Chamomile tea is the most popular herbal tea. Delicious iced or hot, chamomile makes the perfect cup of tea for reducing stress. This golden herb is a favorite for promoting calm and relieving anxiety.
Chamomile is one of the most widely consumed herbal teas in the world. Chamomile has been used for centuries dating back to the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks. And for a good reason.
It is known for its ability to induce a feeling of relaxation and relieve stress. Because chamomile is stress-relieving, it also relieves muscle tension and anxiety.
What Is Chamomile?
Chamomile is a small flowering annual herb in the daisy family. You can brew from fresh or dried flowers. It’s gentle yet effective. Aside from having natural sedative effects, it is also antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial.
You might be thinking that you’ve had chamomile tea before and never experienced any of these things. If that’s the case, there are reasons for this.
You probably didn’t buy pure chamomile tea but rather a supermarket-branded tea in teabags.
Does Chamomile Tea Have Caffeine?
No. Chamomile tea does not have caffeine. Chamomile is an herb, and the tea made from chamomile is called a tisane.
Technically speaking, all herbal teas are tisanes since they are not made from the Camellia sinensis plant. But they fit under the umbrella of tea as they are an infused beverage.
If you are looking for cold brew iced tea recipes, you can check out more iced tea recipes here.
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Chamomile Flower
Look for tea made from the whole flower. You can see the difference between a teabag with chamomile flower fannings and full chamomile flowers.
Pro Tips:
- There are different grades of chamomile, and all store-bought chamomile is not the same. The flowers don’t fit nicely into a chamomile tea bag, so buying loose leaf tea is better. You want more white petals than the sticks and stems if you purchase tea bags. Open them up and take a look inside.
- You may not even find a single chamomile flower if you open the bag. Most are dust and fannings sitting in a warehouse and store shelves for months or years.
- The key to getting the desired effects is to buy natural chamomile, including the whole flowers, and buy it fresh. I love the chamomile from Adagio Tea. Adagio sells high-quality herbal tea. Higher-grade chamomile will have a taste reminiscent of apple or honey.
- Chamomile tea blends don't always use the whole flower. Look for blends using the full flower without artificial flavors.
How To Grow Chamomile
The chamomile plant is an annual that grows virtually anywhere. It is easy to grow from chamomile seeds. Chamomile plants also self-seed quite freely. It is a short-lived flower lasting about eight weeks in early spring. A cool weather plant, chamomile does best in spring and early summer.
It is best to harvest chamomile during its peak blooming period. The late morning before the heat of the day is ideal. Select flowers that are fully open and pinch or clip the flower head at the top of the stalk. Dry for future use.
Two Types of Chamomile:
- German Chamomile flowers (Matricaria recutitai) are the most common type used for making herbal tea. Most commercially grown chamomile comes from Eastern Europe, Egypt, and Argentina.
- Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) has a more pronounced aroma. It is a perennial primarily grown in England. I want to try growing this in my garden next year. I'll have to find a sunny spot.
Adagio Tea sources chamomile from Egyptian chamomile and uses the full flower.
How To Make Chamomile Tea
How To Make Chamomile Tea
The best herbal tea is made fresh from whole chamomile flowers. The highest quality chamomile tea is very flowery and very golden. I like to sweeten with honey, even though high-quality chamomile does not have a bitter taste.
You can leave out the honey if you want. It will still be delicious.
- Use 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers and 1 cup of boiling water.
- Steep for 5-10 minutes.
- As a sedative, make a double-strength tea using 2 teaspoons of flowers.
- For infants, make an ordinary strength tea and give them 2 or 3 teaspoons to drink, either directly or with some pure fruit juice.
Tea lovers enjoy chamomile brewed in hot water or cold-brewed. This Chamomile Tea with Honey recipe is easy to prepare.
Chamomile Tea
Ingredients
- 24 ounces water
- 4 tablespoon Chamomile flower dried
- ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Local Natural Raw Wildflower Honey
- ½ teaspoon mint or 2 leaves fresh mint
Instructions
- Bring filtered water to boil.
- Add Chamomile flower and steep 10 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract, honey, and mint.
- Strain into heat resistant pitcher.
- Add enough ice to bring to 32 ounces.
- Serve and relax!
Notes
- There are different grades of chamomile and all store-bought chamomile is not the same. The flowers don’t fit well into a flat tea bag so buying loose chamomile is better. If you are buying in tea bags, you want more of the white petals than the sticks and stems. Open them up and take a look inside.
- If you open the bag you may not even find a single chamomile flower. Most of these are just the dust and fannings of the real thing and have been sitting in a warehouse and on store shelves for months or even years.
