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Hello everyone and welcome back. Today I thought it would be fun to take a look at one of the lesser-known flower herbal infusions.
It doesn’t have the name recognition of chamomile tea or the popularity of hibiscus or lavender tea but Calendula Flower Tea is still an herbal infusion that has a lot to offer.
What Is Calendula Flower Tea? Calendula tea is not a tea in the strictest sense. It is an herbal infusion made from calendula flowers, also known as marigolds. Steeping dry or fresh calendula flowers in hot water creates a healthy floral infusion.
If you are interested in a wonderful bagged version of calendula tea then I suggest giving Buddha Teas Organic Calendula Teabags a try.
With all that said let’s have a closer look at this flower herbal tea and see what really makes it tick.
How To Make Calendula Flower Tea
Calendula flower (Calendula Officinalis) tea is very easy to make. You simply steel the dried flowers in hot water and wait a few minutes. There is nothing really tricky about it but a lot of the process will come down to personal preference. How much tea to use, the type of water, etc.
Here are the vitals when I make a cup for myself. Your mileage may vary so experiment with different amounts of tea and other factors until you find your perfect cup of calendula tea.
A Quick And Easy Calendula Tea Recipe
- 3 Teaspoons/ 1 TBLS of dried calendula flowers (add more for a stronger brew)
- 10oz of Good quality water (filtered tap water or bottled spring water)
- Use a water temperature of around 205°F/96°C
- I like to Steep for 5 minutes. But you should steep to taste, the longer you steep the stronger the tea will be. It is tough to over-steep calendula in my experience so find your sweet spot.
- Always cover your tea while steeping to trap flavor and heat
- Add any sweeteners or milk and cream and enjoy your cup of calendula flower tea
You can of course substitute loose leaf calendula flowers for a bagged calendula tea. I find both to be very good as long as you find a good quality bagged calendula tea. I like to use Buddha Teas Organic Calendula Teabags.
What Does Calendula Flower Tea Taste Like?
Calendula tea has a pretty complex flavor profile. It has a floral flavor at its base as you might expect but it is also somewhat earthy.
There is also a slight pepper flavor that tingles your lips and tongue at the end of each sip.
Calendula does have a bit of bitterness to it as well. This is pretty common for flower herbal teas.
You can counteract this bitterness with a tea blend or a little honey or cream. You can check out a longer article on the flavor profile of calendula tea here.
The bottom line is that calendula tea has some subtle flavors but remains a pretty light and fresh tasting tea that will appeal to just about anyone, new tea drinker and old hat alike.
What Does Calendula Tea Smell Like?
The aroma of calendula tea is a bit different from the taste. It is light and fresh and not overwhelming or overly pungent. You get a nice floral aroma with a bit of earthiness but unlike the taste, there is a sweet aroma to the smell that is just not present in the overall flavor of this herbal infusion.
Calendula Flower Benefits
Calendula tea has a ton of potential benefits. Keep in mind that many of these benefits are still anecdotal and don’t have a whole lot of studies behind them.
But studies are popping up on a consistent basis that lends credence to many of these benefits. In addition, traditional medicine has used calendula flowers your a very long time to treat a variety of ailments.
- Loaded With Antioxidants
- Has Many Anti-Inflammatory Properties (source)
- May Help Eye Health (source)
- May Promote Skin Health
- Anti-Spasmodic Effects May Help With Cramps And Stomach Issues
- May Aid In Wound Healing (source)
- May Aid In Oral Health
There are also quite a few benefits that are classified as having insufficient evidence. You can check some of those out here.
As more and more research comes in some of these benefits may become more accepted in the scientific community while others will be proven not to have much effect.
Either way, getting more and more clarity on the real benefits of calendula flowers is going to propel this wonderful herbal infusion.
Calendula Tea Blend Ideas
Calendula is a nice tea to drink on its own. But it makes a great base for an herbal tea blend.
Calendula is a bit mild in terms of flavor so be careful not to overdo it when you mix in another flavor or you run the risk of overwhelming the flavor of the calendula flower.
