Tea is that most-popular of aromatic beverages, prepared by pouring hot water over dried or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia. The range of flavor profiles and caffeine content across the tea landscape is broad and made even more so by the endless variations possible by adding infusions of fruit, flowers, herbs and other flavorings.
The "proper" methodology to prepare a cup of tea is a much-debated topic that varies widely between cultures and individuals. We tend to take the approach that these are suggestions and what is most important about a cup of tea is that it is a delicious and satisfying experience for you.
At Pelindaba Lavender we love tea. All of our definitive lavender tea blends are made using our own "Provence" culinary lavender buds from our organically certified lavender fields. Of the many varieties of lavender that are suitable for culinary purposes, we prefer the flavor of Lavandula x intermedia "Provence". This variety holds it's own well amongst other flavors without overpowering the overall taste experience.
We use the dried lavender buds
in all of our teas. The buds are 1/4 inch, oblong and comprise the
flowerhead of most lavender varieties. The small purple flowers emerge
from the bud during the summer bloom which remains on the stalk when the
flower petals have faded. Most of lavender's
flavor is housed within these buds. Once dried, stripped from their
stalks and sifted to remove bits of leaves and other organic material
from the plant, they are ready to be used in delicious culinary settings
— especially tea!
Caffeinated Teas
Several of our lavender tea blends contain varying levels of caffeine. These are noted so that you can plan your tea adventuring accordingly to your preference for or sensitivity to caffeine.
Organic Lavender Black Ceylon Tea
Our original lavender tea blend! The unique flavor of our organic culinary lavender blends perfectly with a full-bodied organic Ceylon black tea from Sri Lanka. As a component of breakfast or afternoon tea, this blend is ideal. It is high in antioxidants, has moderate caffeine and a robust flavor.
Lavender Sweet Tea Recipe
Made with our Organic Lavender Black Ceylon, this simple recipe for Lavender Sweet Tea has only four ingredients and
is a lovely summer dining accompaniment or warm afternoon treat.Ingredients:
- 8 teaspoons Organic Lavender Black Ceylon Tea
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups water
- fresh mint leaves or lemon slices
Measure the tea onto a square of cheese cloth and secure with twine to create a teabag. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the tea, remove from heat and allow it to steep for approximately 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag and disassemble for drying and reuse or compost it.
Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Pour the tea into a gallon pitcher and add three more quarts of water. Stir to blend evenly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, better, overnight.
Pour the tea into ice-filled glasses and add a few leaves of fresh mint or a few slices of lemon for a refreshing cool beverage on a hot day.
More ways to use this hearty tea...
For a cooler weather treat, add your steamed milk or substitute of choice to brewed Organic Lavender Black Ceylon Tea with a small splash of vanilla.
Make a succulent marinade for red meat or poultry with strongly-brewed Organic Lavender Black Ceylon Tea, a few tablespoons of our Lavender Stone Ground Honey Mustard, extra virgin olive oil, your favorite green herb (think marjoram or oregano) and salt and pepper.
Did you know that black teas can be used as a natural dye? Black tea imparts an antique, sepia tone to cotton and also works well on thick paper to give it an aged look. Brew a very strong batch of tea (amount of liquid dependent on how much you are dying), let it cool and let the fabric soak in the tea. The longer the fabric soaks in the tea, the deeper the color. For paper, brush the tea onto the paper and allow it to dry. Layer coats to deepen the color.
This is also a marvelous method to naturally dye Easter eggs in a range of neutral tones. In fact, you can use all of our lavender tea blends for this purpose to create a subtle rainbow of shades.
Organic Lavender Green Tea
To create our Organic Lavender Green Tea we blend organically certified Lucky Dragon Green Tea with our organically culinary lavender to produce a wonderfully healthy and delightfully aromatic beverage unique to our lavender fields. Bold and full-flavored, this low caffeine tea is very high antioxidants and refreshing both hot or iced.
To dress up your cup of Organic Lavender Green Tea, blend in a bit of your favorite steamed milk or substitute and Organic Lavender Gourmet Honey.
This tea also imparts a fresh flavor to a marinade. For a light, bright marinade that is perfect for fish, combine fresh lemon, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and strongly brewed Organic Lavender Green Tea.
In addition to being a delightful beverage, green tea is loaded with skin protecting and repairing antioxidants. Our Organic Lavender Green Tea is the star of our Lavender Green Tea Skincare Mask recipe. This at-home treatment, incorporating honey and rice flower, is a luxurious skincare mask to gently exfoliate, hydrate and brighten skin.
