Product Review and Giveaway: Zhena’s Gypsy Tea
The people behind Zhena’s Gypsy Tea were kind enough to send me some samples of their tea for me to enjoy- and you might be lucky enough to receive a package from them to enjoy, too, just by entering this giveaway!
I first became interested in Zhena’s Gypsy Tea because they are 100% organic, 100% fair trade, and 100% natural (also, they have a really cool logo and very pretty canisters, but that’s beside the point). I am a big tea drinker; I like to drink white or green tea every day and I generally can go through nearly a whole pot on my own. Now that I have tried these particular teas, I am happy to say that they certainly lived up to expectations! All of the teas that I tried were delicious and I have been drinking no other tea except for them since they arrived. Plain white or green tea doesn’t really compare when you’ve got fancy teas to choose from.
My intentions were to make this review a video post, but unfortunately the video that I took which featured a couple friends did not turn out very well- the lighting and sound was truly awful, so a video post will have to wait for my next review!
The three tins of tea that came in the mail for me were Papaya Mango, Berry Bellini, and Sense of Peace. They all smell amazing, particularly the Papaya Mango and Berry Bellini. I almost forgot about tasting them because they smelled so good that I could just drink them in through their fragrance! The Sense of Peace tea does not have quite such an intoxicating scent as it doesn’t have the intense flavors of fruit, but it does have a lovely hint of mint, which is very refreshing.
Papaya Mango is part of their Seasonal Sips line, and is a caffeine-free rooibos. I drank this one with a couple of friends in the evening, and the fruity flavors were perfect for curling up in an armchair and engaging in cozy conversation. The friends that I recruited to help me review this tea both agreed that they would absolutely buy it and would definitely recommend it to others.
Berry Bellini, a green tea also from the Seasonal Sips line, is the only one that I have tried iced so far. All of these teas have brewing instructions for icing them, and I was very intrigued by this with summer having finally arrived. I only used two teabags for my batch (my pitcher holds about two pots), so it didn’t have quite as much flavor as it could have. I think that next time I would add another teabag or two. Over ice, this makes a lovely light drink and is incredibly refreshing. Add a considerably generous amount few splashes of red wine, a couple drops of lemon juice, and some fresh or frozen fruit and you’ve got your own spin on sangria! I really enjoyed it like that.
Sense of Peace is a white tea adorned with touches of rose and mint. I’ve been drinking it at work and it keeps me serene and pleasant when the day becomes stressful (or rather, I’m sure that it would, if my job ever became really stressful 😉 ). I like the freshness of the minty hints.
All of these teas are light and they are definitely not your everyday kind of tea. If you find tea to be bland or boring, I would suggest that you try one of these to see just how good tea can taste. As one of my friends observed about the papaya mango tea, the burst of flavor that accompanies each cup means that you don’t even have to add anything to sweeten it if that’s what you normally prefer.
Want to win some tea for yourself? Leave me a comment telling me about your experiences with tea! Tell me what you like about it, what you don’t like about it, your favorite way to drink it, or the kind of tea that you like best. Giveaway is open for one week and will close on Tuesday, June 30th. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 1st.
Also, as a follow up from Monday’s post regarding motivation, I have written a piece which is related over at Living Rhetorically in the Real World. Be sure to check it out!
ok
you dont have to enter me but Id like to shout from the rooftops that my tea experience is SNAPPLE.
how sad is that? 🙂
no reason either Im just not a big nonwaterdrinker except for my cup of coffee in the morning.
enjoyed the review though—and shall take your suggestion to try em to see how good teas can taste.
I think Id LIKE the “light” flav!
I grew up drinking “rooibos” – red bush – tea, our local treasure. Since then I’ve really come to love all herbal teas, especially peppermint tea and nettle tea. I also love fruit infusions like lemon & ginger tea and raspberry tea. And of course I have the odd cup of chai!
I don’t drink coffee, so herbal teas are my only hot drinks.
I love every type of tea imaginable. I drink tea instead of coffee. I can’t get enough of it. Currently I’m hooked on Yogi and Honest Tea but I would love to try Zhena’s Gypsy tea!
http://roseyrebecca.wordpress.com/
I have been a big tea drinker for many years and have tried all different brands of tea. I just tried Zhena’s Gypsy tea for the first time yesterday morning (the green jasmine) and it was wonderful!! The best jasmine tea I have ever had! I am looking forward to trying many more of Zhena’s teas in the future!
i love zhena’s gypsy tea! i love what the product is about and supports. reaspberry earl grey is my favorite! i buy it in bulk.