Calendula is not going to be the most popular tea out when it comes to prepackaged tea blends. I have never been able to find any of my suggestions in a packaged form so you will have to mix the ingredients yourself.
I recommend using Buddha Teas Organic Calendula Teabags for a convenient bagged option for these blends.
For a loose-leaf Calendula flower option, I suggest Eat Well Premium Foods – Calendula Flowers, available on Amazon.
With that said here are 3 of my favorite calendula tea blends in no particular order.
#1 Calendula And Ginger Tea
Ginger makes everything better. At least that’s my take on things. Calendula tea is no different. Adding ginger into the mix makes this mild floral tea into a flavor powerhouse.
You still get the floral notes from the calendula but the gingers bring a bit of spiciness to the proceedings.
You can use dried ginger or ginger tea bags if you want.
But for the truest flavor, you want a nice fresh ginger root to boil in the water and then steep your calendula tea with the ginger-infused water. It is a delight.
Just boil two slices of fresh ginger in your water and pour it over your calendula teabag/flowers for a wonderful cup of tea.
#2 Calendula And Lavender Tea
Lavender is almost always a win when it comes to blending it with other teas. From malty earl greys to light floral affair lavender tea is always a go-to blend for many people.
And it works just as well for calendula tea. The floral and slightly minty flavor of the lavender blends well with the floral notes from the calendula. The result is a tea with a heavy floral focus and a little minty kick from the lavender as well.
About 2 teaspoons of lavender flower and 2 teaspoons of calendula flower make for a great cup of the herbal blend. You can also use a teabag of each and just increase the amount of water. Adjust for your own personal tastes.
For a loose-leaf lavender tea, I would recommend Starwest Botanicals Organic Lavender Flowers.
#3 Calendula Tea And Lemon
Adding a little lemon to your calendula tea gives it a citrusy bite. It helps remove any lingering bitterness or earthiness from the infusion and makes the tea more palatable for many tea drinkers without the need for sugar or milk.
You can squeeze a lemon wedge into your tea or blend the calendula (Calendula Officinalis Flower) with a lemony tea like lemongrass or lemon balm tea.
Any of these will give you the citrus flavor you desire with the lemon wedge adding the most flavor to the blend in my opinion.
Related Questions
Does Calendula Tea Have Caffeine? Calendula tea is naturally caffeine-free so you can drink it any time of the day without having to worry about the issues that may arise with caffeine. If you blend it with green tea or black tea, for example, you will introduce caffeine into the tea so plan accordingly.
Does Calendula Flower Tea Have Sugar, Calories, Or Carbohydrates? Calendula has an insignificant amount of calories or carbohydrates or sugars. You can drink it while on a vast array of diets without worry about calories or carbs.
Does Calendula Tea Break A Fast? Since calendula tea has negligible calories it should be just fine for anyone who is fasting. It makes a good replacement for water on occasion during your fasting window, but water should still be the majority of your fluid intake during a fast.
Can You Add Milk And Sugar To Calendula Tea? You can add whatever you want to calendula tea just like any other tea. If you add sugar or milk to your tea it will add calories to the beverage which might negate some of the benefits from it. I personally drink all my teas with nothing added.
The Calendula Tea Finish
That brings us to the end of our look at Calendula tea in all of its glory. It is an easy tea to make. You don’t have to worry about the water temperature or steep time too much as you would with a delicate green tea for example.
It is a flavorful tea as well, especially for a floral-herbal tea. But not overwhelmingly so that it would put off a new tea drinker.
Calendula tea is a solid place to start your herbal tea journey but it is a bit off the beaten path. I think it has a better flavor than the much more popular chamomile tea. But that will be up to you to decide.
My advice is always this…
Try a tea out for yourself and see how you like it. There is a reason that the old saying goes “It’s not my cup of tea”.
Because each cup of tea is distinctive to the person that is drinking it and you should customize your calendula tea just for you.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.