For many of us in the West, “tea” once meant a single thing—black tea in a tea bag, often served with milk or cream and a bit of sweetener. Needless to say, that definition has expanded dramatically in recent years.
Today, tea drinkers have access to a wide variety of options, from traditional loose-leaf teas to herbal beverages like yerba mate and rooibos. With so many choices available, most people have more than enough to explore for a lifetime.
Still looking for something a little more unusual? There are plenty of tea-based beverages that go beyond the familiar.
Butter Tea (Po Cha)
One example is Tibetan butter tea, also known as po cha. This traditional drink uses a base of black tea combined with yak butter and salt, resulting in a rich and savory beverage. While it may take some getting used to, it’s consumed in large quantities in Tibet.
Although not widely available outside its region of origin, you can learn more in this overview of Tibetan butter tea and where to try it.
Kombucha (Fermented Tea Beverage)
For something more familiar to Western tastes, kombucha offers a refreshing alternative. While not technically tea in the strict sense, it is often brewed with tea and fermented using yeast and bacteria cultures.
This process produces a lightly fizzy drink with a tangy flavor. Once primarily homemade, kombucha is now widely available from commercial producers, including Kombucha Wonder Drink and similar fermented tea beverages.
Yerba Mate Sodas
If you enjoy yerba mate—a traditional South American herbal infusion—you might find mate-based sodas appealing. These beverages provide a milder introduction to mate’s distinct flavor.
One example is Materva, a yerba mate soft drink with a sweetened flavor profile, which blends herbal notes with a soda-like experience.
Chocolate “Teas”
Another interesting category includes products like Tisano cacao-based herbal tea blends. While these drinks lean heavily toward chocolate, they are often marketed as herbal teas (or tisanes), offering a rich, dessert-like alternative to traditional tea.
Whether savory, fermented, carbonated, or chocolate-infused, these beverages demonstrate how far the concept of “tea” has evolved—and how much creativity continues to shape the way we enjoy it.
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009–2014. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Excerpts may be used with proper credit and links to the original content.
Leave a Reply