In this part of my series on tea, I’m going to highlight 3 more teas that I think everyone should try. People seem to really like references like this, and I’m so glad—next time, I’m going to write about how to hold your own afternoon tea party! I’ve also been considering writing a post on bubble tea and how to make it at home, and I’m in the process of testing all sorts of recipes.

Lemon Balm Tea

Just like the name implies, this tea tastes a lot like lemon, but is more delicate than what you would expect. It’s light and refreshing, and my mother actually love it so much that she grows lemon balm in her garden now, just so she can have some on hand to make tea whenever she wants. Lemon balm helps improve memory, reduce stress, and even anxiety—that’s why I used to always drink lemon balm tea before big exams at university! Lemon balm also seems to help boost the production of antioxidant enzymes in the body, which are crucial for preventing DNA and cell damage. This tea is great warm or cold, but I never take it with milk because I prefer it straight. Sometimes I’ll add in a splash of elderflower syrup, it goes great with the light lemony flavour of lemon balm tea!

Echinacea Tea

I only tried echinacea tea for the first time a few months ago at a friend’s house. She had caught a cold thanks to being cooped up in a plane for a few hours, and she told me that her mother swore that echinacea could cure anything. I did some research, and I was surprised to find that this tea actually shortens colds and makes them less awful. The tea itself has an interesting flavour that is very difficult to describe, but it is quite floral and if you leave it to steep for too long, your lips can become a bit tingly. It’s not bad to leave it to steep longer, and the tingles don’t mean your lips are going to fall off, it’s jut interesting. Anyway, I really like this hot and with some honey to compliment the floral notes.

Passionflower Tea

I have to end with this one, because this tea was a lifesaver when I was finishing my last semester of university. Passionflower tea is made from bits of the passionflower plant, and it has a light and lovely taste that doesn’t really resemble anything else I’ve ever had. It tastes nothing like passion fruit, if that’s what you’re thinking. Anyway, this stuff is great for helping manage anxiety, tress, and insomnia. One study found out that passionflower tea was even helpful in reducing the effects of withdrawal symptoms in former opiate users! This tea is a huge help if you’re managing anxiety and stress, and while I absolutely think that talking to your doctor about medication or therapy is always a great idea, passionflower tea is a great thing to use in combination with your treatment plan.