stashfusionWhile I prefer to drink well-crafted loose leaf teas, I admit that, on occasion, convenience demands that I drink a bagged tea. Bagged teas are generally not as good as loose leaf teas, but this does not mean that they cannot be quite tasty in their own right. Here is a review of one such tea:

Name: Fusion Green & White Tea

Brand: Stash

Type: Green and white tea blend

Form: Paper bag tea

Review: There is a good chance that you have seen Stash teas, even if you don’t recognize the name. Stash packages its teas in beautiful, brightly colored boxes which stand out on store shelves and behind the counter at cafes. Each bag of tea is individually wrapped to both ensure freshness and portability.

As its name suggests, this is a blend of green (Japanese, Chinese, and Indian) and white teas. The tea infuses to a yellow-green liquor with a nutty, clean flavor and moderate astringency.  I would not recommend adding any sweetener, though the tea is also quite nice iced, and is very nice with fresh lemon.

Who Would Like this Tea?: People who are new to green tea, or who are not fond of green tea, might find this tea to their liking: The addition of white tea helps to tame and lighten green tea’s “edge”.

Food Pairings: Because this tea is not particularly complex, it is well suited to being served with light food. I would recommend it with lighter Asian dishes as well as simply prepared white fish. It won’t stand up to more intense flavors, however.

Preparation Tips: Green and white teas should not be prepared with boiling water, which makes them bitter and disagreeable: Heat your water to about 175F for best results. Because the teabag contains dust and fannings, be sure to not oversteep: Remove the bag from the cup after about a minute.