Herbal Teas at Tea-Direct

Along with the wonderful range of black teas, green teas, oolong teas and more that we stock at Tea-Direct, we also sell a fantastic variety of delicious herbal teas and refreshing fruit tisanes, which are created by blending exciting combinations of herbal ingredients with loose leaf teas.

There are three main tea-blending techniques that are used to create the desired flavours, utilised either on their own or as a combination: blending herbs, inclusions and scenting.

Blending Herbs
The blending of herbs is usually done by hand or commercially in large mixing drums. To ensure consistency, the weight and percentage of each ingredient is recorded to ensure that the precise blend can be created again as required.

Common blending hers are chamomile, rose, hibiscus, peppermint and ginger, which may be mixed in various amounts with tea leaves to create blends. Other ingredients such as roots, spices and fruits can be blended for either taste or medicinal purposes, and tea leaves can also be omitted entirely to make purely herbal, decaffeinated blends, known as tisanes.

Inclusions
Inclusions are ingredients that add a health element or a visual, aesthetic element to the blend, but are not intended to affect the taste or aroma of the tea. For this reason, inclusions should be used with skill and care by the blenders.

Scenting
While teas can adopt distinct aromas from the environments in which they are grown, blenders can also add scents to teas at either the processing or blending stages. The most commonly used scents are jasmine, often used to scent white and green teas, and bergamot oil, used to scent Earl Grey teas.

Teas can be scented during processing by using blossoms such as orchid or rose, while aromatic ingredients such as rose petals or lavender flowers can be added in dry form during the blending stage, with the petals left in the final blend.

Peppermint Herbal Tea – From £10.99
This refreshing and soothing tea is caffeine-free and guaranteed to give you a great kick-start first thing in the day. Made from dried peppermint leaves, this offers a great aroma and a distinct minty taste.

Ginger and Lemon Verbena Herbal Tea – From £12.99
This refreshing tea is made from the leaves of the lemon verbena plant (also known as Aloysia citrodora), native to South America. The lemon verbena plant has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, and it is also believed to reduce inflammation and promote relaxation.

Chamomile Herbal Tea – From £12.99
Known as a traditional remedy for gastrointestinal complaints, this is a soothing and relaxing caffeine-free beverage, best served as it is or with a dash of honey.
Drinking chamomile tea is a great way to unwind after the stresses of the day, offering soothing properties that may promote relaxation and help induce sleep.

Rosehip Herbal Tea – From £10.99
Made with rosehips, the fruit of the rose plant, our Rosehip Herbal is a great source of vitamins C, A, B, E and K, and makes for a soothing and well-rounded tea.
Native to Europe, Asia and North America, rosehip fruits are often used to make a variety of teas, preservatives, syrups and more, bringing sweet, tangy and slightly floral flavours and aromas.

Dandelion Herbal Tea – From £10.99
A subtly flavoured, well-balanced tea that is perfect when enjoyed on a relaxing afternoon. There are properties in the roots and leaves of dandelions that can help to cleanse and detoxify the liver and support kidney function. Dandelions also have anti-inflammatory properties that may ease the pain of rheumatism, and studies have shown they can help with inflammation caused by eczema.