When I ran out of my old time after-dinner favourite (AKA, peppermint tea) I reached into my stash of Bion organic herbal teas and came out with lemon verbena.
This is a very lovely, soothing and calming herbal tea that’s perfect for settling your stomach after a big meal. As it’s caffeine free, I wouldn’t hesitate to brew up a cuppa later in the evening too.
In this review of Bion Lemon Verbena tea, I’m going to explain what to expect from the flavour, the best way to brew it, and what sort of health benefits are usually associated with this herb.
Oh, and there are a few cheeky affiliate links to Amazon as well, just in case I really do convince you of how lovely this tea is!
Bion Organic Herb Company Lemon Verbena Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Lemon verbena leaf organically grown in Cyprus
- Flavour: Astringent green nettles and lemon juice
This is a rejuvenating and refreshing herbal tea that has the green astringency of nettles (or a grassy green tea) with added zip of lemon juice. You’ll love having a cup of lemon verbena tea after dinner.
Full Review – Lemon Verbena Tisane
- Type: Tagged biodegradable pyramid sachet
- Ingredients: Lemon verbena
- Health Benefits: Calm digestive problems and relieve stress
- Flavour Notes: Slightly astringent, green freshness, nettles, lemon juice, bright
- Aroma: Fresh greens, dried lemon zest, earthy
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Amazon
I have a Cypriot cookbook in my kitchen and one of my favourite recipes to make is horta me avga even though it’s so simple. Just fresh eggs and a handful of dandelion leaves from the garden create a delicious breakfast.
This tea reminds me of that.
Lemon verbena (not the same as lemon balm, by the way) has a very green and fresh quality to it. The dry aroma of Bion’s tea sachets are just like the fresh greens I’d pick from the garden, dressed in a little lemon juice.
Don’t worry, there’s nothing eggy about this tea though!
It brews into a clear, sunny, marigold-yellow coloured tea that has a lemony fresh scent, just like a cup of Japanese green tea with a slice of lemon floating in it.
As for the flavour, it’s slightly astringent which is an excellent quality for after dinner teas as the bitterness is perfect for clearing richer flavours off your palate. It reminds me of nettle tea, but with a good squeeze of lemon added. It’s very bright, rejuvenating and refreshing.
How to Brew Lemon Verbena Tea
As we’re dealing with a tisane rather than a tea, you can go right ahead and pour boiling water from the kettle straight onto the lemon verbena tea bag. You won’t harm the flavour by using 100°C water, but do be careful that it doesn’t over-brew.
I found that 3 minutes was about the right length of time for this tea to brew, but I like my teas quite weak. If you are accustomed to a strong peppermint tea after dinner, brew for closer to 5 minutes instead.
I wouldn’t advise eating anything with this tea – it’s far better as a palate cleanser on its own.
Why Bion Cypriot Teas?
One of the first things I look for when examining a tea brand is the environmental impact of the tea. That includes how the tea ingredients are grown, to how they are packaged, and how far they travel around the world before they get to my tea cupboard.
Bion Lemon Verbena tea ticked all those boxes. The herbs are grown organically and certified with the EU star leaf symbol to verify it. The tea sachets are biodegradable too, so I put them straight into the compost heap once I’ve finished brewing.
And let’s not forget the quality of the tea. It’s superb! I like that Bion leave the herbs in larger pieces than most herbal tea brands do (e.g. Pukka) as this makes them visually more pleasant and prevents that dusty layer you get at the bottom of your cup if the herbs are fine enough to pass through the tea bag.
Lemon Verbena Health Benefits
The main benefits associated with lemon verbena are to do with digestive disorders. If you have trouble digesting after dinner – whether it’s excess gas, bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, constipation, etc. – then this is an awesome herbal remedy to try.
WebMD also list a variety of other ailments that people take lemon verbena tea for. From insomnia and agitation to joint pain and skin conditions.
Take these benefits with a pinch of salt, as there are few scientific studies to confirm these claims. Instead, just enjoy the flavour and let your mind and body relax as you sip your Bion Lemon Verbena tea. If you find your digestive problems ease or agitation melt away, that’s just a great perk!
Summary
I highly recommend buying this tea and others from Bion. Not only are their herbal teas fresh and full of flavour, but they’re also organic and the tea sachets themselves are made from a biodegradable material. It’s a good tea for your body, mind and the environment around us.
Check out their tea set on Amazon UK using the button below to support this independent tea brand.
Tea Recommendation
If you’ve still got a hankering for a tasty herbal tea and Bion Lemon Verbena doesn’t seem to hit the spot, I recommend you read my review of Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Tea next. This expertly blended medley of herbs does wonders for relaxing your body and mind.