Explore the world of herbs in our article, A Garden of Herbal Delights, published in our Summer 2025 Quarterly. To download a PDF version of the Upton Tea Imports Summer 2025 Quarterly, please Click Here.
Herbs have been with us since the beginning of time. Before recorded history, when humankind foraged as hunter-gatherers, we relied on our ability to harvest plants from the wild to survive. Advancing our civilization, we discovered a variety of uses for the plants with which we share our planet, from food and crafting materials to medicine and perfume. Many things have changed throughout history in the way we live our lives, but our strong relationship with herbs remains. They live in pots on our windowsills, in bottles on our spice racks, and in tins in our tea cupboards. Join us today on a stroll through our herb garden, where we will learn about seven fascinating herbs and the delicious infusions (tisanes) they produce.
(Mentha x piperita)
The summer sun shines brightly in a backyard flower garden, branches and stems rustling in the breeze. Nestled among the lilies and hydrangeas, a little green herb with broad leaves and white flowers takes refuge in the shade. While the blossoms are edible, the fragrant peppermint leaves are the most desirable; the heat of the sun gently warms the oils in the leaves, producing a cool, minty scent. This iconic herb is grown not only in our backyards and homes in the US but also all around the world, where it has thrived across the continents for thousands of years. The consumption of peppermint can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was referenced in the writings of Aristotle and Alexander the Great. The Greeks named the mint plant after the mythical nymph Minthe, a lover of Hades, god of the underworld. When she passed away, Hades immortalized her by transforming her into a fragrant plant. Peppermint oil housed in the leaves and stems gives the herb its signature flavor and aroma. Infuse dried peppermint leaves in hot water and then add citrus, cucumber, or melon slices for a refreshing summer beverage.
(Holy Basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Tall stalks of light purple flowers stand out against this herb’s broad purple and green leaves. In long, narrow rows, these plants grow in clusters, a strong aroma of spice floating through the air. Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is an Indian herb with cultural significance, and a storied history as an ayurvedic botanical widely consumed as a tea for centuries. Tulsi is venerated in the Hindu festival of Tulasi Vivaha, which signifies the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of the wedding season in India. There are four main varieties of Tulsi. At Upton Tea Imports, we offer the Rama variety, with green leaves and a cooling flavor. While it is technically a flowering plant of the mint family, it surprisingly lacks a minty character. Rama Tulsi has been compared to cloves or basil, but neither quite captures its complexity of flavor, with a tangy, savory, and peppery essence. As a culinary herb, the flavor of Tulsi is enhanced by the application of heat, making it the ideal addition to curries. As an iced tisane, its spicy qualities mellow to produce a cooling effect.
(Matricaria chamomilla L.)
Nestled among palm trees in the Nile River Valley, lush fields of bright white flowers with vivid yellow centers are nourished by rich, fertile soil. Some may mistake them for daisies. They are part of the daisy family; to be more precise, we know this herb as chamomile. The ancient Greek name for this plant, chamaimelon, has been interpreted to mean “the smell of an apple.” This is fitting, as the blossoms smell sweet but not overly floral, evoking comparisons to fruit and honey. The ancient Egyptians associated the chamomile plant with their sun god, Ra. Featuring bright, sunny yellow discs and delicate petals that flourish despite the scorching heat, it is easy to imagine why. In the 11th century, chamomile appeared in the Tractatus de Herbis (Book of Herbs). Instructions detailing how to prepare the flower for consumption involved boiling it in water. This may be the earliest written recipe for chamomile tea. In medieval times, it was also added to stews. What distinguishes chamomile from many other tisanes is the part of the plant we infuse. When we steep loose chamomile tea, we are steeping the whole flower. The yellow liquor it produces brings warmth and sunshine to tea drinkers to this day. When cooled, the tea’s sweetness intensifies, producing a satisfying floral beverage with a silky smooth mouthfeel. If desired, add honey and serve over ice for a soothing, caffeine-free, sweet herbal tea.
(Cymbopogon citratus)
A tall tropical grass with long leaves and yellow stems that sprout out of the brush in large clusters. Grass is not typically a culinary delicacy, but lemongrass is an exception. It produces a sweet lemon scent, and its tender, zesty rootstocks are featured in a variety of Asian cuisines. There are over 50 species of lemongrass, most of which do not flower. While the term citronella is often used interchangeably with lemongrass, it specifically refers to the variety commonly used for soap and mosquito repellent, rather than those used in cuisine. In ancient times, this herbal tea was a common beverage in South America, Egypt, India, and Southeast Asia. Lemongrass is a key ingredient in Tom Yum, Thailand’s popular hot and sour soup, and Larb, the national dish of Laos. Served iced, this tisane’s light, zesty citrus flavor makes the perfect afternoon refresher.
