The best herbal teas according to Bon Appétit Editors

A cup of the best herbal tea can be a kind of balm for body and soul. Unlike black, green, or oolong tea, herbal teas do not use the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. Rather, these often caffeine-free blends use combinations of different spices, roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and herbs. As such, there are as many different types of herbal teas as there are tea drinkers, from functional infusions that reduce inflammation and nausea to herbal teas that help you relax before bed. Whether it’s an Indian tulsi, a South African rooibos, or a Floridian yaupon, here are some herbal tea blends that will leave Bon Appétit editors in comfort early, mid, and late in the day.

The Harney & Sons website claims that the black tea version of this flavor is their most popular product, but I’m a sucker for the herbal option, which is made with naturally caffeine-free rooibos. I drink it by the liter at my in-laws’ house, especially when we visit them over the holidays. The combination of cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest has an inherently festive feel, but not overly Christmassy, ​​which makes it at home in my mug from October to March. And despite the pronounced sweetness of the tea, no sugar or sweeteners are added. H&S is obviously sending a lot of incredulous emails, as the product page says: “Some of you are asking if we add sugar or sweeteners to this tea; We assure you that is not the case. The sweetness comes from the cinnamon.” — Kendra Vaculin, Assistant Food Editor

Harney & Sons Herbal Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea

It’s not often that I say “I’m like Oprah,” but we have one thing in common: Unless it’s a hot day or I’m exercising, I don’t like to drink water. Taste-wise, it’s a bit mundane, so I’m always looking for ways to make it more interesting. Beautiful glass jars, pretty pottery, let’s do it. Then I came across The Qi, a line of teas that uses organic whole flowers and nothing else to flavor their teas. I particularly like their Royal Chrysanthemum Tea, which appears to reduce anxiety and promote balance, and the Shangri-la Rose Tea, which Qi says aids digestion and calms inflammation. Both evoke the essence of their respective flower without overwhelming the palette. To please the eyes first, brew the teas in a glass vase or the qi’s own delicate teapot so that you can see the flower bud floating in the water. I don’t know if I’ll get the beauty and health benefits of the Qi touts, but I do know that I’m drinking more water – and I can get over that alone. — Dawn Davis, Editor-in-Chief

The Qi Floral Tasting Collection

When I visit my parents, our nightly routine is topped off with cups of Mighty Leaf Mint Mélange Tea while we watch TV. My mom likes to add a dash of milk and a spoonful of honey while I enjoy it neat. Each refreshing sip of Spearmint helps settle my stomach after dinner, and the calming scent calms me down and gets me ready for bed. We’ve tried many mint teas, but Mighty Leaf seems to capture the pure, fresh essence of mint the best. — Kate Kassin, Associate Editor

Mighty Leaf Organic Mint Melange Tea

Luxmi Estates African Rose Tea makes me feel revitalized before I even take my first sip. As I wait for the brew to cool, the sweet floral scent of hibiscus, rose petals and chamomile is like a ray of sunshine. Luxmi Estates claims that the rusty pink tea boosts the immune system and offers detox support, but if the sweet and tart flavor isn’t your cup of tea, they also offer a range of other options including turmeric, an ashwagandha blend, a tulsi ginger Tea and a relaxing valerian root and chamomile.

Luxmi Estates African Rose Tea

I’m usually a fairly die-hard green/jasmine/oolong tea drinker. But when I first tried Yaupon Brothers Lavender Coconut Tea, I was smitten: it was refreshing and summery and unlike anything I had ever drunk before. The taste is hardly floral, scented with coconut and a slightly green undertone. While all of the other herbal teas on this list are caffeine-free, this blend contains about a third less than a cup of coffee. In fact, yaupon is the only known caffeinated plant native to the US (it’s a tree, and the tea is made from its antioxidant-rich leaves). Yaupon Brothers—based in Florida, where the Timucua tribe once drank, traded, and used yaupon in ceremonies——recognizes Native Americans’ more than a thousand years of history with the plant by sending a portion of sales to NATIFS, a nonprofit Organization co-founded by Chef Sean Sherman that restores indigenous diets to create wealth and improve health in indigenous communities. In addition to the lavender coconut, the company also produces a chai flavored with yaupon and a smoky fire-roasted tea. I cold brew one sachet in half a liter of water overnight and the next day it’s a lightly infused and ready to use iced tea. — Alex Beggs, contributor

Yaupon Brothers Lavender Coconut Yaupon

I’m a coffee drinker who always seems to find myself surrounded by people who prefer tea; In fact, I married one. While I’ll never quite understand what could motivate anyone to get out of bed for anything less than a cup of carefully selected, freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee (or at least something caffeinated), my wife’s tea selection comes the closest to make a persuasive argument. Harney & Sons Rooibos Chai is bursting with the pungent note of aromatic cardamom supported by cinnamon. Soft and round, it has a dense mouthfeel that most herbal teas completely lack; It goes well with any type of milk and really takes off with a hint of honey for sweetness. When I hit my caffeine limit for the day, it gives me an equally potent dose of self-care and makes a 5-minute tea break feel like an event worth planning the afternoon around. —Chris Morocco, food director

Harney & Sons Organic Rooibos Chai

I’m contradicting myself right now: I don’t like lavender in culinary terms. Also, my current favorite tea is this soothing snooze blend from Teapigs with strong notes of…lavender. My friend’s mom got me hooked on the stuff years ago, and maybe it’s because I associate the tea with snuggling up on her couch and Jeopardy! that I actually find the flowery notes appealing. Drinking a cup feels like a bubble bath; warm, cuddly, suitable for dozing off. The lavender is mixed in the bag with pieces of real apple (no apple aroma!) and chamomile blossoms, so the tea tastes fruity-sweet, flowery and a little unusual. Teapigs, a UK-based company known for its focus on sustainability and sourcing, stock a range of other herbal teas such as B. the uplifting Happy lemon balm blend. Personally, I fill my cup up with Teapig’s Snooze all evening after work until I just can’t stay – ZZZzzzzzz. – Ali Francis, staff writer

Teapigs Organic Snooze Herbal Tea

My partner used to work at a big tech company that stocked insanely high quality snacks like individually wrapped flavored marshmallows and matcha black sesame protein bars (not to mention kombucha on tap – literally, why am I in media?). But of all the fun treats he stuffed in his backpack to bring home for me to try, the endless supply of Bushwick Tea was the best. With the cheeky billy goat on the label, these silky sachets (the teas are also available as loose leaf teas) are mixed very roughly so that the individual ingredients can be identified. The light golden turmeric ginger root tea is my favorite with its primarily pick-me-up properties. Now that I can’t buy this tea at a fancy workplace, I buy my own and feel good about the sugarcane-based, glue-free tea bags that are fully compostable. —KV

Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea

A few years ago I wrote about Asian-American tea companies and I’ve been addicted to Darjeeling First Flush and Alaya Assam black teas ever since. During a resupply, founders Esha Chhabra and Smita Satiani kindly slipped an extra in my box – a bag of organic Tulsi tea. Tulsi, also known as holy basil, is a sacred plant to many in India and may have anti-inflammatory properties. With its full-bodied, almost spicy taste, it’s since become the herbal tea I reach for after dinner when I want something more invigorating than mint. – MacKenzie Chung Fegan, Senior Business Editor

Alaya loose leaf tea Tulsi