Cooking Guides & Tips

Floral Teas 101

Here's to embracing the essence of Spring! Floral foods and drinks are nothing new, and in fact flowers have been a staple of pantries from grandma’s house to royal kitchens around the world for millennia. All flowers have a flavor that we call floral, but every flower also has a unique flavor all its own. So, yes, flowers taste like flowers, but they all taste a little bit different.  Here are some of our favorites: Chamomile (Europe and North Africa): Mild herbal and apple notes, often used for its soothing and calming flavor in teas and baked goods. Lavender (Mediterranean region): Lavender flowers are infused to make a fragrant tea with hints of mint and pine. Often turned into a simple syrup for cocktails, coffee and lemon desserts. Rose (Middle East and Asia): Rose petals are brewed into a delicate and aromatic tea with sweet undertones, frequently used to add a perfumed essence to desserts, beverages, and jams. Hibiscus (Africa, Caribbean, Asia and in Latin America): Brews a shockingly vibrant red tea with a tart and fruity flavor, often used as a natural food coloring and to infuse tangy notes in fruity desserts. Chrysanthemum (China and East Asia): Chrysanthemum flowers produce a light and grassy tea with a slightly sweet taste, often paired with citrus.  Elderflower (Europe): Delicate and aromatic honey and pear notes. The tea is commonly used in cocktails, syrups, and custards.