Perhaps it’s because this is the busy week of Hanukkah, perhaps it’s because I’m enjoying a cup of this delicious tea right this moment, but whatever the case, Tuesday Tea is coming to you late in the morning, but at least it’s coming!

What could be better than the delicious aroma of freshly baked banana bread permeating every nook and cranny of your home? How about your hands wrapped around a warm cup of Banana Bread tea on a frosty winter morning?

Thank you, Ohio Tea Company, for offering this beautiful, fragrant tea that serves up as comforting and delicious as the familiar baked good. There’s nothing artificial tasting about this brew composed of honeybush tea, apple pieces, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, natural banana flavor, natural chestnut flavor, and marigold flowers.

It’s lovely in the tea ball and equally gorgeous in your favorite teacup or mug as it brews up a pleasant shade of mauve. This caffeine-free herbal infusion is similar to rooibos, although I found the honeybush to be a shade milder but no less tasty. It also lends itself well to blending with the other ingredients.

The best part about Banana Bread tea is that it satisfies one’s craving for dessert, and in this season of over-indulging in too many sweets, this tea is a lifesaver. What’s more, it takes far less time to make a cup of tea than to prepare and bake loaves of banana bread. I find that detail comes in handy when you receive unexpected guests and have nothing to serve them in the way of dessert.

I haven’t done this yet, but I imagine Banana Bread tea would be well received at a tea party, especially when paired with shortbread for dunking. The flavor focal point becomes the tea instead of the food, and it elevates tea to a new level instead of presenting it as the usual accompaniment essential for a tea party but often overlooked.

I enjoy this tea without sugar or cream, but if you decide to include one or the other or both in your cup, please let me know how that worked for you. Also, I’m interested in balanced pairings, so do be sure to let me know what you served with Banana Bread tea.