Cha Dao Tea

Five-month old, Seattle-based Cha Dao is now being sold in 15 states. Its spiel? It's the "healthiest choice in tea." The fresh, preservative-free tea is supposed to be high in flavonoids (compounds with possible health benefits). Whatev—how does it taste? After trying all four flavors, Oolong, Jasmine Green, Chrysanthemum, and Sencha, my advice is to opt for the sweetened flavors (Chrysanthemum and Jasmine Green). The other stuff is way too bitter for my tastes. However, as I painfully learned in high school science class, we all taste bitter differently, and some of us are "supertasters" when it comes to bitter compounds. Lucky us.

Bottom line: Try the unsweetened flavors at your own risk. You can pick up a bottle of Cha Dao at Whole Foods, Uwajimaya, and other stores.