Of course I love all types of tea, but I have a soft spot in my heart for herbal teas. Herbal teas are created by blending dried flowers, leaves and herbs. Because herbal teas are crafted from such a diverse range of ingredients and plants, there are endless possibilities to what options of herbal teas to choose from. There is surely a tea out there that will suit everyone’s particular needs.
My Obsession: Celestial Seasonings Tea
If there’s one brand out there that knows their stuff about creating herbal tea blends, it’s Celestial Seasonings. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Celestial Seasonings creates delicious high quality teas for an affordable price. Although I love all teas from this brand, I have a special sweet spot in my heart for their expansive collection of herbal teas. (Also, this article isn’t sponsored; I just really freakin’ love their tea.) Here are a couple of my favorites from the brand:
Country Peach Passion
I don’t know how they managed to do it, but the experts at Celestial Seasonings were able to create a tea that literally tastes and smells exactly like candy peach rings. It’s incredible and a must-try for any fans of peaches. I like to sweeten this tea with agave syrup to make it taste even more like the candy from my childhood.
Rooibos Madagascar Vanilla
This is my all time favorite type of tea. If I was forced to drink only one tea for the remainder of my life, I would choose Rooibos without a second thought. If I could describe this tea, I would say the taste is very rich and caramel-y. The richness and full-bodied flavor makes this tea a great caffeine free alternative to coffee or black tea.
Tension Tamer
Tension Tamer is my go to tea if I’m ever feeling sick or gross. The blend of Eleuthero herb, peppermint, and lemongrass creates the perfect tea that can uplift moods and help with stress. And how can I mention Tension Tamer without mentioning that it’s also Miss CoCo Peru’s favorite tea. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, watch this video and become immediately convinced that you need to try Tension Tamer.
Sleepytime
Sleepytime is a cult classic bedtime tea among many tea drinkers. A blend of herbs, including chamomile, spearmint, and lemongrass, gives this tea a perfectly balanced and comforting flavor. Celestial Seasonings sells many different types of Sleepytime branded teas, including Sleepytime Lavender, Sleepytime Vanilla, and Sleepytime Mint, but nothing can ever beat the classic.
Bengal Spice
This tea gives you all the flavors of a perfect cup of chai – including cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves – except without the caffeinated black tea. Just like you would a cup of chai, add milk and sugar to Bengal Spice to sweeten and enhance the flavor.
I genuinely have a cult obsession with Celestial Seasonings tea. Not only does this brand create incredible blends of tea, but they are also pretty widespread. If a store carries even a small collection of tea, there’s a pretty darn good chance that Celestial Seasonings will be on the shelf. Next time you’re at a store, look for Celestial Seasonings tea in their delightful and artful packaging.
How to make tea
Ok, who doesn’t know how to make a cup of tea? It’s all pretty straight forward, but if you’re not familiar, it goes a little something like this:
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Choose your tea: There’s a lot of different types of tea to choose from. From fruity and sweet teas, to earthy and robust teas, there’s definitely a tea out there for you.
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Boil your water: Because of my lack of patience, I like using an electric kettle to quickly boil my water. If you don’t have the luxury of owning a kettle, boiling water on the stovetop or in the microwave are other possible options.
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Steep your tea: Depending on what type of tea you’re drinking and how strongly brewed you like your tea, you can choose how long to steep the tea bag for. For me, I usually like to leave my tea bag in my cup while I enjoy it, unless the tea contains a stronger ingredient – like cinnamon – that overpowers the tea if steeped for too long.
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Personalize to fit your taste: Now it’s the fun part. From here, you can choose to personalize your cup of tea however you want, which generally means with sugar and cream. Since I have the biggest sweet tooth, a cup of tea is not complete if it is not sweetened with either honey or agave. If you don’t have honey or agave on hand, a spoonful of white sugar is just as good. Also, adding any sort of milk (dairy or non-dairy) will give your tea a smoother, softer finish. I usually like adding a splash of oat milk or almond milk to my teas. Be aware of not adding too much, as that can overpower the flavors from the tea itself. Teas that pair nicely with milk include black tea, chai, and rooibos tea. In the end, choosing whether or not to add cream and sugar to your tea is a matter of personal taste – try and test different combinations until you find your ultimate cup of tea.
That’s really all there is to making a cup of tea. Hopefully, I was able to inspire you to embark on your own personal tea adventure. The next time you’re at the grocery store, make a stop in the tea aisle, pick up a box, and be enlightened for yourself. And that’s the tea, sis.