I love iced herbal tea and there is always a jug of it brewing on the counter year-round. Sometimes two jugs, each with different flavors. I’m especially fond of mint tea and will often mix it with parsley tea and/or dandelion root tea. I have at least 15 different flavor herbal teas in the house at the moment, the majority of them Celestial Seasonings and Stash. I also enjoy the teas from the Montana Tea and Spice Company. I would like to find a way to decaffeinate jasmine tea, and also find a tea with lavender. I don’t like cinnamon in my tea, though. If I have to drink regular tea, then make it Red Rose. There is nothing like a glass of iced tea and Zhena’s looks like they have some very interesting teas that I’d like to try.
I’ve never been a tea person growing up, but in recent years I’ve discovered their health benefits and unimaginable different flavors and I’ve increasingly became a fan since, experimenting with different brands. Yogi had been my favorite until I came across Zhena’s Gypsy tea. I was first drawn in by the beautiful tins, but on further inspection discovering that it was not only organic, but fair trade, I was already hooked! I purchased a couple different tins, including some Iced Teas, which I have yet to try. The Gypsy Love is my current favorite, but right now I’m on a quest to find the Egyptian Mint as it sounds absolutely divine and I haven’t been able to find it in stores thus far.
I absolutely love Zhena’s Gypsy Tea! My favorite flavor is Uplifting Earl Grey. I consider myself sort of a tea snob, and this is the best, most consistently blended tea available in most grocery establishments. The price point is good, the tins are pretty and reusable, and I will never drink another type of Earl Grey without using Zhena’s as my comparison.
I happy to run across Zhena’s Coconut Chai tea at World Market and since I am a fiend for anything coconutty or chai-y, I bought it. YUM! I’m looking forward to finding other Zhena flavors.
when I was little my dad used to drink Red Rose tea. Each box came with a little ceramic animal figurine. I used to steal his tea bags so he would run out faster and had to buy more boxes so i could get more little animals. I had a whole zoo.
I just recently tried Zhena’s Gypsy Tea — Fireside Chai — and I LOVE it! (Bought it at the local Whole Foods.) It’s my new favorite afternoon tea — so rich and yummy tasting and caffeine free (absolutely necessary.) It’s got such a robust flavor that I think it could satisfy even those coffee drinkers. (I love *good* coffee, too, but my first love IS tea.) I am a huge tea drinker (both black and herbals) and a bit of a snob about it. If the Fireside Chai is any indication of how the rest of their teas taste, I’m sold. I can’t wait to try the other varieties.
ooh, i love tea!! green tea is usually my fav, but i’ve recently fallen for roobios 🙂
have you tried their biodynamic line? they just popped up at whole foods but i’m holding out as i have so much tea right now… and i’m dying to try loose-leaf!
Carla- heh, my beverage intake is limited to water and tea. Tasty! (Um… and sometimes the wine sneaks in;))
Hanlie- I adore chai.
RoseyRebecca- tea is my coffee, too!
Joy, Jennifer, Dana & Maria- I’ll have to be on the lookout for those kinds.
Denise- you sound like a tea MASTER 🙂
Jenn & Deb- okay… I have GOT to try those chai teas.
Kelly- best. story. ever.
ttfn300- I have not! But it sounds excellent. What I really need is a Whole Foods in my city…
I love tea, have been drinking it since I was in Jr Hi, MANY many years ago. Just recently heard of Zhena teas through a FaceBook ad and I’m intrigued. I’d love to try some of the uplifting earl grey, or a chai tea, or anything that I could find. Unluckily, can’t seem to find anything in south MS. Any suggestions on where to find it?
Mmmmmm. Am a huge Zhena’s Gypsy Tea fan. However, Ambrosia and White Plum for Vitality and Pleasure is my favorite. That one works wonders.
My husband loves tea and drinks it by the boat loads. Thanks for the review. I will pass this on to him.
When I studied abroad in Austria, I lived with an older lady who made us two pieces of toast and tea every morning. When I got sick she made me tea. When we celebrated she made us tea. For almost every occasion there was tea. We tried so many different kinds of hot tea that semester I don’t even remember them all. I had a lot of good fruit teas while I was there. I haven’t had much since I came back home, which is a shame. Down here we only seem to drink cold sweet tea. 🙂
I’m totally in love with tea to snuggle up to on cold winter days. Except when I hold the cup so tight the skin starts peeling off my hands. Oops. You’re right – good tea is lovely, plain isn’t so great. Especially green teas that taste fishy.
