-
Dandelion Leaves
£15.39 -
Dried Cucumber Slices
£30.49 -
Dried Ginger Root Pieces
£40.58 -
-
-
-
Fennel Seeds
£13.63 -
-
-
Gin & Tonic Green Tea Blend
£34.09 -
-
Ginkgo Leaves
£28.87
Herbal Tea, Infusions or Tisanes?
Herbal Tea, Infusions or Tisanes?
While we use the popular term Herbal Tea to help with navigation, technically, this needs to be corrected as there is no 'tea' in the form of Camellia sinensis in herbs. Herbal infusions or herbal tisanes, are a more accurate description. But if you're like us, we don't get too caught up on titles!
Historic Herbal Medicines
Herbs, flowers, and roots have been used in many cultures worldwide for thousands of years. The first recorded use of herbs for medicinal purposes can be traced back to ancient China and Egypt. The Ebers Papyrus, found in Egypt and dating back to 1550 BC, is one of the oldest medical texts discovered. The text mentions how herbs like Peppermint and Hibiscus were used to treat disease.
Today, many plants and flowers are included under the umbrella term of herbal teas, but we have added subcategories to help with navigation.
Herbal Roots
Plant roots offer many health benefits and are often full of flavour. While most can be enjoyed independently, they add a real depth of flavour when blended with other herbs. Below are two of the most popular herbal roots used in our blends:
- Dried Ginger Root Pieces: Ginger is known for its health benefits, especially in aiding digestion and reducing inflammation.
- Liquorice Root Herbal Tea: Liquorice root can help with digestive health and may relieve respiratory conditions.
Herbal Leaves
Some plant leaves we use provide significant health benefits to herbal blends but do not necessarily have a strong flavour - they have more of a herbaceous, neutral character. Examples of leaves that fall into this category would be :
- Nettle Leaves (Nettle Tea) - reported to help with allergies such as rhinitis and hay fever, blood pressure, digestion, blood sugar and more.
- Blackberry Leaves - reported to help fluid retention, diarrhoea, gout, inflammation, and more.
- Dandelion Leaves - historically used for conditions such as loss of appetite and stomach upsets or as a laxative.
- Ginkgo Leaves - reported to help reduce anxiety, dementia, vascular disease, vision problems and more.
- Raspberry Leaves (Raspberry Tea) - naturally rich in vitamins C and E, as well as minerals magnesium and potassium. They have been traditionally used as a remedy in the latter stages of pregnancy. Learn more in our blog post: How Does Raspberry Leaf Tea Work In Pregnancy?
Examples of well-known herbal leaves that have plenty of flavour and health benefits would be:
- Peppermint Leaves - pungent, cool, menthol taste. They are reported to help with indigestion, headaches, migraines, nasal congestion, menstrual cramps and strengthen the immune system.
- Spearmint Leaves - refreshing, cool minty taste. They are high in antioxidants and have been reported to improve overall health by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Lemongrass -sweet lemon taste without the tang. High in potassium, it is reported to help lower blood pressure, boost circulation, aid digestion and reduce anxiety.
- Rosehip - mild and fruity with a slight tangy taste. They have high Vitamin C levels, vitamins and minerals and have been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.
Herbal Flowers
Generally, most herbal flowers used in herbal tea blends are for decoration and have little flavour. Still, besides their excellent colour, some flowers offer fantastic taste and health benefits. Often enjoyed as herbal drinks on their own, here are some examples of flowers that are enjoyed for their taste, aroma and health benefits:
- Lavender Flowers - slightly sweet floral flavour with a light minty character. The aroma of lavender flowers has been used for centuries to promote relaxation, and the flowers have also been used for medicinal purposes to help with anxiety, fungal infections and hair loss.
- Hibiscus Flowers - tangy taste, similar to pomegranate or lemonade. Hibiscus flowers are rich in antioxidants and are believed to help lower blood pressure.
- Chamomile (or Camomile) Flowers - light-bodied with a light fruity flavour. Chamomile tea is known for various health benefits, including relaxation, aiding sleep, aiding digestion, relieving menstrual pain and reducing common cold symptoms.
- Rose Petals - light floral fragrance with a delicate rose taste. Rose petals are very high in antioxidants and are reported to reduce inflammation, aid digestion, and soothe sore throats.
Herbal Tea Blends
Whilst we have a lot of caffeine-free herbal blends, we also have several blends where we have combined tea and herbs to create the desired flavour profile. Here are some examples of Camellia sinensis (tea) and herb blends:
- Body Boost - wonderfully rounded depth and a refreshing lemon taste. We've blended oolong tea, white tea, yerba mate, lemon pieces, and natural flavours. This blend supports weight loss, boosts metabolism, enhances mental alertness, strengthens the immune system, and promotes healthy skin and hair.
- Gin & Tonic Green Tea Blend - smooth gin & tonic flavour with a hint of pines and lemon. We've blended green tea, white tea, Juniper berries, cucumber slices, coriander seeds, liquorice root, lemon pieces, cardamom, Rosemary and natural flavours. This blend supports digestive health, cardiovascular health, skin health, weight loss and the immune system.
As you would expect, there are many caffeine-free herbal blends that, in addition to tasting great, have combined great health benefits. Below are a couple of examples:
We continually add many more herbal blends to our collection, and we love feedback or suggestions for new blends, too!