Holy Basil, Rama (Tulsi) - Organic
91
Percentile
4 ratings |
|
Commercial Description
Rama (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is known for its cooling and mellow flavor. The plant has green leaves, white-to-purplish blossoms, and a green or purplish stem. It is cultivated in the Indian plains, as well as private homes and gardens around India.
Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 4 reviews
90 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5Kmidst (14 reviews) on Nov. 9th, 2014
I tried this tea because the positive ratings by others. It really is a great tea.
The aroma took me by surprise at first. It's hard to describe...Sort of like peppermint. You might expect the tea to taste really sharp judging by the scent. The exact opposite is true. It tastes very smooth and clean. It has a refreshing quality to it that's also hard to describe. I guess I would call it kind of minty, but also like a fine green tea. I can imagine this tea being great cold as well.
Once again it's a great value, you get a lot of tea for very little money. Stock up on this one!
87 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5Brytta Sóþword (333 reviews) on Sep. 28th, 2014
Oooh, very tasty tulsi! Very smooth, lightly spiced with complexities that taste not-quite-floral, not-quite-citrus. Very soothing aroma too.
It can steep for a long time without turning bitter (which is good, because it diffuses slowly) and has a lovely light gold color. The water I used was fresh boiled. My first cup was brewed for just over 4 minutes. The second cup steeped for well over 10 minutes.
I got this as a gift and the website appears to be down, so I don't know the cost. But based on others' reviews and my positive experience I rated the value as above average.
90 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5Alex Zorach (1448 reviews) on Feb. 7th, 2014
A truly artisanal example of this herb. Tastes the closest to the fresh-harvested, home-grown example of this herb than any other one I have bought through a company. Astonishing complexity for Rama Tulsi.
I tried this some time ago, and I think it may not have been terribly fresh; this was a fresh batch which a friend had shipped directly from Mountain Rose Herbs, and the difference is huge.
Aroma is full and creamy, with spicy undertones and notes of hay and straw, licorice, cocoa shells, and mint. The creaminess in the aroma is reminiscent of creamy candies, like nonpareils or handmade chocolates, but this is paired with earthy and herbaceous tones. Much less of the clove-like aroma that usually dominates the green leafed variety.
Smooth flavor, a light sweetness. Little bitterness, and no sourness. Medium body, with some astringency in the finish if steeped for a long time.
This is much more complex than any of the three tulsi varieties sold by Upton Tea Imports. I think I would still prefer their Purple Leaf (Krishna) tulsi to this one
I think I would prefer this to Upton's green-leaf variety or Rama Tulsi though: theirs was a bit harsh and this one is much smoother and has more of the warming quality that I like so much about this herb.
The leaf takes up a lot of space relative to its weight, so I recommend using two heaping teaspoons. I found it wasn't really possible to oversteep...I steeped for 8 minutes and it was not at all bitter, just rich and warming.
And the price is astonishingly reasonable!
87 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5lequis (2 reviews) on Jan. 5th, 2010
I wouldn't have thought to make tea out of basil, so it was convenient when I encountered tulsi tea. Pleasant in its taste and strong herbal aroma, Mountain Rose's tulsi is an enjoyable deviation from run-of-the-mill herb teas. You can let it steep for longer than your average green or black tea to relatively little detriment.
Update: Tulsi also works great for making kombucha, if you're into that hippie commie stuff. It seems to lend itself to the process better than black tea which is more acidic and bitter, and the flavor seems to complement the acidity of the fermentation process nicely. Tulsi was my first introduction to kombucha and one of several flavors I have tried with making kombucha.
Page 1 of 1 page with 4 reviews
More Herbal Tea from United States of America from Mountain Rose Herbs
Holy Basil, Krishna (Tulsi)
| Style: | Tulsi / Holy Basil |
| Region: | India |
| Caffeine: | Caffeine Free |
| Leaf: | Loose |
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Hibiscus High Tea
| Style: | Herbal Tea |
| Region: | Oregon, United States |
| Caffeine: | Caffeine Free |
| Leaf: | Loose |
1 Rating