I drink tea all day long, all seasons and one of my all time favorites is the Gypsy Love Tea!
TEA!
I’ve loved tea ever since I can remember. The most exotic tea my parents ever brought home was orange spice, and they liked it far too much. Consequently, I dislike 99% of teas with cinnamon or orange to them. My first restaurant job was at a mall restaurant called “The Mocha Tree.” This was back in the early 80’s before espresso hit big time. We had a wall of loose-leaf teas in jars for sale in bulk. My favorite was when we brewed a blackberry tea in the coffee maker for iced tea -the whole restaurant smelled incredible! Because I live in the same town as Stash Tea is headquartered, I naturally became a big fan. By the time I moved out on my own, I had a ‘tea drawer’ full of various flavors. When I visited Amsterdam for 2 weeks, I discovered my all-time-favorite tea brand: Pickwick. There are 3-4 flavors of theirs that I hoard and cherish. Over the next 10 years my love for tea waned some, until about 2 years ago. I discovered jasmine green tea. My dad and I became obsessed with trying every brand and variety of jasmine green tea we could find. Last year, a friend raved and raved about Zhena’s teas and I finally broke down and bought two of their sampler packages (to try as many flavors as possible.) YUM! I have now tried nearly everything in their product line (except the newest ones), and have only found 2 that I don’t like. I LOVE Coconut Chai – it may be my most favorite of theirs so far, but having read your review of the fruity ones, it may lose that status as quickly as it gained it. 😀
I LOVE Zhena’s tea, especially the fireside chai!
I drink a lot of tea–I love the Zhena’s Sense of Peace. Recently, I’ve started cold-brewing green tea in the fridge–I put some sort of green tea blend (I don’t care for straight green tea) in the fridge with water before bed, and in the morning I have fantastic iced green tea.
I’ve been a fan of iced green tea for a while, but only started the fridge method since hearing about it on Lynn Rossetto Kasper’s “Splendid Table.”
I love my coffee, but am slowly switching to tea for the health benefits as well as the variety. A friend told me about Zhena’s Gypsy tea and the coconut chai in particular. LOVE IT… can’t wait to try some others that I’ve read about today. Thanks.
I really like your fruit flavored teas. I like to make them into iced teas in the summer. It just gives me variety of things to drink besides water. Happy drinking.
Thanks for another giveaway!
I’m a huge tea person, but it was an acquired taste, I must say. I started drinking green tea because of its health benefits, but never really enjoyed it “that” much, you know, it was more like medicine! Then someone said “it’s maybe because you’re drinking crappy tea”, so I switched to flavoured teas, organic ones, Japanese ones, etc, and now I’m pretty sure about 50% of the liquid in my body is tea!
I’ve recently become infatuated with fruity-infused green teas. I like several things about them:
1) Like you say, I almost want to “eat” them because they smell so good.
2) I find them calming and relaxing, they bring a lot of balance to my day in the office.
3) They make me poo. Every cup works like a charm!
4) Knowing how good they are for my body, I actually feel good about every sip and it reminds me that the indulgence ($2 per bag!) is worth it!
The only thing that I don’t like about tea: it stains my teeth so badly! I’m pretty obsessed with white teeth, so I heavily rely on those white strips, which is probably not very good. But oh well!
Thanks Sagan!
After seeing mention of it on this site, I found Zhenya’s Coconut Chai at my local Vons’ market — so easily available! and we have no Whole Foods here —
and I fell in love with it. We’re tea drinkers in this house, progressing from something black and powerful to wake up with (Assam, Irish Breakfast, Kenya blends) all the way to delicate and light in the evenings, with various teas between. The Coconut Chai is wonderful for afternoon tea as well as being a great after-dinner tea (it’s dessert!) and it’s lovely to have a cup while sitting out on the deck on a summer evening listening to the birds in the jasmine hedge.
My favorite is green tea. It is my daily pre-work out boost! I brew a double bag cup and drink it plain. I love the clean taste. I have tried just about every brand out there and have found that the authentic Chinese brands that I buy at the Asain market are so much cheaper.
I am a loyal tea drinker. Even during the summer I drink hot(and iced) tea all day long. My family thinks I’m crazy. For me it’s a way of life. It’s the first thing I think of when my eyes open in the morning – time for tea! I love everything about it – from the ritual of making it to the actual drinking of it. It’s soothing, uplifting, and delicious all at the same time. Sit down with a cup of steaming hot tea and all your worries will be forgotten!
