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With winter approaching, now’s the perfect time to pull out the herbal tea. If black tea’s more your thing and you scrunch up your nose at herbal teas, it may be worth trying a premium brand of specially blended herbal tea. With the right herbs in the right combinations, herbal tea can be surprisingly delicious.
Feeling a bit lost in the herbal tea aisle? Here’s a guide to some teahealth-promoting herbs you’ll commonly find in tea blends that might just tickle your fancy
Peppermint:
Beat that bloat with refreshing peppermint tea, the perfect after dinner digestive. Peppermint can act as an anti-spasmodic, relaxing the intestinal muscles so that you feel more comfortable following a heavy meal. Note that not all brands of peppermint tea are created equal. I was a black tea kind of girl until I came across the range of peppermint teas by Pukka; a brand of organic herbal teas blended by master herbalist Sebastian Pole in the UK. Pukka has something for everyone.
Licorice:
Trying to curb a sweet tooth? Try a licorice tea blend. It’s naturally sweet, yet virtually sugar and kilo-joule free, it’s the perfect healthy dessert that feels like a treat. Great for your digestion too, so it works well combined with herbs like peppermint if you have an upset stomach. My pick is Pukka’s Peppermint and Licorice tea, also delicious iced on a hot day.
Chamomile:
Calming chamomile tea is the perfect study companion or nightcap for the restless sleeper. This flowery herb pairs beautifully with the subtle richness and sweetness of vanilla pod. Try a steaming mug of this an hour before bed and see if you sleep more restfully and wake refreshed.
Cardamom:
A little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, this aromatic digestive spice belongs to the ginger family. Native to South India and Sri Lanka, you’ll often find it in teas aimed at cleansing and soothing the body. A perfect warming tea to curl up with when you’re feeling under the weather.
Aniseed:
Native to the Middle East, this herb has a slight licorice taste and was traditionally incorporated into recipes containing difficult-to-digest ingredients, like onion and cabbage, which contain fermentable sugars. If you love onion soup but avoid it because of the cramps and gas that seem to follow, have it alongside an aniseed-rich herbal tea, like Pukka’s Detox tea…you might just be able to have that onion and eat it too, without the digestive upset.