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Delicious, caffeine-free Artichoke tea is made from the whole Artichoke plant. This traditional herbal tea is a Vietnamese favorite, and has a smooth and naturally sweet flavor, rich mouthfeel, and surprising aroma reminiscent of vanilla or Cadbury's chocolate. When iced, its flavor shifts towards licorice and the aroma is less pronounced, producing an entirely different, refreshing drink. It requires no sweetener, and it is used as a healthful drink in southeast Asia. Dr. Oz has suggested artichoke tea as a healthy after-meals beverage, and we have to agree - if only because its natural sweetness is a great calorie-free dessert!
Artichoke has been used as a flavoring in a number of surprising ways, including the Artichoke Ice Cream served during the Artichoke harvest festival in Castroville, CA. It is ideally suited for sweet foods because of its special property of stimulating the "sweetness" taste buds; it also makes whatever you eat or drink immediately afterwards taste sweeter than it normally would.
Regular artichoke or Classic artichoke? The difference between the two varieties is extremely subtle. Both teas are made of artichoke flower, leaf and stem. Tam Chau Regular artichoke tea is a little darker and more "artichoke-y," with a higher percentage of leaf and stem, whereas Tam Chau Classic artichoke tea is a little lighter and sweeter, milder in flavor, with a higher percentage of flower.
Recently, research indicating artichoke's ability to lower blood cholesterol has received attention in the media. One study showed that artichoke reduces the body's synthesis of cholesterol whereas others simply show 18%+ reduction in excess blood cholesterol. Others have found an increase in the body's secretion of cholesterol via improved production of bile, which is probably the reason why many people find artichoke aids in digestion and IBS. FYI: Studies have found results with a dose of 1.8 grams of artichoke extract. Each of our tea bags contains 2 grams of artichoke.
Please note: This information was gathered from data freely available on the Internet and is not a substitute for trained medical advice. Please consult with your doctor if you have medical concerns. However, we have begun asking our customers what medical effects they have experienced with the Artichoke tea (customers who have reordered). They have reported a 10-20% decline in cholesterol levels and a reduction of IBS symptoms, and generally improved digestion. One customer's wife had had a liver transplant and had been told by her doctors that she should should drink Artichoke tea daily for liver support, and he insists it has had a very beneficial effect. These are anecdotal reports and are provided here as comments only.
To learn more about Artichokes, visit Wikipedia's Artichoke page.
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Brewing Recommendations
- Amount: 1 teabag per 6 ounces water
- Temperature: Almost boiling
- Duration: 3-5 minutes
Serving Suggestions:
Refreshing anytime, hot or iced; a good diet tea because it is naturally
sweet, yet calorie-free. It is also excellent with milk and sugar.