This tea caught my eye when doing a little online window-shopping. The mix of orange with fennel sounded so unique, refreshing and cheerful that I knew I definitely needed to try it.
Ayurveda Pura isn’t a tea brand, they’re a health business. But I went in with an open mind; if it’s good tea, it’s good tea, regardless of the label.
Read my full Ayurveda Pura Orange and Fennel Bliss Tea Review below…
Ayurveda Pura Orange & Fennel Tea at A Glance
- Blend: Fennel and orange peel with spices
- Flavour: Subtle anise flavour with spices and a hint of orange
A simple yet very tasty blend of ingredients.
Expect a subtle, fragrant tea that’s heavy on the fennel and lacking orange. A good flavour, there’s just not much of it!
Full Review - Orange and Fennel Tea Bags
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabag
- Ingredients: Fennel seeds, orange peel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger
- Health Benefits: Blended for the Vata dosha
- Flavour Notes: Gentle fennel, warm spices and a hint of fresh orange sweetness
- Aroma: Subtle fennel, bright anise, and Christmas spices
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Amazon
Although the tea bags are individually wrapped, opening the outer box unleashes a wave of aroma. Fresh herbs and spices fill the room, instantly setting my expectations high for an aromatic herbal tisane.
Dry, the aroma is slightly musty and the spices give it a Christmas vibe with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. I’m struggling to note any of the orange, which is disappointing.
I brewed for a full 6 minutes with water at around 98°C. I usually find there reaches a point around 2 or 3 minutes where the tea is a good colour and starts to smell aromatic with all the flavour notes pulling through – that’s my indicator that it’s ready for drinking.
But with this tea, it was so light and fresh that I really did need to brew for the full recommended 6 minutes. The tea smells refreshing with subtle anise and bright spiced notes.
Tasting Notes
It took a few sips to really understand the flavour profile of Ayurveda Pura’s Orange and Fennel Bliss. First there’s a warm herby vegetal taste, followed by anise. Then the spices pull through (they get stronger as the tea slowly cools and I reach the bottom of the cup). Most notable, however, is the freshness of the tea.
When you peel an orange and squeeze the fresh juice, it always has a level of light freshness that you’ll never get from a carton of orange juice, even if it’s not from concentrate. This tea has that fresh feeling, it’s very uplifting…
… but there’s no real orange flavour. On some sips I could almost detect a zesty orange sweetness, but I’m not entirely sure if I was imagining the flavour from trying very hard to detect it.
I’m not sure when I’ll try this tea again, but I’ll certainly keep hold of the remaining tea bags. It’s an intriguing and relaxing flavour that needs further analysis, but it’s not an everyday tea.
Health Benefits - A Vata Tea Formula
It was the flavour combinations that caught my eye, not the health benefits, but it’s good to know the purpose of this tea blend.
Ayurveda, as I recently discovered, is an ancient Indian holistic medical system that’s complimentary to yoga. Without going into too much detail (there’s so much you can learn online and I’m really not an expert!) this blend is designed for those with the Vata body type, air and space, which is one of three doshas, energetic forces of nature.
Read more about the Vata characteristics and how this tea can balance it at Ayurveda Pura.
You really don’t have to be into Ayurveda to enjoy this tea though!
Why Ayurveda Pura Herbal Teas?
The tea bag and paper wrapping are completely standard, the actual herbs on the other hand were surprising. I’ve had many fennel teas before but I’ve never seen the herbs looking so green and fresh! That would explain why the flavours are subtle, as usually the flavour is intensified by drying out the herbs before they’re packaged (take a look at my Pukka Detox review to see what I mean).
Ayurveda Pura is actually a health spa and beauty centre in London that also produces a range of Ayurvedic products. I stumbled on their tea via Amazon and first bought the Herbal Tea Collection to give each blend a try.
All the ingredients are certified organic by the Soil Association, so I’m happy with the quality in that sense too.
Summary - Orange and Fennel Tea
Overall, this is a nice tea but it lacks flavour. I’d recommend brewing it for longer than recommended but I doubt that will intensify the orange flavour which is missing.
I’d call this tea an orange and fennel calmness, rather than bliss!
I do love a good herbal tea, but I drink them for the delicious flavours rather than the health benefits! From chamomile to fiery ginger and lemon, you can find all kinds of tea reviews on my blog. I suggest you enjoy them for their delicious flavours instead of expecting miracles – that’s one of the keys to enjoying tea.