Reframing how we think about herbal tea
We love using herbs in our cooking. The bold aromas make our food taste quite amazing, but when it comes to tea we usually pivot to a different part of our palate. When we think about tea, we may think of chamomile, hibiscus, jasmine, turmeric and ginger. Some people may find one or several of these flavors very medicinal in taste and smell. Luckily, there are folks out there, us included, that love the taste and smell of these herbaceous blossoms and their benefits.
Things to know about herbal tea profiles
They are not all the same, but many of them have a strong flavor. These flavor profiles and how their benefits can help ail our allergies are outlined in our Herbal and Green Tea for Allergies blog post. There are many more herbs that can be brewed or infused into teas - such as lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, and calendula. These few have subtle floral notes compared to ginger, rooibos, and turmeric. Most herbal teas taste even better when accompanied with fruit or other herbs, which is why Happy Tea is our favorite pick this summer when it comes to herbal teas. Happy Tea has sweet raspberries, tangy hibiscus, and an herbal guayusa tea, an herbal tree which comes from the holly genus, that is not found in any of our other tea offerings. To further round out the flavor there are notes of rosehips, apple, and jasmine green tea. Each time we open a bag of Happy Tea, we can't help but instantly smile. The best part about Happy Tea? Oh yeah - it tastes amazing iced!
Caffeinated herbal teas
Most, but not all, herbal teas are caffeine free. What makes Happy Tea especially different from other herbal teas is that it contains guayusa tea leaves. Guayusa, which is very similar to Yerba Mate, comes from the ilex guayusa, a species of the holly genus that's native to the Amazon Rainforest. Like mate, it has a caffeinated leaf. A cup of tea with guayusa gives around 40mg of caffeine. Unlike coffee, guayusa slowly releases caffeine into the system, making its energizing effects less aggressive than a cup of coffee.
How to make “tereré” (cold yerba mate)
One of the best ways to enjoy Yerba Mate on a hot day is Terere. Terere is the cold version of yerba mate and the national drink of Paraguay, though its popularity has spread to other yerba mate consuming countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Chili, and Brazil. Here in the United States, we have coffee break, but in Paraguay they have Terere breaks! If you're looking to enjoy your yerba mate cold, we'd recommend using a fruit flavored yerba mate like our Mango Yerba Mate.
You'll need:
Simply add fill your cup halfway with yerba mate and shake it to make sure it's properly mixed. Then add cold water. Place in your bombilla (straw) and enjoy!
"Who needs an afternoon coffee, when you can have Happy Tea? I love this stuff! It does, indeed, make me happy. It also gives me quite the energy boost! Maybe a little too much energy! :)"
What herbal tea makes good iced tea?
Besides Happy tea, there's a few herbal teas that make especially good, iced teas.
Ginger Blueberry
Ginger Blueberry is wonderful hot or iced, but when iced it makes for a refreshing, sweet and slightly spicy beverage. It's a perfect mix of fruity and citrusy along with subtle floral and herbal notes. Perfect for warm days or as a cooling option during hot weather!
Raspberry Lavender
Raspberry Lavender tea is a perfect balance of lavender and raspberry, like a cup of summer. It brews a beautiful pink infusion - which mixes great with lemonade, making for a tea that tastes as good as it looks!
Purple Papayaberry
The best way to enjoy tea is the way you prefer it - but we really couldn't think of any other way to enjoy Purple Papayaberry than having it iced. It has a delightful fruity flavor and signature purple color that changes if you add a bit of lemon juice. it's an ideal summer thirst quencher.
How to cold brew iced tea safety
In general, we don't recommend that you cold brew an herbal tea. For both safety and to extract the benefits from the herbs, roots, and dried fruit - you should use water that is close to or at boiling. If you're not sure how to hot-brew iced tea, we have a whole post with video instruction to help you out!
Happy Iced Tea Recipe
What you need to make this iced tea:
- The Conflicted Brewer or 46oz *Glass or Ceramic* Iced Tea Pitcher (we are suggesting a glass or ceramic pitcher due to the hot brew during steeping)
- 1 Large infuser or Loose-Leaf Paper Tea Bags - we suggest the paper tea bags because they are long enough to submerge into your pitcher if you are not using The Conflicted Brewer*
- 4 tbsp Happy Tea (Organic Herbal Tea)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
Recipe
- Add 4 tbsp Happy Tea into infuser or paper bag. If you are using The Conflicted Brewer, make sure to fasten infuser onto lid.*
- Boil 24oz of filtered water until it reaches 212F.
- Once water get to 212F, pour hot water into pitcher until it is halfway full.
- Submerge infuser or tea bag and steep for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove infuser or tea bag.
- Mix in 1 tbsp of honey until dissolved. Squeeze in lemon.
- Top with ice and cold water, then pour tea over ice in a glass and enjoy!
