Twig tea

Photo: Thinkstock

5 of 6
Twig Tea
We've all heard about the benefits of green tea; out of all teas, it has the highest content of polyphenols, which are chemicals with potent antioxidant properties (believed to be even greater than those of vitamin C). But while green tea is made solely from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush, twig tea—sometimes called kukicha twig tea—is made from (you guessed it) the twigs. Roasting them yields a smoky flavor and aroma that might be just the ticket for those who find regular green tea too astringent. All the goodness of green tea is still present, though. One more perk: Twig tea contains 90 percent less caffeine than regular brewed coffee (green tea contains about 60 percent less). Drink it hot or iced, or brew a cup and add it to soup broth for added enrichment, as Glassman does.


Kukicha twig tea, $3 for 16 bags, Eden Foods through Amazon.com