Brand:

Flavour: Cilegia (…possibly…)

Ingredients: Hibiscus, rosehips, currants, apple, cherry, blackcurrant

Caffeine Factor: Caffeine-free

Organic Ingredients: Unknown

Price Range: Є4.50 for 100g

Review: This infusion can only be described as pleasant. It smells mildly like cherry cough drops, but in a good way. The flavour is quite mild, but that’s a good thing when you have all the usual berry tea ingredients like hibiscus and rosehips. It’s not too tart or sweet – it’s just nice. We thought it was one of the better fruit teas out there, because it’s so natural – natural enough to be eaten as a snack, if you feel peckish.

We’re just not entirely sure if we have the right brand, because it wasn’t listed on the bag. However, it was gifted to us alongside another one we worked out is from Caffè Ninci, and the ingredients list seems to match their old Cilegia blend…which is no longer available on their website…so, um…good luck finding this! It really was lovely!

Best time of year to drink this: Summer

Best time of day to drink this: Afternoon

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Brand:

Flavour: Infuso Menta e Eucalipto

Ingredients: Orange peel, hibiscus, rosehips, eucalyptus leaves (12%), peppermint (3%), elderberries, natural flavours / essential oils

Caffeine Factor: Caffeine-free

Organic Ingredients: Unknown

Price Range: Є4.50 for 100g

Review: …elderberries…. As you can guess, this wasn’t for us. You can smell the feet through the bag, before you even open it. When you brew it, the foot odour combines with the menthol to create something that immediately reminded us both of toilet cleaner. It isn’t inviting.

The taste is extremely bitter from the orange peel, the peppermint is very strong (essential oil), and the elderberries bring their usual footy flavour. On drinking it, we had the ‘what have you done to me?’ face. It’s just elderberries – yes, they have health benefits, but we can’t imagine why anyone has them for pleasure. Elderflower, sure. Berries, no – just like this infusion.

Best time of year to drink this: Never

Best time of day to drink this: Never

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Brand:

Flavour: Benessere

Ingredients: Orange rind, carrot and turmeric

Caffeine Factor: Caffeine-Free

Organic Ingredients: Unknown

Price Range: €3.00 (plus overseas shipping)

Bags Per Box: 20

Our Review: Another one brought back to us from Italy. This was an intriguing one – intensely yellowy orange in colour, and it smells just like a smoothie…but hot. It was a bit strange, but intriguing!

The flavour, however, is like drinking an orange Creamsicle: a type of orangey ice lolly filled with vanilla ice cream. For whatever reason, this tea is very sweet. You can’t taste much of the carrot or turmeric for the orange rind.

At the same time, the overall flavour is quite weak, like watered down orange juice. It’s pleasant enough, but we prefer a stronger taste. We wish it included ginger rather than turmeric, as that would give it the kick we think it needs. But some people want a milder tea, so if that’s you, then this is worth a try, especially on a cold evening.

Best time of year to drink this: Winter

Best time of day to drink this: Afternoon / evening

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Brand:

Flavour: Cuore

Ingredients: Rosehips (30%), St John’s wort (20%), hawthorn leaf (20%), hawthorn berries (20%), achillea (yarrow) (10%)

Caffeine Factor: Caffeine-Free

Organic Ingredients: Unknown

Price Range: €3.00 (plus overseas shipping)

Bags Per Box: 20

Our Review: Another one brought back to us from Italy. This whole range is very earthy and real – no flavouring here. This one in particular has a smoky smell that is nearly overwhelming, as you wait for it to brew.

The name translates as ‘heart’ – the ingredients selected are known for their traditional use to support heart health and the circulatory system as a whole. We think this is one you drink more for the medicinal properties than flavour. It’s not bad; we just didn’t think it was very special, either. The yarrow lends it a bitterness, while the rosehips and hawthorn berries give a mild tartness, and the hawthorn leaf and St John’s wort just kind of give it that leafy taste. Altogether, it sort of just tastes like normal black tea – but not as strong.

So if you like black tea, but you find it’s too heavy for you and you don’t want the caffeine, this is perfect – and unlike black tea, you can drink it anytime of the day. If you’re searching for a drink that could support you in getting your heart back into good health, this is for you. But if you don’t need the medicinal benefits, and you like your flavours strong, we would give this one a miss.

Best time of year to drink this: Anytime

Best time of day to drink this: Anytime

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Brand:

Flavour: Respiro

Ingredients: Mint (40%), thyme (20%), elderflower (20%), tilia flowers (20%), eucalyptus essential oil

Caffeine Factor: Caffeine-Free

Organic Ingredients: Unknown

Price Range: €3.00 (plus overseas shipping)

Bags Per Box: 20

Our Review: Tulsi’s mother brought back a selection of teas from this Italian brand, picked up while on holiday. This one is designed to help us breathe deeply and clearly, particularly if we come down with a cold and feel congested / develop a cough.

It smells very planty – mainly of thyme, with a hint of mint (despite there being more mint in the blend). Flavour-wise…this isn’t at the top of our list. But it’s not bad, and it really does what it says on the box. Tulsi tried it when she had a bad cold, and where over-the-counter medicine seemed to do nothing, this tea was the one thing that allowed her to sleep at night.

If we were to compare this to anything, it would be Yogi’s Breathe Deep, which is heavier on the eucalyptus and a great one to breathe in, to clear the sinuses. This one doesn’t do that so much, despite how much mint it contains. The main taste is thyme (which can be a bit sweet), traditionally used as a natural cough suppressant for several millennia – and it really works.

For that reason, we’re adding it to our Must-Have Teas list. It’s well worth ordering overseas and keeping it on hand for when anyone in your household gets a cough that’s keeping them up at night and dragging them down in the day. Better still, keep it on the shelf next to Yogi’s Breathe Deep. The combination of these two blends could help you get the rest you need to recover.

Best time of year to drink this: Anytime – mainly recommended for when you have a cold / cough

Best time of day to drink this: Anytime

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