Herbal Teas Around the World: 8 Traditions

For a very long time, people have poured hot water over the plants that grew around them. Some of those drinks stayed local. Others have traveled far beyond the places where they began.

Strictly speaking, none of them is tea. True tea comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis, originally from China. Harvard Health points out that herbal teas are infusions of other dried plant parts, such as fruits, flowers, spices or herbs. Here are eight traditions worth knowing, with what the evidence and safety advice say about each.

Africa: rooibos and hibiscus

1. Rooibos, South Africa. Rooibos, also called red bush or bush tea, comes from Aspalathus linearis, a shrub from South Africa.

2. Hibiscus, from West Africa to the Caribbean. Tea hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, also called roselle or flor de Jamaica, is a tropical plant from Africa and Southeast Asia. The part used is the bright red calyx, the cup at the base of the flower, not the petals. In Nigeria it is made into a drink called zobo, and in the Caribbean into one called sorrel. Harvard Health describes the taste as refreshing yet tart.

The Americas: mate and bee balm

3. Yerba mate, South America. Mate is made from the leaves of Ilex paraguariensis, a plant native to South America, and a hot version called chimarrão is widely drunk across South America. Unlike most herbal teas, it is a stimulant: Memorial Sloan Kettering lists caffeine, theophylline and theobromine as the compounds behind its effect.

4. Bee balm, North America. Monarda didyma, also known as Oswego tea, is a native North American plant used by Native Americans and later by colonists. Its scent is often compared to bergamot, the citrus used to flavor Earl Grey tea. Colonists also brewed other local substitutes, such as New Jersey tea. Taxes on imported tea were what led to the Boston Tea Party in December 1773.

Asia, the Mediterranean and beyond

5. Lemongrass, tropical Asia and Africa. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is widespread in tropical parts of Africa and Asia and is a common flavoring in Asian cooking. MSK notes that its dried leaves are brewed into tea, and that one of its common names is fever grass.

6. Mediterranean garden herbs. Sage, rosemary and thyme from the Mediterranean, along with mints such as peppermint and spearmint, are classic garden teas, and colonists in North America brewed them too. A handful of fresh or dried leaves in hot water is one of the simplest herbal teas there is.

7. Chamomile. Chamomile tea is made from the flowers of a plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae, and Harvard Health notes that people have used it since ancient times.

8. Ginger. Ginger tea has a spicy, full-bodied flavor. Harvard Health notes that ginger has been used as an herbal medicine, though there is little research on ginger tea itself.

What the evidence says

Most of these drinks are better studied as traditions than as medicines. MSK says human studies of lemongrass are limited, and clinical studies found lemongrass tea did not reduce anxiety. Human studies of mate are limited too. Harvard Health reports a study linking hibiscus tea to lower blood pressure, but no herbal tea should replace medical treatment.

Harvard also warns that some drinks sold as herbal tea are little more than sugary juice. Plain, unsweetened infusions are the closest to the traditions above.

Questions people ask

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and health conditions. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before trying a herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, giving it to a child, or taking any medication.