- The key to getting the desired effects from your chamomile tea is to buy real chamomile, including the whole flowers, and to buy it fresh. I love the chamomile from Adagio Tea. They have a very high-quality herbal chamomile tea. Higher-grade chamomile will have a taste reminiscent of apple or honey.
Nutrition
Chamomile Tea Benefits
Best Remedy for a Good Night's Sleep:
Bedtime rituals often help prepare your body and mind for a good night's sleep.
- Chamomile is a daisy-like plant often used in herb infusions.
- Sometimes the stress and strain of daily life will cause insomnia.
- The calming effects of chamomile help induce sleep.
You've heard of the bedtime classic Sleepy Time Tea by Celestial Seasonings. It's an herbal blend made with calming chamomile, spearmint, and lemongrass. It not only relaxes you but smells amazing.
Hyperactivity:
- If you have a hyperactive child, you may want to try some chamomile tea to calm them down and relax a little.
- Chamomile is safe to give to children if they don’t suffer from hay fever allergies.
- People with specific allergies to ragweed, asters, and chrysanthemum may have rare side effects and suffer allergic reactions to chamomile.
Spearmint, chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm are all very effective in calming and relaxing the nervous system and brain—lavender baths before bedtime work.
You've heard of the bedtime classic Sleepy Time Tea by Celestial Seasonings. It's an herbal blend made with calming chamomile, spearmint, and lemongrass. It not only relaxes you but smells fantastic.
Hyperactivity:
- If you have a hyperactive child, you may want to try some chamomile tea to calm them down and relax a little.
- Chamomile is safe to give to children if they don’t suffer from hay fever allergies. People with specific allergies to ragweed, asters, and chrysanthemum may also be allergic to chamomile.
Spearmint, chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm are all very effective in calming and relaxing the nervous system and brain—lavender baths before bedtime work.
Medicinal Properties of Chamomile Tea
- Sedative
- Calming and soothing
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antiseptic
- Antispasmodic
- Relaxes digestive muscles
Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea
- Mild tranquilizer
- Pain Relieving
- Stress-reducing
- Moderately reduces inflammation
- Helps fight infections
- Bronchial relaxant
- Relieves nausea, colic, and heartburn
- Better sleep
Chamomile Oil
The essential oil in chamomile is called bisabolol. It has been used for hundreds of years for its skin healing properties. Bisabolol is also known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
Where to Buy The Best Chamomile Tea Brands
Look for loose-leaf chamomile tea. I have purchased from the following merchants at an affordable price and can tell you they all sell superb herbal tea. All of their dried chamomile flowers come from Egypt.
Favorite Chamomile Teas:
Mountain Rose Herbs grow its organic herbs. You can also purchase Roman and German chamomile seeds from them if you'd like to grow your herbs. They also sell chamomile essential oil.
Resources
Herbal medicines have been around for thousands of years.
The National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs and the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies are excellent resource guides if you are interested in learning more about herbs, how to grow them, and their therapeutic uses.
Pharmaceuticals have their place in addressing acute or chronic disease states, but prevention with natural ingredients is a much more robust strategy for maintaining a wellness lifestyle. Medicinal herbs are a gentler and more practical option for daily use.
Kit
Tried that link to Adagio tea but it looks like they don’t have the pure flowers you are referring to. Waste of time. Please change it.
Mary Ann Rollano
Hi Kit, I just checked and Adagio still carries the whole chamomile flowers. I fixed the links in the post. The purpose of this site is to make it easier for you to find specialty teas and tisanes, not harder! Sometimes links change. Thanks for letting me know.
Frances Scott
Thank you for the wonderful Chamomille Honey Tea receipe. I love the reference to the National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs. I intend to add this book to my to my wishlist. Again, thank you for the book reference.
Frances
Mary Ann Rollano
I'm glad this was helpful to you. The book is really excellent.
Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden
That glass of Camomile Honey Tea looks very refreshing! We drink it hot -especially in the wintertime in the evening while watching a movie! I am so happy you linked and shared from your lovely site!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
Mary Ann, chamomile is one of my favorite tisanes, but I've never tried it iced! I've always been strictly a hot tea drinker, but I've been enjoying iced tea lately in the hot weather.
Alix @A Hedgehog in the Kitchen
Hi! So happy to discover your blog - we love tea in our home! This is a great recipe. I love the idea of growing camomile as well - will have to give it a try in our little garden in Paris.
Mary Ann Rollano
Welcome. Glad, you're here.
Dee
Very cool! Defenitly will give it a try????