" as it is sometimes known, mangoes have been cultivated for centuries and is one of the most commonly consumed tropical fruits in the world! Originally, mangoes have been grown in East India, Burma and the Andaman Islands around the 5th Century BCE, but are now cultivated in just about every corner of the globe! Aside from being delicious and sweet, mangoes have long been associated with tranquility, harmony and peace in the eastern world. Legend has it that Buddha himself would often seek rest in a grove of mango trees. In some parts of India it was believed that mango trees were a sacred symbol of love and some even believed mango trees could grant wishes! Even to this day Hindus hang fresh leaves from mango trees outside their doors during Ponggol, the Hindu New Year, as a blessing for peace in the New Year. Mangoes are not only delicious and seen as a sign of peace and even love but they are also great for the health! Mangoes are high in antioxidants which may help prevent cancer. Mangoes are also high in vitamin A which promotes good eyesight and, with the help of vitamin C also found in mangoes, strengthens the immune system. Mangoes also contain many enzymes which may aid digestion. Not only that but mangoes when eaten and even used externally on the skin may improve the appearance and health of skin, specifically in helping clear pores and eliminate pimples. Here at TeaZehri we think that mangoes are a symbol of all of the above; peace, love and health. Not to mention, they are undeniably delicious! Want more mango in your life? We can help; we've got a mango tea that will suit any mango lover! Our Mango Mango tea is a flavoured black tea that is blended with high quality Ceylon tea, mango pieces, lime leaves, calendula and sunflower petals, which lends this tea a delightfully sweet and sunny quality, perfect for brewing iced tea. We also have our Ginger Mango flavoured black tea, for a bit of a kick to balance the sweetness of the mango. Blended with high quality Ceylon black tea, ginger and mango pieces, calendula and sunflower petals for very mild floral notes to round out the tea. Find our Mango Mango and Ginger Mango teas here. Our Tropical Blue Mango tea is a flavoured green tea that is blended with Sencha green tea, that has been made to Japanese standards, pineapple pieces, mallow petals and natural mango flavours. This tea is perfect for you green tea lovers who also enjoy mango. Find this tea here. For those that prefer non-caffeinated beverages we've got options for you too! Our Misty Mango tea is a flavoured rooibos tea, blended with choice grade #1 Rooibos tea, mango and pineapple pieces, blackberry leaves and calendula petals. The rooibos lends a mildly sweet and malty base and the mango and pineapple give a tropical sweetness. This naturally caffeine free tea is great for everyone! Find this tea here. And our Lemon Mango Montage Tisane tea is an especially great summer tea. Blended with apple, rosehip and lemon pieces, hibiscus petals and natural mango flavours. This tea is also naturally caffeine free and naturally sweetened by the fruit pieces in this blend, making it an excellent iced tea! Find it here.

Ah, strawberries, beautiful, juicy, vibrant and sweet. This classic and versatile summer fruit, is actually part of the rose family, and generally bloom somewhere between April and June (depending on how far north you are). This amazing fruit goes perfectly in everything from desserts to salads and of course tea! The strawberry was once known as a symbol of Venus, the roman goddess of love, due to it's heart shape and vibrant red colour. For a time the Greeks banned the consumption of strawberries and other red fruits which led many to believe that the berries held some kind of great and mysterious power. Although strawberries may not possess magical secrets or powers, they do contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that help to reduce joint inflammation. Strawberries are also said to help burn stored fat and aid weight loss, boost short term memory, ease inflammation, lower cardiovascular disease, counteract the aging process and promote bone and eye health. Not only that but strawberries are high in fiber and low in calories, a cup of strawberries contains only 54 calories! Strawberries have also been considered by some to be an aphrodisiac, which is no surprise considering it's association with Venus, it's red colour, heart-like shape and it's connection to the rose family. There is even a legend that says if you find a double strawberry and break it in two with someone special, it will bring true love. Fragaria Virginiana or Wild Strawberries, also known as Wood Strawberries - due to their propensity to grow in forests, although smaller than their commercially available counterparts, are considered to be more full-bodied in flavour. Wild strawberries are known to grow anywhere from forests to fields, lawns to stream-sides and riverbanks and even in roadside ditches! North American Natives even had many traditional and therapeutic uses for the wild variant of the fruit. If you love strawberries, then you've come to the right place! We've got several delightful tea options that feature the bright red berry. We have a Wild Strawberry flavoured black tea that is blended with high grown Ceylon black tea, papaya, strawberry (of course) and blackberry leaves. A classic blend of tea perfect iced or hot! Our Florida Strawberry tea is a great option for those green tea drinkers who also love strawberries! Blended with Japanese Sencha green tea, papaya and strawberry, this fragrant tea is also another wonderful iced option but is great hot as well! Strawberry Kiwi tisane tea is definitely the way to go during summer time. Apple, rosehip, kiwi, strawberry and hibiscus make for a vibrant and fragrant summery blend that is naturally sweet and caffeine free, which makes it great for everyone! You can't go wrong when its made hot, iced or even into popsicles! Lastly our Lady Londonberry Lavender is a delightful flavoured black tea that combines the sweetness of strawberries with the aromatic and relaxing profile of lavender. A popular English tea choice.

