Hawthorn berry Tea - 20 Herbal Tea Bags, Digestive Support, 7 Natural Ingredients incl. Hawthorn & Hibiscus for Heart Health, Caffeine-Free Daily Tea

after making my first cup, i found the tea to be a tiny bit bitter, most likely due to the tangerine peel and/or mushroom (poria). i added a little sweetener to the cup after steeping for 5 minutes although i generally drink herbal teas without having to add anything else, and that resulted in a great smelling and tasting fruity and floral cup of tea. the other ingredients are, as advertised, all natural and clearly visible in the pyramid-shaped tea bags, especially the double-petaled red roses. in addition, the tea turns a beautiful rose color, but i did not detect a strong rose scent (which was a little disappointing). the production date clearly marked on the back of the package is march 1st of this year, so it is much fresher than most, if not all, packaged teas from the supermarket and thus a high quality product. the clear plastic package is resealable to maintain freshness, and the longevity of the tea bags is a year and a half. although I cannot speak to the health benefits claimed from drinking this tea, I truly love the tea and want very much to try the rose hibiscus tea now too.

Summary: This is a delicious, full bodied tea when over-steeped and with a touch of sweetener added. On the back of the bag it's called "Black Plum, Hawthorn, and Tuckahoe Health Tea". There are no claims that this is organic. Note that Tuckahoe (Poria) "Particularly when sourced from less reputable suppliers, may be suscetible to mold and mycotoxin contmaination, which can pose health risks." (Google AI Overview) The Ingredients in Order of Amount: 1. Wumei (aka Wu Mei, Black Plum or Smoked Plum) is likely what gives this tea it's fresh and slightly tart flavor. 2. Hawthorn (related to rose): Leaves, flower and berries can be used in tea. These appear to be berries, which lend a tangy/tart /sweet flavor 3. Poria (aka Tuckahoe): a type of mushroom/fungus used in herbal tea 4. Tangerine peel 5. Double Red Rose (a sweet flowery flavor) 6. Pear dices 7. Apple dices. I started by preparing it per instructions, steeping for 5 minutes. I wanted a more robust flavor, so microwaved it another minute and then sweetened it slightly with stevia. Delicious! In terms of food safety, I appreciate that this bag is high information, including preparation, storage, Shelf life (18 months), Manufacturer, date (3/25) and location (Anhui province, China), and nutrition facts. There are no claims of being organic, so there's always the question of pesticide use that I have no way of evaluating (but that would be a question I'd wonder about any tea product).

I started sipping this herbal blend after my friend swore it helped her battle constant afternoon slumps. That mix of rose, hibiscus, and hawthorn hits just right with mulberry and chrysanthemum kicking in subtle sweetness and calming vibes. Brewing a bag quickly at work became my little ritual and surprisingly I felt less foggy without that caffeine crash. Some days it even seemed to chase away a lingering heaviness after greasy meals which felt like a small win. Not everything was flawless though. The flavor can get a bit floral and strong for those used to plain teas yet that complexity grew on me over time. A couple of comments mentioned bags sometimes tear during steeping but I haven’t had that issue yet. The fresh aroma popping out after opening made the wait between sips worth it. If you’re craving a gentle boost plus a soothing cup that nods to wellness, this blend might just become your new go-to.

After opening the package, I took a look at the contents of a bag, and I figured it could make 32oz of tea. So I put 32oz of water in my drip coffee maker, put the tea bag in the pot and hooked it on the lid to keep it from falling in, let the pot fill with water, and left the pot on the warming plate for 30 minutes after it filled with water. I also stirred the contents a couple times. The result was tea that tasted OK when hot, but significantly better after it had cooled and was put in the refrigerator for a few hours -- the chilled tea had less apparent sweetness and more herbal yumminess. And the flavor of the refrigerated tea held up well when drinking the remainder the next day! That makes this product a very good value if you're looking for a nicely-flavored and refreshing drink with potential health benefits (caveat emptor). I'm not a fan of the plastic tea bags, but they work, so I can live with them.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW & CRITICISM This tea has 4 separate ingredient lists, not one of them agrees with any other and each has unique ingredients. In terms of taste, sweetness, bold red color, full-body quality and aroma, I think it's outstanding. The various ingredients cited in product description, product photo, product ingredient list and packaging ingredient are each in disagreement. Also, each lists some ingredients that none of the others do. TASTE The tea is naturally sweet due to having some types of fruit, and this is really nice in my experience. The taste is complex, and I really don't recognize the flavors but I like the overall flavor. The tea is strong too. I wouldn't use 2 tea bags at once because 1 is already strong. VALUE I think this tea has good value simply because just one tea bag turns out to be quite a lot, easily two cups of tea in my experience. Further, there's no tea like it that I've come across so I rate it high in uniqueness. EDIT: I feel quite confident, some weeks in, with this tea in terms of taste and calming satisfaction. I just wish I could know for sure the ingredients which is impossible given the contradictory ingredient lists. However, the tea is attractive to the eye, as one looks at the tea bag. I just can't get over how much sweetness comes from one tea bag.