Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Trader Joe's Organic Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea

"It's kinda weird to drink something that smells like Indian food," Sandy stated the other night before sipping her first steaming mug of Trader Joe's Organic Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea.

Yeah...ginger tea? Of course. But turmeric? That's a pretty classic staple for most Indian chow I'm familiar with. So how's this going to work?

First off: it's very aromatic. Not in an overly flagrant or fragrant kinda way...but when you cath a whiff, there's a lot going on. The aforementioned ginger and turmeric, of course, but there's a good citrus essence as well. There's a little something else, too, a "darker" element to give the aroma some depth, which I presume are the licorice and pepper...

...so yeah, it kinda smells like what the ingredients says the tea is made of. Nice thing is, while all components can be individually detected, it comes across as a very nice, balanced cuppa tea.

Wish it tasted that way as well.

The sips start out pleasantly enough, with the dominant taste being a fairly mild ginger dose. The turmeric is there more in a support role, with the orange peel adding a nice arc. But then...it hits. That aforementioned licorice and pepper. Listen, I love licorice and anise and all that much more than the average guy, but it just seems a little out of place, perhaps, and gets punctuated by the pepper. It's not harsh at first, but about halfway through the cup, it's about all I can taste, as if my mild cuppa tea slowly got polluted by a flavor overstaying its welcome.

It probably doesn't help that I'm more of a coffee than tea kinda guy...I rarely drink anything other than black coffee, water, or whiskey in fact. So, quite literally, this just might not be my cup of tea. Sandy, though, enjoys it quite a bit. More power to her. "It's a great fall tea," she said last night after the kiddos went down and a cool almost autumnal breeze blew in the kitchen window. "I dig it." After I finish my current cup (gave it a second taste to confirm my thoughts) I'll probably be done with it. But for $2.49 for a box of 20 bags, and the possible health benefits of turmeric, I can give it a little more appreciation.

Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea: 6.5 out of 10 Golden Spoons

13 comments:

  1. This is pretty much the same tea my grandma would make for me when I was sick. It's excellent for upset tummies and nausea. So think of it as more therapeutic than tasty if that helps :-)

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    1. Good point! **STOCK UP NOW FOR YOUR ANNUAL AUTUMN COLD!!!**

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    2. I add lemon and honey and it's a much better tasting drink.

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  2. We love this tea in our house, but then we are freaks for anything ginger. The amount of turmeric in this tea is too small to be taken for "health" benefits, however. It's enough for a little color and flavor, but if you really want to incorporate turmeric in your diet, you need a high potency supplement.

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    1. My doctor said I could have 1000 mg or less a day. Do you know how many mg the 1 serving of tea has?
      Thanks!

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  3. Oh, wow! Funny how taste is such a personal thing.
    I absolutely love this tea! In my next visit to TJ I am planning to purchase a few more boxes.
    I felt that it was well balanced and I loved the combination of turmeric, ginger and anise.
    That being said, I can see what you meant about the anise/licorice hitting you in the aftertaste. I think that's a typical licorice behaviour. It usually comes after you right after the last sip. I, for one, love it!
    Thank you for the review. I always enjoy reading your thoughts and experiences with TJ products.

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    1. That licorice took a bit of getting used too.But a little lemon and honey helps.

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  4. The key thing is that you can't let it steep too long -- I love it for the light ginger/tumeric flavor if I only let it steep 30s, but any longer than that and the licorice is overwhelming.

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  5. Lovely tea but out of stock already and the store says they don't know if it will be back! What happened? Bring it back please!

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  6. Out of stock for me too! I drink it for the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, but love that the licorice makes it taste sweet, making it a great after-meal tea.x

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  7. With a bit of the raw agave nectar it kind of tastes like fruity pebbles to me.

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    1. OMG I have always thought it tastes a bit like fruity pebbles but I haven't been able to get anyone to agree with me on that!

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  8. steep it less if the taste is too strong

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