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‘Tis the season of iced teas! I tend to brew like I cook. I drink a tea in its simplest form first to enjoy the subtle aroma and taste. Later I may experiment by blending several loose teas together. With iced tea I toss in several sprigs of mint which I love. Just tried Zhena’s Jasmine Green tea, heavenly!
I love the whole tea experience: the ritual of making it, the way the aroma hits the pallette as it fills the room and the blush of color that changes as it steeps. After losing most of my sense of taste & smell after an auto accident, I find the scent of herbs and teas does come through. Even my weimaraner will prance into the kitchen with her nose in the air taking in the wonderful smell.
The Zhena’s Gypsy Tea sounds refreshing and bursting with flavor!
I’ve never been a tea fan but since moving to Japan last year, I’ve always had green tea everyday. I like its clean and simple taste. I also feel lucky to have been able to attend a couple tea ceremonies! If you have the time, you may read about my experience here:
http://runsrests.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-you-thirstea.html
Thanks!
Teresa- you could try a health food store, or any specialty tea shops. There’s a goldmine of treasures in those places!
Heather, Deb & Sarah- I’ve never tried those ones. Yummy.
Kristisummer- I’m sure he’d enjoy these teas 🙂
Mary & Spring Girl- tea is the cure-all!
Youthful One- that must have been a fantastic job. I’m looking forward to trying their chai tea.
Monica- Splendid Table? I’m intrigued!
Marcy & Michelle- healthy AND tasty, you can’t get much better than that 🙂
Marta- I couldn’t agree more! The potential for teeth-staining worries me. Brushing like a madman here 😉
Marian- I have no Whole Foods either. It’s a sad sad world we live in with no Whole Foods.
Laura T- I’m always amazed at how DIFFERENT green tea can taste from brand to brand.
Reeni- am with you 100% 🙂
Greyghostwoman- tea is so storybookish! “I brew like I cook”, I love that.
Mia- the tea ceremonies would be amazing. And thanks for the link! Living in Japan sounds like such a wonderful experience.
I love tea, when I was in college I went thru a stage of using only loose tea with a tea ball, but many years and kids later have reduced me to tea bags. I mix it up though, with differnt kinds and flavors.
Passionate peach is the best!!!
So. I have a habit of buying random tins of tea and collecting them and using them maybe once, but I bought a tin of Zhena’s Ambrosia White Plum and haven’t stopped drinking it since! I’ve seen the tins before, but for some reason always looked at them and got something else and now I’m kicking myself as I could hvae discovered my new favourite tea all along! It truly is a wonderful and tastey tea, I’ve even gone to making iced tea from it because it’s one fo the few teas that I even like cold. I’m sure I will indulge in other flavours at some point, but this one is so delicious I’ve hardley been tempted to even try anything else!
I’ve been drinking green tea ever since my pregnancy with my daughter Grace.I have been reaping the benifits ever since!That’s been for about 7 years now!My skin is much clearer.My blood flows better and much cleaner.and my metabolism has been great!I also love rooibos.I just bought your new lavender lemon rooibos.It’s delicious!I love tea and all of the great benifits that they have.Thanks for being such a great company and experimenting with so many great herbs and plants!
I absolutely adore tea, I’ve been drinking it since I was a kid. My favorites, if I had to pick, are any kind of black tea, or just about any variation of Earl Gray tea.
Once on vacatoin I bought some Zhena’s Gypsy Rasberry Earl Gray Tea, and I fell in love with it. Unfotunately, I haven’t been able to find it in any stores near me, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled. If you come across it, I highly reccomend it.
My newest discovery is Lady Gray tea. It is great hot, and amazing when iced. I would encourage all of you to try it.
But when all is said and done, you can’t beat a Chai Latte…
I received a canister of Zhena’s Coconut Chai tea in a gift basket from a dear friend. It was wonderful! This might move her up to my best friend position since she has such great taste in tea. I’d love to try some different flavors. I love the tin also!
im sure that this competition is over, but for anyone who might come across this i want to make it clear that i absolutely adore Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. their company is amazingly socially responsible and all of their blends are honestly not to be out done by any others in my life! i am a tea fanatic and their ‘uplifting earl gray’ is simply blissful as well as their ‘precious lemon rubbious’
best tea ever!
Howdy there,Excellent blog dude! i’m Fed up with using RSS feeds and do you use twitter?so i can follow you there:D.
PS:Have you thought about putting video to the web site to keep the visitors more entertained?I think it works.Best regards, Efrain Buttler
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