If you're a tea lover, like exploring new flavors and prefer your "cuppa"
slightly sweet, The Republic of Tea's Strawberry Chocolate Tea is definitely
worth a try. This delicious, low caffeine herbal tea has no calories, so it's
a lovely, guilt-free sweet treat you can enjoy any time of day.
I have been a lifelong tea drinker. While I enjoy a cup of coffee from time to
time and I have been having one more often since switching to a low carb /
keto diet, I'm definitely not in the "don't talk to me until I have had my
morning cup of coffee" camp. However (with apologies to the Florida Citrus
Board), "An afternoon without tea is like a day without sunshine." My
favorites are made by The Republic of Tea, Harney & Sons, Twining, Tazo
and Stash.
For the first half of my life, I drank only black tea varieties, growing up
with the ubiquitous orange pekoe, then branching out into English Breakfast
and Darjeeling. Later fruit flavored black varieties such as peach, apricot
and mango became my favorites. About 10 years ago, I began taste testing
green, white and rooibos (red) for their health benefits as well as decaf and
low caffeine teas for evening sipping, after noticing that my previously low
sensitivity to caffeine was increasing with age. I found the flavor of most
green teas so grassy as to be unpalatable, but eventually I discovered The
Republic of Tea Decaf Ginger Peach Green Tea and the company's naturally
caffeine-free Ginger Peach Red Rooibos Tea that, until recently, was the only
red rooibos beverage I enjoyed.
Since I consume not just a cup or mug but a large,
16-ounce Thermos insulated travel tumbler
(and sometimes two) of leafy brew that I sip on over the course of several
hours each day, I like having a nice selection to choose from. This year, I
was in the mood to find a few new favorites and take a break from some of my
old standbys. Since The Republic of Tea offers the largest variety I've seen
and frequently adds to its line, I focused my search on their herbal and low
caffeine offerings.
I found several delightful, new-to-me flavors, including naturally
caffeine-free
Queen's Cake Vanilla Fruit Tea
and refreshing
Whistledown Punch hibiscus iced tea with hints of citrus and pineapple from the company's Bridgerton
collection, as well as SuperAdapt Restore and Reset, an organic herbal blend with reishi mushrooms and cocoa that's earthy and
calming, and my newest obsession, Strawberry Chocolate Tea.
Smooth, Satisfying and Slightly Sweet
I adore chocolate and cocoa, but I had never heard of a tea flavored with
either one before encountering the company's Cuppa Chocolate Tea collection. I
was skeptical but also intrigued by this idea. I also love chocolate-covered
strawberries. So, after reading the overwhelmingly positive customer
reviews of The Republic of Tea Strawberry Chocolate Tea
on the company's website, I decided to give that one a try and ordered a
36-bag tin on Amazon (along with the SuperAdapt Restore and Reset and the two
Bridgerton collection flavors I mentioned).
According to the label on the back of the tin, the strawberry chocolate flavor
is an "Herb Tea for Sweethearts" with an equally fanciful description:
"Chocolate mingles with a hint of ripe strawberry atop the rich flavor of
rooibos in this delicious, aromatic and romantic cup." After highlighting
rooibos's high antioxidant content, it invites us to "Enjoy a lovely cup of
dessert with your sweetheart." The copywriters' creativity failed to persuade
me, but it did amuse me. My husband doesn't much care for tea and, if I were
to offer him a cup of this magical romantic potion, no doubt he would look at
me quizically before politely declining!
Imaginary romantic associations aside, I hoped I would find this brew
pleasurable to sip, whether alone or in my husband's company. What I never
expected was that it would become my new current, go-to hot beverage!
Rooibos, with its gentle, smooth, nutty and slightly sweet (as well as
somewhat earthy) flavor makes a perfect base for the chocolate and strawberry
in this blend. To me, those two are more like "topnotes" or supporting players
for the rooibos, but even though I'm usually not as fond of earthy teas, the
rooibos flavor plays nicely with others and doesn't dominate. There is also a
hint of vanilla that adds to this delightful cuppa.
Many customers find the natural sweetness sufficient for their tastes. I like
mine a bit sweeter, especially since I often enjoy it in place of a dessert,
so I stir in a spoonful of
BochaSweet. You may prefer it with a little sugar.
What's In It?
Here are the ingredients in this delicious Strawberry Chocolate Tea:
Rooibos, carob, cocoa kernels, sweet blackberry leaves, natural chocolate and
strawberry flavor, and bourbon vanilla beans.
Using all-natural flavors with nothing artificial helps to give this
delightful tea its smoothness.
Naturally Low in Caffeine
Since I enjoy sipping tea in the evening as well as during the day, I always
include some decaf, caffeine-free or low caffeine options. Fortunately, The
Republic of Tea's Strawberry Chocolate Tea contains very little caffeine.
Since both rooibos and carob are caffeine-free, I'm guessing the small amount
of caffeine comes from the cocoa kernels.
A Sweet Treat That's Also Good For Your Health
Although it is marketed to appeal to romantics, anyone watching their
calories, carbs or gluten will be happy to know that the lovely tea, with its
natural sweetness, contains 0 calories and 0 carbs and, like all the company's
products, is gluten-free.
As this
2020 WebMD article about the health benefits of drinking rooibos tea
explains, rooibos is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that have important
potential health benefits such as fighting inflammation, lowering blood sugar
and reducing blood pressure.
So, while you're sipping your delicious cuppa, you're also doing something
good for your body and your health.
Save Money With Tea Bag Refills
I love The Republic of Tea's products and commitment to environmental
sustainability and responsible use of natural resources, such as its signature
round, unbleached tea bags that don't use unnecessary envelopes, strings, tags
or staples and the air-tight, light resistant tins that can be refilled over
and over or repurposed.
I always buy one of the 36-teabag tins when I want try a new flavor. If I
don't love it, I always find an alternative use for the empty tin. For
example, I have a couple next to our kitchen sink that hold dish/bottle
brushes, and plan to cover a few others with decorative paper to hold some of
my small jewelry making hand tools, pens, brushes, etc.
If I like the contents but am still on the fence, I can order a 36-teabag
refill for the tin. When I fall in love with a flavor, as I did with the
Strawberry Chocolate Tea, I buy the larger, more economical
250 teabags refill
to replenish the original tin over and over.
Steeping Tips
The Republic of Tea recommends using one teabag per 6-ounce cup, and for
herbal varieties like this one, to use boiling water (200–212 ℉) and steep for
5–7 minutes. I steep mine in my tall, insulated stainless steel travel
tumbler, using two bags and 12 ounces of boiling water.
When I followed the recommended steeping time, the flavor a bit too weak for
my liking. Fortunately, I remembered that herbal teas, unlike the black
variety, don't become bitter when "over-steeped." So, after experimenting a
bit, I found that I much prefer the taste of my strawberry chocolate cuppa
after letting it steep for 10 minutes (or even a bit longer).
An Unusual, Delicious Strawberry Chocolate Tea With 0 Calories by Margaret Schindel
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