Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal

Where to Buy:  Ocean of Tea

Tisane Description:

Hailing from the beautiful country of Egypt, chamomile tea is derived from the tiniest and prettiest chamomile flower. Delicate in nature, bright with yellow color and innocent as can be, these chamomile flowers make for a calming cup of tea. These blossoms are harvested and dried to make this delicious tea that comes to you complete with whole dried chamomile flowers. Golden in color and light in taste, this is a gentle tea for those looking for a caffeine free treat. Slightly sweet with apple undertones and floral scents, this could be the tea for someone looking for a light tea with a hint of honey. Forget the store-bought, pre-sealed packets that cannot possibly deliver the depth of flavor that this chamomile tea can. Try it for the first time, and it will be the only chamomile tea you will be hooked on. This is a caffeine free tea.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

Yeah, I’ve said it before.  I’ll probably say it again many times in the future, just as I’m saying it now:  I’m not a big fan of chamomile.  But I don’t hate it.  It’s just not my favorite of the different herbs used in herbal teas, even though it’s probably one of the most popular.

That said, I’m finding that I enjoy it the more that I drink it.  Especially when I encounter whole blossoms in loose leaf form like this Egyptian Chamomile from Ocean of Tea.  The dried chamomile flowers are large and whole, not crumbled into a powdery dust.  I find that with the whole flowers like this, the flavor is much better than the dust that you find in the tea bags on the local grocery store shelf.

This is light and sweet, with notes of crisp apple.  It’s soothing and very relaxing to sip.  And one thing I do like about chamomile is that after I’ve had a cup of chamomile tea, I feel very calm and relaxed.  I’m ready to start catching the Zzz after a warm cuppa chamomile and the best way to get that cuppa is in loose leaf like this!

To brew a cup of this Chamomile, I measured out a scoop and a half (using my bamboo scoop) into a basket infuser (like this one, also from Ocean of Tea).  I heat the water to 195°F and let the tea steep for 8 minutes.

For chamomile, I like a basket infuser like this because it fits right into my 12 ounce mug, and allows the water to filter through as if it were steeping loose, and then when it’s finished steeping, I just lift the basket out of my mug and the tea is ready to drink.  I don’t usually want a pot of tea this late in the evening because a) I probably won’t drink that much tea; and b) I’ve already cleaned the kitchen and I want to keep things as simple and I want minimal clean up for whatever it is that I’m making late at night.

This is a pretty decent cup of chamomile!  It’s simple, but when I’m looking for a bedtime drink, simple is often the best choice.