black tea Licorice and vanilla

A delight to discover with its rich and intense flavor, blending sweet fruit, rounded licorice notes, and full-bodied black tea. Each element makes this blend extraordinarily delicious, with complex natural aromas that capture the scents of licorice and fruit. Its pleasant and inviting aroma awakens the senses, while the taste blends fruity nuances with the full flavor of black tea. This black tea is delicious iced or hot, depending on your preference and the season, and is highly prized for its natural sweetness—it delivers its intense flavor even without sweeteners, preserving its aromas. Those who want to enhance the sugary notes can sweeten it with a little honey for a more indulgent result. Perfect for a delicious and invigorating tea break, a delightful moment of relaxation.

What is licorice and vanilla black tea good for?

Rich in polyphenol antioxidants, tea is one of the anti-aging foods that protect our cells from free radical damage. Antioxidants are formed as black tea undergoes oxidation, giving rise to compounds such as arubigins, theaflavins, and flavonols, which help reduce oxidative stress. The polyphenols and cleansing properties of black tea can help improve digestive health by promoting the development of healthy intestinal bacteria. The licorice component also aids digestion and protects the gastric mucosa, thus supporting tea's beneficial gastrointestinal effects. Furthermore, it has purifying and diuretic properties, always in synergy with that of tea – useful against water retention and for draining excess fluids in the body.

As an energizing tonic drink, combating mental and physical fatigue, black tea contains caffeine balanced by L-theanine, an amino acid that improves attention and concentration throughout the day. It's an excellent energy boost that avoids the negative effects of coffee (high blood pressure, nervousness, etc.). The caffeine contained in tea is also useful for stimulating metabolism as part of a healthy diet, while polyphenols promote fat reduction when combined with exercise. Furthermore, the low calorie content and satisfying flavor of licorice and vanilla black tea help calm hunger pangs and prevent snacking.

Historically, licorice infusion has been considered an expectorant for sore throats, catarrh, and coughs. For this reason, a hot licorice tea can be a useful beverage that warms, facilitates the fluidity of bronchial secretions, and benefits the nose and throat.

Nutritional Values of Black Tea

From a nutritional standpoint, pure black tea provides minerals such as sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, fluoride, zinc, magnesium, copper, and manganese. It contains B vitamins and active ingredients such as caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline; volatile organic compounds, tannins, and antioxidant polyphenols.

Licorice and Vanilla Black Tea: How to Buy It in Our Online Store

In our Natura d'Oriente online store, you can find various loose-leaf black tea blends, including this combination. We carefully select the ingredients based on their high quality, flavor, and intense aromatic notes. You can buy licorice and vanilla black tea in 25g, 50g, 75g, 100g, 150g, and 300g freshness-preserving packs.

How to prepare black tea

Place about 3-5 grams of the tea blend in a cup (250ml), using a filter or tea bag. What's the ideal brewing temperature for black tea? Prepare boiling water between 90°C and 95°C and steep for 3 to 5 minutes—the time needed for the fruity and licorice notes to release. Add milk, honey, or sugar, if desired.

If you want an iced black tea, let it cool and then pour it over ice, which will dilute it.

How to make black tea with licorice

Black tea is obtained from the young leaves and buds of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. This plant can be of the sinensis variety, from the original Chinese shrub, or the assamica variety, found mainly in India. What is the difference between black tea and green tea? Both come from the same tea plant, but the difference depends on the type of processing the leaves undergo. The distinctive colors and flavor profiles of each tea are the end result of the processing stages: withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. The black tea production process uses these four stages to transform the fresh green leaves into dark (golden brown). In particular, during complete oxidation, the leaves are left to rest for many hours, triggering the physical and chemical metamorphosis that will lead to its flavorful and beneficial characteristics.

The traditionThe idea of combining black tea with licorice is a recent one, as tea became widespread in Europe in the 19th century, and since then, many recipes have been developed to flavor it. Licorice had already been used as an additive to beer and spirits since the Middle Ages, and it was in England, the birthplace of tea, that the two flavors were combined.

Licorice sweets were invented in Yorkshire, England, in the 1700s by adding sugar to the cultivated root, and in the 19th century, licorice factories flourished throughout the country. Since then, licorice has also been used in recent times in tea blends, as a sweetener and for its soothing properties on the throat, nose, and upper respiratory tract.

What are the side effects of licorice and vanilla black tea?

It is best to drink black tea in moderate quantities, as it contains caffeine. Excessive amounts of this alkaloid (caffeine/theine) found in black tea can cause feelings of restlessness, agitation, headache, heart rate changes, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. Many side effects occur only with excessive tea consumption, so it's best to keep intake to moderate levels (1-2 cups per day).

Furthermore, this tea contains licorice: even those with high blood pressure should avoid excessive consumption of this tea to prevent possible hypertension. This blend contains other ingredients, which should be considered by those with food allergies.