After Dinner Delight

This is a lovely, mildly sweet fennel and cardamom tea is layered with citrus and bitter herbs to leave you feeling satisfied and settled. An excellent afternoon or desert tea, it has a velvety texture and finishes with a hint of mint. Pair it with some shortbread cookies or a square of dark chocolate.  Made from 100% certified organic ingredients and small batch blended in-house.

Q&A with Bree, Founder and Tea Artist:

What kind of flavor can I expect from After Dinner Delight? Is the sweetness more subtle or pronounced?

The flavours in this medium-bodied herbal infusion are really nicely balanced and layered. You will get a little 'black liquorice' taste from the fennel seed but it's really quite subtle; the cardamom, lemon and bay leaves are 'loudest' so there's a some punchy pungency. There's a nutty undertone from the milk thistle seed, which also imparts a beautiful body. Although there are a lot of sweet herbs in here, the overall sweetness is more subtle because of the presence of the lemon that brings in some zip. I get asked sometimes if it has honey in it but that's just the herbs talking!

What are the wellness characteristics of the ingredients in After Dinner Delight, particularly fennel, cardamom, and milk thistle seed?

There is a long history associated with almost all the herbs and spices in this blend being used in our cooking to help settle the stomach and assist in digestion. According to the Herb Society of America, fennel was used by Ancient Egyptians as food and medicine. Cardamom was also used in that time to keep breath minty and teeth clean (I recommend toothbrushes today though!). Cardamom is particularly beautiful because it adds so much character to the tea while also being energetically balancing (good for all 'doshas' according to Ayurvedic principles). Milk thistle seed is one of my all-time favourite seeds. It's a little milder than a sunflower seed, loaded with iron so they actually make an amazing snack and are traditionally used for liver support. In this tea they add texture and a lovely nutty undertone.*

What makes After Dinner Delight unique compared to the other herbal teas available in the Island Elixir Tea cupboard?

One hundred percent it's the flavour profile, especially the texture. I love the bay leaves for their menthol note - it's one of my favourite teas to blend because we cut the bay leaves in-house and the whole studio is fragranced with them on blending day. With this blend I am really proud of how the flavours are layered so that each taste and texture comes through in its own time as you drink your tea. It's my go-to for, well, after dinner.

*Please note that none of the information provided has been evaluated by Health Canada. Information is for 'fun fact' purposes only and is not intended to provide advice or anything of the sort. Please seek the guidance of your local herbalist to learn more.