The first rumored occurrence of chocolate addiction is said to have been during the ancient Mayan civilization sometime around 400AD. The Mayans were the first to process the confection and called it 'xocoatl', from which the English term 'chocolate' is derived. Originally chocolate was consumed in beverage form, not solid form. The invention of chocolate mousse is generally credited to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who was a famous French painter, noted lover of chocolate and fresh cream. Henri decided one day he was going to combine his favourite foods together with a bit of sugar and voilà! Chocolate mousse was born! However, it was Toulouse-Lautrec's friend, Aristide Bruant - also a chocolate lover, who gave him the idea to make a white chocolate version of his dessert invention. Toulouse agreed and thus a second mousse was made, White chocolate mousse! Sweet, creamy, velvety, and of course chocolatey are words used to describe not only Toulouse-Lautrec's culinary inventions, but also our White Chocolate Mousse flavoured black tea! Blended with high grown Ceylon tea, real white chocolate pieces, cocoa butter, calendula and sunflower this tea is sure to please! An excellent choice as a dessert tea or just as a little pick me up during the day, you simply can't go wrong!

Not only considered by some to be an aphrodisiac, Pomegranates are actually quite good for overall health. It is said pomegranates have anti-viral and anti-tumor properties. Pomegranates are also full of antioxidants (three times that of wine and green tea!) and vitamins such as vitamin E, A, C and folic acid. In fact, the high antioxidant content of pomegranates has put it on the list of 'Super fruits'. It is also said that eating pomegranates may relieve some symptoms of: stomach disorders, cancer, dental conditions, osteoarthritis, anemia and diabetes! The islanders of Madagascar have always known pomegranates to be a special gift of creation. In their native tongue it is known as 'Ampongabendanitra' or 'the great drum of heaven'. Numerous uses of this versatile fruit were discovered by the Malagasy people, with little of the fruit being wasted. They used the leaves to make ink, the skin was used to make treatments for stomach ailments, bark was used as a vermifuge (for ridding the body of parasites), and the fruit was used to make wine! We were so inspired by the pomegranate that we decided to create a tea that features this divine fruit along with ever-so aromatic orchid vanilla, high grown Ceylon tea, lime pieces, safflower, calendula and sunflower. All this resulting in a diverse cup of tea; with wine like notes of pomegranate, astringent fruity touches and of course a velvety smooth vanilla finish. Get yourself your own little bit of the great drum of heaven when you purchase our Pomegranate Vanilla flavoured black tea here. Thank the heavens for this delightful fruit, we certainly do!

Ice wine! The difficult to produce but unique and delightful beverage that we've taken inspiration from. Ice wine is produced when the grape is frozen solid on the vine and harvested at a maximum temperature of -10 degrees Celsius! The frozen grapes are pressed and what results are aromas of apricot and honey, a fine balance between fruity flavours, sweetness and acidity and finally a beautiful golden or rich deep amber colour. Notes of sweet fruit such as apricot, peach and melon are prevalent in the resulting ice wine. To be considered true ice wine, the wine must abide by certain rules that have been set out by the Vintner's Quality Alliance (or VQA for short), one of which is that the grapes must be naturally frozen - never artificially frozen. Ice wine is also made predominantly made with Vidal grapes, as they have a thick skin, which enables the grape clusters to withstand the elements. Ice wine is particularly difficult to produce, not only because the grapes have to withstand the elements, but also because crows and because other birds find Vidal grapes to be especially tasty and because conditions have to be just right to make true ice wine. After all of the element withstanding and surviving hungry birds, the wine undergoes weeks of fermentation followed by a few months of barrel aging. We couldn't resist blending the world of Ice wine with the world of tea, so we created our Icewine flavoured black tea! We've blended this tea not only with high quality orange pekoe grade black tea from the top three tea growing regions in Sri Lanka, but also with white tea, raisins and Ontario Ice Wine! This tea, in all it's iciness, is not only great hot during the winter but it is also great iced during the summer! Get yourself a little taste of the unique and rare flavour of ice wine with this tea, find it here.

