Herbal Tea

Herbal tea, more exactly a tisane or infusion, is made from dried flowers, leaves, seeds, roots or fruit, with no tea leaf in most blends. That usually makes it caffeine free, though it is worth checking any blend that includes green or black tea. The shelf sits within our tea range, next to green tea. Camomile is soft and apple-like, peppermint sharp and cooling, fennel sweet and aniseedy, and rooibos, the South African red bush, rich and naturally sweet.

Lemon and ginger is a favourite on cold days, fruit blends such as berry and peach make a caffeine-free drink for children, and some fruit infusions are brewed strong and chilled as iced tea. Joshanda is a traditional South Asian blend of dried herbs, brewed hot and sipped through the winter months in Pakistani and North Indian homes. Calendula tea, galbenele, comes from the Romanian herbal tradition. Brands include Soghaat among others.

Unlike green tea, herbal infusions need water at a full boil and a longer steep, five minutes or more, to draw out the flavour. Cover the cup while it brews to keep in the aromatic oils. A spoonful of honey suits most of them, and they keep for a year or more in a dry cupboard.