What is Chamomile herbal tea?
The name ‘Chamomile’ comes from the Ancient Greek wordskamai(earth) andmelon(apple). It’s an apt description: these delicate flowers thrive in almost any soil and have a sweet apple-like scent. A close cousin of the daisy, Chamomile’s yellow flower heads and white petals follow the sun across the day. Our Chamomile is grown on the plains of Eastern Croatia, where the flowers get more than their fair share of sunbathing done: whole fields are blanketed in gold by the thriving plants.
Once the flower heads are picked, they are kept whole and slowly dried to ensure the best possible flavour. The small golden blossoms are packed with a wealth of health benefits: chamomile has been used for medicinal purposes since the Ancient Egyptian times, where it was revered for having healing properties and was even used as a skincare cosmetic, a tradition that continues to this day in the form of hair oils and face washes.
Like our other herbal teas, Chamomile is not a ‘true tea’ in the sense that it does not come from Camellia Sinensis, the tea bush. Instead, as ourpost on this topic notes,it is technically a herbal infusion, or ‘tisane’ – but we justcall it a tea to keep things simple.
What does Chamomile tea taste like?
True to the origins of its name, Chamomile has gentle notes of apple, and there is a mellow, honey-like sweetness in the cup. It has a silky mouthfeel and yet remains a clean, delicately floral herbal tea, and even from the very first sip it feels wonderfully soothing.
Health benefits of Chamomile tea
Chamomile is renowned for its sleep-inducing properties, which have led to its nickname: sleepy-time tea. It’s a natural sedative and muscle relaxant, meaning it’s the perfect cup to drink in bed to prepare for a refreshing night’s sleep. However, Chamomile tea is well-loved for many other health benefits too. It’s believed to soothe indigestion and period pain due to its muscle-relaxing properties, as well as being a natural way to boost the immune system and relieve symptoms of anxiety, making it far more than just a sleep aid.
Caffeine and Chamomile tea
Like all our herbal teas,Chamomile tea contains absolutely no caffeine.So, as well as its natural sleep-promoting effects, it can be drunk throughout the afternoon and evening as a caffeine-free alternative to regular tea, ensuring an even more restful night.
How best to enjoy Chamomile tea
As mentioned earlier, Chamomile is the perfect mellow cup to drink as the last thing before your head hits the pillow. What’s more, its stomach-soothing effects means it’s a great digestif after a heavy evening meal. Chamomile is also a surprisingly versatile co*cktail ingredient: we find that it’s smooth taste pairs perfectly with complex, aromatic gin in aChamomile-infused take on a classic gin fizz.
