What is Irish breakfast tea?

Well there is no standard formula , however, most Irish tea blends share common traits that makes them different from British tea blends. Traditionally the base of the Irish tea blend has always been a strong black Assam tea from India which is well known for its dark colour, strong flavour and slightly malty aroma. The Assam teas are usually blended with one other tea, basically a softer tea which brings out the different flavours and helps support the Assam tea. These secondary  teas are usually sourced from Kenya, and a popular choice is Kenyan Broken Pekoe.

The amazing taste of Irish tea 

The percentage of Assam tea to the ancillary leaves is what gives the Irish breakfast tea its amazing flavour. Irish tea is traditionally a strong cup of tea which comes from the processing of the leaves . Irish breakfast tea is usually made with leaves that have been broken and then lightly crushed . This is the process which permits the tea to steep faster and so release more flavour than an unbroken leaf. 

When is it best to drink Irish tea ?

Well the Irish drink tea almost more than any other nation, on average around 5 to 6 cups a day per person. Basically Irish tea is great for Breakfast, and during the afternoon , and well herbal teas are best close to bed time !

so Go On enjoy a cup of the worlds most loved tea blend , and what the Irish love even more than Guinness!   

How do you make Earl Grey tea ? 

The ingredient which turns tea leaves into an Earl Grey tea blend is the  addition of bergamot orange oil. Bergamot is a type of citrus fruit which comes from the Calabria region in Italy. Earl grey tea is made with milder blends of black tea leaves. Most People enjoy the flavor of Earl Grey without milk or sugar as it doesn’t have the bitterness of most black teas. If you like to  take the tea with milk, we would go for a creamy nut or plant milk, and  first pour the milk into a warmed teacup before pouring in the tea, so that the milk can be warmed up! 

Caffeine and Earl Grey tea ? 

Also remember Earl Grey Tea contains caffeine so it’s best enjoyed as a late morning or early afternoon. Earl Grey  contains around 30-40 mg of caffeine, which is less caffeine than most breakfast blends,  as the average cup of coffee comes in  95-150 mg of caffeine.

3 Health Benefits of Earl Grey Tea

1. Gut Health Support

Earl Grey is is a black tea, which means that it’s oxidized, so helps play an important role in supporting the balance of healthy gut bacteria.

2. Antioxidant 

Earl Grey tea unlike most black teas, it has antioxidants from the addition of bergamot oil. Antioxidants can help to scavenge free radicals in your body, so it can  help support your immune system. 

3. Earl Grey Tea helps to booster you mood

 We know that L-theanine is a unique amino acid found only in tea, and it is seems this is linked to supporting a calm and focused mind!  therfore you get the caffeine boost along with a calming effect . 

Can tea save your hair?

It's vacation time in Ireland and it's a good time to think about looking after your self and your hair. The Irish drink more tea than almost any other nation per person .Tea contains antioxidants and in particular a type called catechins, as well as  polyphenols which support overall health, including great hair and skin .The antioxidants in tea can help inhibit free radical formation and hopefully before any cellular damage occurs. Free radicals are unstable molecules that may damage  the cells in your body. When we age, our body slowly gets worse at fighting off free radicals. The build-up of free radicals may cause oxidative stress, which lead to degeneration which can cause a change in your overall hair texture, gray hair, or even hair loss. It seems tea can help counteract oxidative stress and so tea helps to maintain or improve the health of your scalp and hair. Many herbal teas also support healthy hair, and guess what , tea can fight dryness and dandruff.

How do you use tea for your hair?

Basically drink  a fresh cup of tea regularly. Make sure that the type and quality of the tea leaves  you purchase is of high quality. 

Which tea is best for hair growth?

Some types of tea do seem to help stimulate hair growth and prevent breakage, here's a list of these teas and the benefits they offer: 

Green tea

Green tea has a high level of antioxidants that help fight off daily stressors, like UV rays, so they can keep cells healthier for longer. Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG),which is a type of catechin, therfore green tea can help reduce dihydrotestosterone (DTH), which is a hormone that causes shedding and possible hair loss. It also seems that green tea can also help increased blood and nutrient flow to your  hair follicles, which will help keep your hair in a good condition. It seems that studies have shown that EGCG can  help stimulate healthy hair growth .

Black tea

Black tea contains flavonols, theaflavins, and catechins so you get lots of  good-for-you nutrients and antioxidants . As black tea is oxidized, it has fewer catechins than green tea, but during the oxidation process unique theaflavins are formed. Also remember the higher amount of caffeine in black tea may help block DHT, which seems to  possibly preventing hair loss in some people.

Herbal tea

If you are into herbal teas then have a look at the following herbal teas as they all seem to help many people trying to improve their hair condition or even hold on to their hair as they age. Lavender helps your scalp stay healthy and may aid in preventing hair loss. Rosemary increases blood flow to your scalp and may help unclog hair follicles, that are so important. Peppermint helps balance sebum production. Chamomile tea is great if you have an itchy scalp. Ginger for many people helps keep their hair strong and flake-free. Nettle tea has long been known for its hair-boosting abilities. Nettle is has a lot of silica and sulfur which can help keep your hair healthy. Nettle also contains Iron, zinc and the many other vitamins so it's a great tea to support your overall health.

