There’s a bright and zesty quality to the summer months that makes me crave a refreshing burst of lemon. Lemony drinks, freshly squeezed lemon in my ice water, and lemon-flavored baked treats are all on my “yes, please!” list this time of the year. A particular favorite of mine is lemon green tea, which offers many different flavor profiles to explore, each one delightful in its own right.
Earl Grey Green Tea
A tea that might surprise you with its lemon flavor is Earl Grey. The main flavor profile in this tea is bergamot, a type of citrus fruit grown in Italy with similarities to the Meyer lemon. To flavor the tea, some companies use bergamot oil, while others use dried peel mixed with tea leaves to lend a more profound taste.
While Americans typically drink Earl Grey with milk and sugar, this tea is traditionally served with a slice of lemon and sugar to taste.
The Plum Deluxe Queen’s Blend green tea is a lemon crème Earl Grey green tea which offers wonderful layers of complexity, with bright lemon, smooth vanilla, woodsy green tea, bergamot oil, plus apple pieces to help add balance and softness. The result is a very fine-tasting Earl Grey green tea, and quite unique in being a green Earl Grey as opposed to the traditional black tea.
Jade Citrus Mint Green
Green Jade tea from China is a classic premium green tea grown in the mountains. The leaves are long, thin, and emerald colored, and create an infusion that is refreshing, vegetal, and nutty. Green tea is caffeinated but slightly less so than black tea, so if you’re looking for a smooth pick-me-up throughout your day, this would be a fine choice.
Green tea with a squeeze of fresh lemon may offer not only an excellent treat for your taste buds but also a health boost. Vitamin C-rich lemons act as potent antioxidants that fight free radicals and boost our immunity system.
Take a virtual trip abroad with the Jade Citrus Mint green tea. A delightful dance of lemon and orange pair with hints of lemongrass and a sprinkle of spearmint to create a truly zen tea moment. It balances brightness and awakening with calm and reassuring. Make this lemon green tea into iced tea for a wonderfully refreshing beverage on a hot summer day.
Plan ahead to prepare this tea cold-brewed, or enjoy it hot (I still drink hot tea in the summer!), paired with some meditative journaling or quiet contemplation.
Raspberry Revitalizer Lemon Mate
Taking a small step to the side of lemon green tea, I’d like to introduce you to this lemon green mate. Yerba mate is an herb that naturally produces caffeine and is native to South America. While it is prepared as an infusion, similar to tea, it does not actually contain any tea leaves.
If you’re a person who enjoys the smooth caffeine of green tea but wishes for a bit more boost, mate might be for you. It naturally produces more caffeine than green tea, about 70mg per cup. A cup of green tea, by comparison, contains about 35mg.
The Rasberry Revitalizer lemon mate is one that you will fall in love with.
This raspberry lemon tea is refreshing and revitalizing. It’s a bright and delicate balance of green mate (much more grassy and pleasing to the palate than traditionally-aged mate) with lemongrass, lemon peel, hibiscus, and raspberries. This is one of those blends that is quite enjoyable both in the mornings or as an afternoon cuppa; you can also do a strong cold-brew steep for an excellent iced tea.
Tea Pairings: Lemon Cherry Trifle
Let’s not forget the many lemon treats that may accompany our lemon green tea! Lemon cookies, bars, and muffins are all wonderful partners to your hot or iced tea. In the summer, I adore serving a trifle, and this recipe for a Lemon Cherry Trifle is not only simple to assemble, but it also packs a load of flavor and will impress your guests.
Trifle is traditionally assembled in a large serving bowl and then individual portions can be scooped out and served in small bowls. I assembled personalized trifles in a clear glass bowl so that the delicious ingredients are on display: boozy chunks of cake layered with cream filling, fruit, or jam, and perhaps topped with sweet whipped cream.
If you don’t have time to bake a sponge cake (or it’s too hot in your house to bake anything due to summer temps), you may choose to pick up a lemon pound cake or something similar at your local market. I really love the light, fluffiness of angel food cake for a trifle, and while it may get soggier than a sturdy pound cake, my trifle disappears into happy tummies too quickly for it to be a concern. Yum!
These are just a few of the lemon green teas available to explore on Plum Deluxe and out in the world. Enjoy these last days of summer with a squeeze of fresh lemon in your next green tea brew.