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Why do so many people hate the taste of Chamomile tea? There is an almost pathological hatred of it out there. Like this Reddit conversation that does not look kindly on the taste of this tea. But the question here is…
What does Chamomile Tea Taste Like? It is a complex flavor. There is an earthy undertone as the base for a slightly sweet floral note with a subtle fruit taste that combines for a very light and fresh cup of tea.
The truth is that there are just as many people who love the taste of chamomile tea as those who hate it.
If you are just looking to try a nice cup of chamomile tea to try, I suggest Art Of Tea – Egyptian Chamomile Tea(*affiliate link).
But if you are new to it or have never had it before, I will try and break it down for you so that you know what to expect when you take your first sip of the wonderful herbal infusion.
Chamomile Tea Has Subtle Floral Notes
The first flavor that you are probably going to notice when you take that first sip of your chamomile tea is the floral notes. I would describe them as subtle. Which is a term that I would use for chamomile tea in.general
It is a subtle tea, one that can easily be bland or weak if not steeped properly. And when that happens the floral notes are the first ones to weaken in my opinion. Without those wonderful flowery flavors, you really don’t have a whole lot left in that particular cup of tea.
So it is imperative that you steep it properly. You can check out our article on how to make chamomile tea taste proper especially the sections on the water, time, and temperature for steeping.
And A Fairly Strong Flower Aroma
The floral notes don’t just manifest themselves in the taste. The aroma of chamomile is squarely that of a flower. It smells wonderful. Like walking into a fresh flower store in the morning and opening the cooler and getting a blast of that wonderful floral scent.
The taste and the aroma complement each other perfectly that you can almost taste the smell the tea gives off. It is wonderful to breathe in the flavor right before drinking it.
Chamomile Tea Slightly Sweet
To go along with the wonderful floral note is a slightly sweet flavor coursing through the entire cup of tea. It is not sweet in the sense of sugar or honey. In fact, many people add a little honey to up the sweetness factor in the tea and make it a little more drinkable.
It is a subtle sweetness. You can taste it but it is not overwhelming by any stretch of the imagination. It is similar in texture to the sweet notes in a cup of green tea. Check out some of our favorites greens here.
The sweetness is different from green tea in that the sweetness for that cup of tea is a little more vegetable or grassy in nature whereas it is a more floral fruity sweetness in chamomile tea.
With An Earthy Flavor Underneath It All
When you say earthy people immediately think of dirt. That what you are describing the taste like dirt. I would describe it as more a nutty root-like flavor rather than a dirty one.
It gives the chamomile tea a little counterpoint to the delicate sweet floral notes but it is definitely in the background. It is almost a bit of bitterness that pops up even if you steep it perfectly.
Simply a little hard edge to what is mostly a delicate and subtle cup of tea. But the blend is perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
The earthy flavor never comes close to overtaking the flower but it is there. Always there lingering in the background.
Some People Taste A Bit Of Apple In Chamomile Tea
This is the most controversial part of the flavor profile on a good cup of chamomile tea. Some have described the fruity notes as an apple flavor. I do not taste that.
You might find it to have a distinct apple taste but I just don’t taste it. Slightly fruity? Absolutely. There is a fruity note underneath the floral flavors. But not an apple, in my opinion. Certainly not a citrusy flavor either.
I am not sure that I could label it with a common piece of fruit. Plum maybe, but not really. Blueberries are not even close to the flavor. Something slightly sweet and crisp. Apple is the obvious choice.
But I simply cannot taste the apple in chamomile tea.
Is Chamomile Tea Subtle Or Just Bland
Chamomile tea is bland. That is one of the most common complaints leveled at this herbal infusion. I can definitely see where this idea got started.
If you under steep chamomile tea by a good amount then it is basically flower water. The average steep time is 5-10 minutes for a cup.
I recommend around 7 minutes at a minimum. If you are only steeping your chamomile tea for a couple or 3 minutes then it is going to taste pretty awful.
With that said, the flavor profile for chamomile tea when it is perfectly steeped is still a subtle one. It is not a strong tea by any stretch.
That is one of the reasons why people add all kinds of flavors to it. You can check our article some great flavors to add to chamomile tea.
Chamomile Tea Gets Mixed With Other Teas Often
Chamomile seems to be the go-to for herbal tea blends. There are plenty of pretty good ones out there. But I feel that it is unnecessary most of the time. Chamomile tea tastes very nice all by itself.
You have to steep it properly and at the right temperature. You should use a good type of spring or filtered water. But these are givens for any type of tea. Check out our article on some of the best chamomile tea blends.
Chamomile blends well because its flavor profile is so subtle. It can easily get overwhelmed. Which is, unfortunately, the point. People want the benefits of chamomile tea without having to deal with the taste.
But that is the way the world works sometimes, I suppose.
Give Chamomile Tea A Chance
Chamomile tea has great benefits when you drink. It can help with sleep. So I get it. you want the benefits but you don’t know if you like the taste so you dump a little bit in with a nice green or black tea.
I get it.
But give chamomile a chance. Steep it the right amount of time at the right temperature with the right water and the best infuser.
Give It a try.
If you still hate it. Then I have tried my best and done all I can. But I am going to guess that many of you are going to love the taste of a properly prepared cup of this floral delight.
And we will all sleep better with a nice little cup of chamomile tea before bedtime.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day.