Are there any side effects drinking tea ?

Unless you have an allergy, tea is safe for regular use. However, it is always a good idea to chat with your doctor if you have any questions about drinking teas and herbal infusions. Alwasy remember that all teas other than many herbal infusions contain caffeine, and certainly drinking black tea in the evening might not help you get to sleep easily.

So basically tea is a great and a very affordable way to boost your hair health and almost all teas are packed with nutrients that play a big role in maintaining your overall health and so keep your hair healthy.

It seems  a little filtered tea into at least one of your daily glasses of water could provide you with enough wrinkle-fighting antioxidants and detoxifying botanicals to keep you looking young and also feeling fresher than when you were 21.

Our skin is the largest organ we have, the secret of great glowing skin is to be healthy. Organic green teas have lots of polyphenols which can help fight free radicals and so help prevent skin damage from UV light, which is one of the main causes of  wrinkles. 

When we get a little older we have more exposure to UV light, and your skin can look old and it can even change the skins colour. In some studies Oolong tea has been found to have skin lighting abilities and may decrease the amount of melanin at the cellular level. 

Does green tea help your skin? 

Green tea can help ease the removal of extra fluids and also help accelerate toxin elimination, adding a little hint of grapefruit to green tea gives a sweet kick to the to it , and can also help to even out your complexion.

Perhaps one of the reasons we have a little feeling of pure pleasure is because tea drinking can help lower the post stress cortisol levels. Cortisol is a common steroid hormone and has many roles like controlling blood sugar levels and can act as an anti-inflammatory and also help to influencing memory formation and help control your blood pressure. Also Teas made with cinnamon can help curb some peoples appetite? How cinnamon works is not exactly known but it is believed that it keeps blood glucose levels stable and so reduces cravings, so adding cinnamon to food can help reduce glucose levels after eating .

This month our recommended teas are Chillout tea

 Chill out tea can be a great green tea, its a nice simple mixture of green tea, cucumber, mint, and is crisp and refreshing and helps at working in collagen-boosting antioxidants.

So Go On there are so many good things about enjoying a nice cup of tea,

Go On be nice to your self !

Oolong tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, and it is  totally  good for you

Health Benefits of Oolong Tea

 Can oolong tea be used to help with weight loss?

We know oolong tea has many health benefits. Oolong comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant and so it is  rich in antioxidants. 

If ypu want the best tea for your health , simply pick pure loose leaf tea, which is grown sustainably and grown  without pesticides or herbicides.Hand grown and crafted tea will always taste better and it will be so much better for the environment.

Oolong tea high in caffeine?

Oolong tea is usually picked later than many teas, so the leaf is lift on the bush for a longer time which increases its caffeine content. So yes the caffeine content in oolong tea is usually higher.So if you need a hit of caffeine it does the job but you can keep adding hot walter to the same leaves and it still tastes great after 3 OR 4 cups of tea!

The big question will oolong Tea help you loose weight?

There's is some research that may suggest that bacause there are higher caffeine levels in Oolong that it might help speed up metabolism, other than that theres no definite research to conclude anything else!

Can you put milk in Oolong Tea?

There is a type oolong called Milk Oolong which comes from Taiwan. It is made in a particular way to help the flavours and aromas of the hot milk.

We think it very important to chose your oolong very carefully. Puting milk in your oolong IS REALLY A PERSONAL TASTE TYPE THING! . Milk was not added in ancient times, but we love it with a dash of milk ,so Go On what ever you feel like, main think is to take your time and enjoy every cip!

Either way Mrs Doyle's Oolong tea has to be tasted it is totally amazing on the taste buds.

It all started one summer at Ireland's Electric Picnic Music festival, we were selling Irish tea to help UNICEF Ireland, and well Mrs Doyle walked by the tea tent and next thing you know she was making her famous Irish cream tea for everyone!

We got in all the newspapers and even got mentioned in the Irish Times and later in the Washington Post and of course the Irish gift stores wanted to stock Mrs Doyle's Irish teas. Eventually we persuaded Mrs Doyle to share all her famous Irish tea blends.

 After that, well, the word spread and next thing you know, Mrs Doyle's tea tent , was everywhere that summer, eventually we all took the advice of Mrs Doyle and decided that touring is only for the summer !

So We got technology, and now, Mrs Doyle's online Irish tea and gift store works 24 /7 

so Go On, try one of Mrs Doyle's happy teas

or 

sign up to Mrs Doyle's monthly tea box subscription and get 4 teas sent to you or a friend ,every month !     just tea-riffic

Mrs Doyle is always asked what is the best type of cup to drink her tea from and she always says a nice Belleek mug or if they are all taken then it's time to open the Galway crystal  

So just what are the qualities of a great tea cup?