Tea and herbal tea ideas for summer and fall

Are you tired of the same choice of drinks and ready for something different? Here are some tea mixes you can make easily with great taste. You can drink them warm or cold with ices. A little honey or brown sugar is optional.

1. Green tea and lemon - Green tea and lemon go well together because both are clearing and cooling. You can add lemon juice, lemon slice, or half a lemon. If no lemon, try lime, orange or other seasonal fruit.

2. Green tea latte - Green tea powder seems to work better here. Mix with some fresh milk to make a quick smoothie or shake. 

3. Black tea and hibiscus flower - Black tea and dried hibiscus flower make a popular ice tea in the summer. You can also add lemon, plum or other fruit to make it more tropical.

4. Hibiscus tea with plum or lemon - Hibiscus flower makes a good non-caffeinated summer drink. It has beautiful purple-red color and sweet-sour taste. Adding plum or lemon makes the drink more refreshing and clears the summer heat.

5. Oolong tea with plum or lemon - The loose-leaf Oolong tea goes well with dried Chinese plum or sour fruit like lemon or orange. Sour taste can wake up our senses especially in sleepy hot days. 

6. White tea with the fresh peach slices - The loose-leaf white tea is the high-end Chinese tea because of the delicate flavor. Peach or pear can add another layer of fragrance to the drink. Rose flower is also a good pair with the white tea.

7. Black tea with freshly chopped strawberry - fresh fruit goes well with almost any tea too. Popular choices include strawberry, peach, apple, pineapple, mango and so on.

8. Green tea with fresh mint - Freshly chopped mint can add flavor to almost any tea. Green tea goes well with mint because of the clearing and refreshing properties. 

9. Oolong with rose - The Chinese Oolong tea is best with loose leaves. Add rose petal or different flowers to add the fragrance. 

10. Ju Hua and Go Qi Zi - Chinese Chrysanthemum flower and Goji berry. Both are famous Chinese herbs that can clear heat and nourish eyes. They are non-caffeinated herbal tea. A popular drink for the summer and fall time.

All drinks can be mixed and matched to create your own flavor. Fresh fruits and herbs add taste and nutrition. Chia seeds are a good choice too. These soaked seeds puff up and create a chewy texture. It also helps you feel fuller and eat less food. Not to mention the nutrition of this superfood. 

Use loose-leaf tea when possible for the best flavor. A good quality loose tea and fresh ingredients make the biggest difference. Just add hot water to brew and let it cool down before storing in the refrigerator or adding ices. For milk or fresh fruit, add last before you drink. 

I am surprised to find the Starbucks in Taiwan offers Lemon black tea with Li Chi fruit jelly. If the big company are open to new flavors, why can't we develop our own special drinks?