The blue mango, mysterious, enchanting, beautiful and delicious! It's no wonder it has captivated so many. An Indian writer, named David Davidar, once said of the blue mango; "[it is] astonishingly beautiful" and recounted how the fruit glints blue in the dark green leaves of the trees. In Thai, the fruit is called "The Brahmin Who Sells His Wife", which commemorates the legend of a Thai man who fell in love with the fruit and sold his wife for a basket full of them! Another Eastern legend says that the meat of the blue mango is so sweet that after eating only one, you won't be able to taste sugar for three days! And did you know that mangoes have been widely cultivated and exported for millenia?! This mysterious and legendary fruit most definitely deserves a tribute, so we've commemorated it's reputation with a delightfully fruity and exotic green tea. Blended with a Sencha style green tea produced in the Hunan province of South Eastern China that has a smooth and almost honey-like character to it. We've then paired it with sweet and tart pineapple pieces and smooth mallow petals to compliment and enhance the bright, exotic and sweet mango flavour of this delightful tea. This tea is not only perfect when hot but when made iced it is also a wonderful refreshing treat on a hot summer's day. Sit back, relax and transport yourself with this tea to a sunny and warm location where the delectably sweet blue mango grows abundantly. Get your Tropical Blue Mango tea here.

Glycyrrhiza glabara or Licorice Root, is known colloquially around the world by many names, including Grandfather Herb. And it's use can be traced back as early as the time of ancient Egyptian civilization! The Egyptians believed that this herb, much in the same way a grandfather would care for his grandchildren, helped soothe and ease a variety of complaints and issues. So fond of the root were the Egyptians, that when Tutankhamen was entombed, licorice root was placed near his sarcophagus in the great pyramid at Giza! Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that licorice root has great healing power as well. In traditional Chinese medicine, licorice root was ground into a powder which was said to help heal the spleen, liver and kidneys. Ancient Chinese medicine practitioners believed that healthy internal organs helped increase spiritual and mental harmony. Licorice root was commonly used to help ease cough, sore throat and other respiratory tract ailments. Not only that but licorice root is believed to possibly help various digestive ailments as well; stomach ulcers, colic, heartburn and even chronic inflammation of stomach lining. Some gargle licorice root tea as a way to soothe canker sores and some even use licorice root as shampoo to help reduce oiliness in the hair! However, licorice's possible health benefits are best seen when consumed in moderation. It is advised to limit consumption; avoid consuming large amounts for more than four weeks, or smaller amounts long-term. It is also recommended that pregnant women avoid licorice root all together. Licorice lovers rejoice! You can feel good about enjoying this ancient and widely used herb.

It's almost May, spring has sprung and that means that we are nearing the time for the Queen of England's royal garden party at Buckingham Palace. We can assure you it's quite the affair; the Queen invites between 3,000 and 4,000 guests. Delightful nibbles are served, such as: cucumber and watercress sandwiches on white bread, smoked Scottish salmon paté, delicately flavoured Earl Grey cakes and most importantly, tea! The invited are guests from the far flung reaches of the British Empire. The common thread is that they have all made contribution to the British Commonwealth of Nations. Guests rub shoulders with lords, ladies, earls, dukes and duchesses from the aristocratic British society! At around 3:00 pm the Royal Family makes their entrance, mingling and chatting with the guests. The tea served at this royal event is a long time favourite and a delicious and harmonious medley of high grown pure Ceylon Earl Grey, with malty notes of Assam black tea from the Borengajuli estate in India, as well as notes of soft and floral jasmine from the Fujian Province of China. And to top all that off is a bit of flavourful Dimbula Ceylon from Hatton and golden East of Rift Kenyan tea from Kambaa and Kagwe. And there you have one of the most delightful, flavourful and diverse teas known to the British Isles! Become a part of the annual tradition that takes place in the west gardens of Buckingham Palace by getting yourself some of this wonderful blend of tea. Visit our online shop to pick up some of our Buckingham Palace Garden Party tea.

Refreshing, soothing and uplifting, it's no wonder that after thousands of years it's still being used in everything from chocolates and sweets to toothpastes and mouthwash! Peppermint has been around for so long we still aren't sure how it came about; it is believed to be a hybrid species that evolved from spearmint and watermint, but it's unclear if this is actually the case. It has been reported to have been used as a stewing herb by ancient Hebrews, cultivated for menthol by the Japanese two thousand years ago and even found in 3000 year old Egyptian tombs! These ancient civilizations had good cause for being so fond of this wonderful herb; it's many healing properties along with it's refreshing fragrance make it highly desirable. Peppermint has been used as a primary ingredient to remedy gastrointestinal complaints such as: heartburn, nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), cramps of the upper gastrointestinal tract and bile ducts, upset stomach, diarrhea, bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, and gas. Peppermint's digestive healing properties coupled with the fact that it is naturally caffeine-free makes it an excellent, digestive system soothing, after-dinner beverage. The minty herb has also been used to relieve the common cold, cough, inflammation of the mouth and throat, sinus infections, respiratory infections, headaches, toothaches, muscle aches and pains and even nerve pain! Peppermint may even help during those hot summer months, when temperatures are high and mosquitoes are abundant. Adding a handful of peppermint leaves to bath water is said to help cool the skin, and a little bit of peppermint oil is said to help repel mosquitoes! There are so many reasons to give peppermint a try, so why not? Get yourself some peppermint herbal tea here.

