Back to School: Four Teas to Get Your Kids Back in the School Game!
In some parts of the world, especially in Asia, North Africa and the United Kingdom, tea sipping begins from an early age. Kids in the United States don’t rank as highly in terms of youth tea consumption. If we include American-style iced tea, however, rates of consumption in the US do rise a bit.
Either way, count us as strong supporters of tea for kids! Unless they are heavily sweetened or full of artificial ingredients, all tea offers health benefits, regardless of age. Whether it’s traditional Camellia sinensis teas like Blue Spring Oolong or Assam Superior, or herbal teas like peppermint or hibiscus, tea brings loads of botanical advantages to the health banquet.
Not interested in caffeine? No problem. While traditional tea delivers much less caffeine per serving than coffee, it still contains the plant compound. Plenty of traditional teas, however, offer caffeine-versions. And most herbal teas don’t include caffeine.
One thing we love about tea for kids is the enormous range of flavors associated with our favorite beverage. Even the pickiest child will find teas that appeal among the hundreds of teas we carry at Ku Cha House of Tea. Does your child love Creamsicles? We’ve got a tea that nails the treat’s bright flavors. Does she adore the flavor of blueberries? Is he crazy for vanilla? Great—we’ve got them covered.
Now that K-12 kids are getting ready to hoist backpacks over their shoulders again and commune with textbooks, teachers, classmates and lunch rooms, we offer teas to not only ease their re-entry, but to improve their school experiences.
Teas for Kids: Rooibos Creamsicle (Caffeine-Free)
It’s got the gorgeous tang from orange, a silky texture thanks to yogurt and the complementary flavor of vanilla. The Creamsicle is a classic summer treat for kids and adults alike, and a longtime favorite. We set out to craft a tea to capture the spectacular flavor advantages of the Creamsicle, and came up with a winning blend of botanicals. In addition, this tea stands on a foundation of rooibos, the South African shrub that people across the country sip with abandon. Rooibos brings slightly earthy flavors to this tea, which we think work in concert with the rest of the taste package. Rooibos also contains a wealth of electrolytes, minerals that fight free radicals in the body and contribute toward healthy hydration. Kids (we know from experience!) go wild for this delicious and good-for-you tea. It’s equally delicious hot and iced.
Tea for Kids: Mango Green
Our Mango Green combines classic green tea with China—which is naturally low in caffeine—with pineapple, mallow petals and natural mango flavor. The result is a taste triumph, packed with fruit flavors balanced by green tea’s floral and grassy notes. Mango Green is one of the most popular flavored teas in our lineup, and we use it as a base for an extremely popular boba tea preparation. While kids eagerly sip this tea when hot, they gulp it when cold. We brew it and then keep it cold in a pitcher in the refrigerator across the warm months, and that includes into the fall in Colorado’s majestic Front Range.
Tea for Kids: Paradise Peach and Pink Pomegranate (we combine them into a DIY blend we call Pink Flamingo)
One category of tea that always appeals to kids is fruit teas—blends that combine botanicals like traditional Camellia sinensis and/or classic herbs, flowers and spices, with dried fruit. Blueberries. Apples. Dragonfruit, pineapple, strawberry and raspberry. The list of fruits incorporated into teas is long, and all of them are popular with our customers. While we spend a lot of time coming up with blends, we also encourage customers to craft their own blends using our teas. This combination of Paradise Peach and Pink Pomegranate is especially lovely. We call it Pink Flamingo. With flavors of hibiscus, rosehip, apple, orange, pomegranate, pineapple, dragonfruit, hibiscus and more, it broadcasts a complex array of fruit flavors that thrills kids. In addition, the Pink Pomegranate blend contains a little dried yogurt, which creates a velvety texture when brewed. It’s outstanding both hot and iced!
Tea for Kids: Milk Oolong
Oolong teas are among the most prized in the world. Their flavor complexities and satisfying sipping experiences have attracted devotees around the world. This oolong, from Taiwan, bedazzles kids and adults with its appealing flavor and arresting texture. Tea artisans in Taiwan steam this oolong with non-dairy creamer before the leaves are roasted. The process yields a unique and creamy flavor, one that is so special that our Milk Oolong is our most popular flavored oolong.