Organic Lavender White Peony Tea
Our Organic Lavender White Peony Tea, a special varietal Chinese tea (named for its grey white leaves covered with a velvet peach fuzz down) is naturally sun-dried, and is increasingly being recognized for its antioxidant properties.
We blend this organic "Pai Mu Tan" white tea with our organically-grown culinary lavender to produce a highly aromatic and delicately flavored tea with minimal caffeine that can be enjoyed anytime either hot or iced. It's natural sweetness is wonderfully enhanced with a dollop of our Organic Lavender Gourmet Honey.
For a fun summer drink, add a scoop of mango, passion fruit or coconut sorbet
to a 12 fl oz glass of chilled Organic Lavender White Peony Tea. To make it a boozy
refresher add a splash of spiced rum. Add a metal or brightly colored paper straw, a twist of orange and an umbrella to really jazz it up!
Herbal Teas
These steeped beverages contain no leaves from Camellia sinensis and are made solely of herbs,
flowers, spices and the like. As such, they contain no caffeine and are an excellent way to reduce your caffeine intake while still enjoying the full tea experience. You can drink as much herbal tea as you like without the caffeine-induced side effects.
Organic Lavender Chamomile Tea
This wonderfully aromatic Organic Lavender Chamomile Tea blends our own organically-grown culinary lavender with the finest of organic Egyptian chamomile flowers grown in the Nile Delta. A long-time, evening favorite of many, these chamomile flowers have a slightly fruity, sweet flavor profile that has long been prized for its sedative properties. The similar properties of lavender make this blend particularly desirable as the perfect late night hot drink.
To enhance its relaxing attributes, add your preferred steamed milk or substitute and follow our lavender-based calming bedtime ritual to aid sleep.
Many also find our Organic Lavender Chamomile Tea effective for soothing an upset tummy.
Another variation on the relaxation theme is to brew not just a cup of Organic Lavender Chamomile Tea but an entire bathtub of it! Our Calming and Aromatic Lavender Tub Tea recipe is perfect for an at-home spa day. Lavender, chamomile and a variety of other herbs create a luxuriously fragrant soak to de-stress and revive the spirit.
Organic Lavender Rooibos Tea
Our Organic Lavender Rooibos Tea blend, native to South Africa is naturally sweet, low in tannins and high in antioxidants. It connects our present lavender world to our South African roots. Our name, Pelindaba, is a Zulu word that hearkens back to our own-founder Stephen Robins' South African heritage and is a name that incorporates two key elements of our ethos — great gatherings of lavender and great gatherings of people through open-space preservation.
We are often asked how to pronounce this tea name — "Rooibos" (meaning redbush). An easy way to remember it is "Roy is getting on the bus" = Roy-bus = Rooibos.
While it is thoroughly enjoyable hot, it's our favorite tea blend to have iced. We serve this blend on ice at the lavender farm during the summers. Mixed with lavender lemonade to make a "Lavender Palmer" you can experience a summer afternoon at the farm from anywhere.
Tip for iced tea brewing — freeze some of the cooled tea into ice cubes to avoid watery iced tea in the glass. Add small slices or lemon or fresh lavender flowers to the ice cubes before freezing for visual flare when melting
For a cooler weather treat, add your steamed milk or substitute of choice to
brewed Organic Lavender Rooibos Tea and finish with honey.
A couple final uses for all of our lavender tea blends...
Any of our teas make a delicious base for kombucha. Steep one of our teas and add sugar as the "food" for your starter or "scoby". Try a few of our lavender blends and see which you prefer as the central flavor for your fizzy, gut-healthy brew.
After you have brewed our full-leaf, loose teas, don't throw away the used tea leaves. Dry them thoroughly and save to add to the bottom layer of soil when re-potting houseplants. The tea leaves will soak up water and then slowly release it to aid in maintaining moisture levels in the soil. For the same reason, used tea leaves are excellent garden mulch. At the very least, add them on your compost pile. There's no need to add them to the landfill!
If the weather outside is conducive to a cozy warming beverage, or a refreshingly cool iced beverage would be more appealing, our plentiful lavender tea offerings will ensure a delicious cup.
New to the culinary world of lavender? A host of sweet and savory recipes benefit from this versatile herb. We offer many lavender recipes to try at home incorporating our wide range of farm-made culinary lavender products from kitchen and table.
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