Did you know that during the early 1800's tea was so popular it actually caused wars? Keemun black tea varieties, which are grown and produced in China, were traditionally used in English Breakfast tea. During the 1800's tea was such the rage in England that there was a danger that the British Treasury would be drained because all the silver was being used to pay the Chinese for their tea. Meanwhile, India and Burma produced significant quantities of opium and in due course, the opium came into high demand in China. What evolved economically was the following; Opium was sent from India to British merchants who were stationed in Canton, China. The Chinese bought the opium from the British merchants using silver and the merchants received credits against debts in England. The silver collected from selling the opium was then used to pay for the Chinese tea! This cycle led to a number of wars dubbed "The Opium Wars". The last war was won by the British in 1860, which led to opium becoming a legal commodity up until 1908 when it was finally outlawed. Keemun was tea first produced in 1875, despite the Chinese practice and tradition being to produce green tea. The English had developed such a taste towards Chinese black tea, that it came into incredibly high demand; and thus the Keemun variety was created and soon became the staple for English Breakfast tea. Our Keemun variety, Keemun Panda #1, is a very full bodied and flavourful tea with a lot of depth. Very subtle fruity and wine-like notes make this tea a true delight to consume. Not only that but it takes milk very well, making it a great option as a breakfast tea or for any time of day! Visit our online shop to get yours!

You might be surprised to find out that black tea and green tea are quite different and yet similar! How so you ask? Well, aside from colour, there are a few things that either distinguish from or relate the two teas. One fact that relates the two together is that both green and black tea contain caffeine! This is because green and black tea are made from the same plant! They both begin as freshly picked Camelia Sinensis leaves. In fact all tea containing real tea leaves (black, green, oolong & white teas) comes from the very same Camelia Sinensis plant. The way the tea leaves are processed after being picked is what distinguishes the different types of tea. So how are green and black tea different to each other if they're made from the same plant? Black tea undergoes different processing than green tea. Tea leaves are picked and then left to oxidize for a period of time before being dried; this turns the tea leaves black, increases the caffeine content and also gives it a stronger and richer flavour. Green tea, on the other hand, is minimally processed. Tea leaves are harvested and then quickly heated; using either traditional methods such as: pan-frying or basket firing; or more modern methods may be used like: oven drying, tumbling or steaming. The leaves are then immediately dried to preserve the fresh green colour and flavour. The minimal processing keeps caffeine levels relatively low and flavour stays bright, fresh and vegetative. Oolong and White follow similar processing. Oolong is more oxidized than green tea, but less than black tea. And white tea undergoes even less processing than green tea; leaves and/or leaf buds are picked and almost immediately dried. Even though these teas come from the same plant, they actually taste better when brewed differently! For example, black tea tastes best steeped in boiled water for 3-5 minutes and green tea prefers water that is just under boiling temperatures for 2-3 minutes. Here is a handy guide for tea brewing: With over 80 teas in stock on our online shop, you're sure to find one you'll love, whether it's black, green or anything in between!

This all sounds so Shakespearean! Well, 'tis to a tea leaf. The term "Agony of the Leaf" refers to the unfurling of the tea leaf during infusion. This can be very dramatic to see and a wonderful stage of tea brewing. This is best done by putting loose tea leaves in a clear glass pot and letting them infuse without the use of an infuser. If you do not have a clear pot then just enjoy in your own special tea pot, and when you you have enjoyed your tea, simply dump out the tea leaves onto a plate. It is fun and interesting to see and touch the whole tea leaves. Because the leaves are not constrained in any fashion, they are able to fully share their beautiful shape and full flavor. Above we have used an Oolong tea to demonstrate the difference between steeped and un-steeped tea leaves; Oolong Teas are excellent to witness the unfurling process. We carry a flavored Oolong, Oolong Orange Blossom tea, and a high quality plain Oolong, Ti Kuan Yin Iron Goddess of Mercy tea. Yet another excellent reason to drink loose leaf tea, even if purely for the fun of watching the tea leaves unfurl. If you are immersing yourself in the exciting world of higher quality teas, or just starting out on this wonderful road to good tasting fresh tea; there is no doubt you will enjoy and appreciate just what a tea leaf goes through. Ah, yes, the Agony of the Leaf. ENJOY!!!