Buy the best chamomile tea: how to locate the best brands to buy this herbal tea
chamomilealso written chamomile, is a popular herb for use alone in herbal teas or in blends. When shopping for chamomile tea, there are a number of questions and factors to consider.
Bulk herbal or tea company?
Chamomile is sold by both tea companies and bulk herb companies. Tea companies tend to have higher prices but, in some cases, have selected high-quality batches that are better for brewing as herbal teas. Check the company though – some of the best herbal companies have extraordinary
Mix or pure chamomile?
Not all teas labeled “chamomile” are made exclusively from the chamomile plant; Many of these herbal teas are actually blends that primarily contain chamomile, but also contain other herbs or flavorings.
Some people actually prefer these blends, because the pure herb can have quite a bitter aftertaste. These types of blends are typically sold by tea companies and, less often, by bulk herbal companies.
Loose leaf herb or tea bags?
Another important distinction when buying any type of tea or herbal tea is the question of whether to buy loose leaf or tea bags. Tea bags offer the main advantage of convenience. However, when buying tea bags, a large part of what you are paying goes into the industrial packaging process and the packaging materials themselves. When you buy loose leaf tea or herbs, you are primarily paying for the product you want to buy, with only a small amount of packaging. Loose-leaf or bulk herbs are also more sustainable, using fewer resources for the same end result and creating less waste. Lastly, loose leaf teas and bulk herbs tend to offer superior quality.
For this reason, if you are concerned about cost and quality, I would recommend buying chamomile in loose leaf or bulk form from a tea or herbal company, rather than buying the standard tea bags available in supermarkets. When buying in bulk, I recommend the whole dried flowers, rather than the powdered herb. For brewing, if you don’t have one, buy a tea strainer or strainer. My favorites are basket infusers with a stainless steel mesh that sit inside a mug or teapot. Tea balls work too, but are less optimal.
Look for whole, intact flowers:
Freshness is of the utmost importance when buying any type of tea, herb or spice, and chamomile is no exception. The best chamomile sources generally show whole, intact flower heads attached to small stems. If the flower heads are ground into finer pieces, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the batch you’re looking at is necessarily of lower quality, but keep in mind that finely ground herbs lose their flavor more quickly, so it’s less likely that those batches are fresh. or remain fresh than batches consisting mainly of whole inflorescences of chamomile.
Country of origin?
Chamomile is produced in several different countries. Much of the commercially available weed originates from Egypt, but it is also relatively common for it to be grown in Europe, such as Germany and France. The country of origin influences the flavor and is worth looking at if you have nuanced tastes. And, in general, the companies that sell higher quality herbs will identify the country of origin of each herb.
