Though it's not fresh, I wanted to share the pretty colors and textures of this Lavender Lace tea from Zabar's (a fancy deli in New York). It contains lemon verbena, spearmint, cinnamon, lavender and rosemary. I like it, and the cinnamon adds a nice depth of flavor. I'll try that trick!
I'd also love YOUR suggestions! What herbal teas do you enjoy drinking iced, either made with fresh herb or dried? A winner will be randomly selected from the commenters. The prize: a sample of the Lavender Lace herbal tea and a surprise.
9 comments:
Oh man, this is a favorite topic of mine. I like using freshly brewed herbs from the garden, and my favorites are spearmint, lemon balm, apple mint, and orange mint (a cultivar of peppermint). I also like the Monarda sp. Four of my favorite herbs for brewing up iced herbal tea are featured in my very old post four herbal teas you may not know about...pineapple sage being one of my all-time favorites.
In terms of dried herbs, I like to use green rooibos, less commonly, red rooibos and lemongrass.
I sometimes like adding cardamom to iced teas...steeping it a long time while hot, before chilling. And I'm sure I'll think of tons more ingredients that I love after I publish this comment...
PS - Winner will be chosen next Friday, June 22nd. :-)
You know me: Lipton only! I'll have to enjoy this contest from the sidelines. :)
PS2 - I find when brewing herbals for an iced variety, I do an extra-long steep. This one stood for 20 min. (Or do a cold steep in the fridge.)
Red Raspberry Leaf (dried) has been my go to herbal for years. Though I wonder if Thai basil would make a good tea?
My new fav for iced tea is hibiscus flowers and key lime zest with a little stevia leaf.
Hibiscus flowers are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants.
Enjoying your suggestions for herbal teas, Steph!
Hey, Ginger - Have you tried Tulsi (Holy Basil)?
Amherst Rose - that sounds delicious!
Lemon Verbena is the herbal tisane I go to in the summer for an iced drink. I have served it for parties in the summer and people usually enjoy it and are fascinated by it.
My favorite iced tea is "meadow tea" that I make from fresh and/or dried herbs in my garden. It is usually a combination of mints --- with lemon balm, lemon verbena, sweet basil, and sometimes a touch of oregano. I pick what's on hand and create iced tea which we all enjoy. Usually I have more herbs than need for tisane, so I dry the herbs on a tray and then crumble them into an old jar that holds "meadow tea" for winter use. For the jarred meadow tea I add wild strawberry leaves as well.
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