BH60: Hibiscus Flowers – Coarse Cut
(Hibiscus sabdariffa)
Leafy beds of vibrant, dark-red flowers on long stalks poke up out of sandy, rocky soil. When dried, the petals are vivid and dark. While it may look a bit different from the common garden variety, this is the flower we call hibiscus. There are over 200 species of this flowering plant, but as some species are inedible, not all blossoms are fit to become herbal tea. The hibiscus flower is often associated with the lush, tropical islands of Hawaii. While this memorable red flower does flourish in the Aloha State, it has also historically been cultivated in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Throughout history, various parts of the flower have been used for food and medicine in different parts of the world. The English name for hibiscus comes from the Greek word hibiskos, which means “marshmallow,” as hibiscus is a flowering plant in the mallow family. Apart from its culinary uses, hibiscus is associated with feminine beauty. In Indian art, hibiscus flowers often appear as a motif alongside Kali, the goddess of time. Hibiscus tea is a rich, burgundy color. Infused from the flower’s sepals or petals, the sweet, tart infusion is hydrating, caffeine-free, and full of antioxidants. As a tangy iced beverage, it is enjoyed around the world, but it is especially popular in Malaysia, where hibiscus is the national flower, and in Senegal, where it is the national beverage. In December 2007 at Tufts University, a double-blind study, The Effect of Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. Tisane on Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive and Mildly Hypertensive Men and Women, suggested that daily consumption of hibiscus tea has a beneficial effect on blood pressure.* Hibiscus tea is traditionally sipped as is, but the addition of sweetener and lime makes for a simple thirst-quenching mocktail.
(Mentha spicata)
Sunlight streams through the tall, opaque windows of a warm greenhouse. The plant that grows here looks like peppermint, but it has brighter, pointier leaves and a more mellow aroma. Avid gardeners with a keen eye can spot the difference. This is spearmint, peppermint’s ancestor. Taste a cup of each of these minty tisanes, side by side, and you will never forget the difference. Like peppermint, the scent and flavor come from an oil in the leaves, but spearmint is sweeter with a gentler bite. Of the two, this mint is favored for cooking, as its flavor is not overpowering and complements other ingredients well. Spearmint is commonly found as an aromatic in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine like tabbouleh and pudina rice, as well as in beloved cocktails such as mojitos and mint juleps. Another common use for this herb is in cosmetics such as shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. This practice dates back thousands of years to ancient Greece, where it was used to enhance the aroma of baths, and to the Middle Ages, where the leaves were used in mouthwash. It is compelling that, to this day, the aroma of spearmint is associated with freshness and cleanliness. Spearmint tea is older still than the hygienic practices above, with an unclear origin in pre-history. Steep dried spearmint leaves in hot water and then pour over ice to enjoy this tea as humanity has for millennia.
BH15: Ginger Root Superior Organic
(Zingiber officinale)
On a sunny farm at the forest’s edge, long, even rows of what look like stalky shrubs peek out of the soil. It may be difficult to identify this herb by sight, but even from a distance, the familiar peppery fragrance is unmistakable. Beneath the soil, “hands” of ginger lie in the cool earth, waiting to be harvested. Unlike most other herbal teas, rather than using the stem or leaf of the plant, we eat the rhizome (or “hand”), an underground stem that grows in the soil. The ginger plant takes 8-12 months to mature from the day it is planted. A member of the same plant family as cardamom and turmeric, ginger is primarily known for its culinary uses in Indian and South Asian cuisine. The current English name for this plant comes from the middle English word gingivere, but its origins can be traced back over 3,000 years to the Sanskrit word srngaveram, which means “horn root.” Because ginger does not grow in the wild and has been cultivated by mankind since pre-history, its global origins are contested, but the herb was described in ancient Indian, Chinese, and Greco-Roman writings. In medieval times, ginger was a prohibitively expensive European import, reserved for nobility. According to legend, Queen Elizabeth I invented gingerbread men when she instructed the royal bakers to create facsimiles of her guests, using gingerbread, for a banquet. Beyond the holidays, ginger’s increasing popularity as an ingredient in desserts, soups, curry, and candy has solidified it as a grocery staple in many forms: fresh, dried, pickled, and ground. The spicy taste of ginger tea is enhanced when chilled. Pair with lemon juice and zest for a flavorful and hydrating herbal refreshment.
We hope you have enjoyed our exploration of herbal teas and their roles in our lives.
*Please note: If pregnant or nursing, please consult your physician before enjoying hibiscus.