Nettle Leaf Tea

This is another Nettle leaf tea, made by Traditional Medicinals this time.

Flavor: Nettle has a woody, herby flavor, but not all brands are the same. TM's nettle tea has a pleasant, heavy, herby taste all the way. It is not a bad taste, but usually, just a tiny bit of a sweetener will give it a much lighter taste. It is a good idea to try out several brands if you can, because the process for growing, harvesting, and packaging the tea will affect the flavor.

Suggested Additions: I usually add about one teaspoon of white sugar. I feel that flavor-wise, white sugar is most effective at enhancing the herby flavor without making it too heavy of a taste. Also, sometimes, if the mood strikes me, I will use a teaspoon of raw sugar instead, which gives it a similar flavor but adds a tiny bit of spice to it. Lastly, today it is over 80 degrees out, and a bit warm for drinking a hot tea. I let the bag steep long enough to let the water get to room temperature, and then poured the whole thing over ice. It is quite refreshing as an iced tea.

Ingredients: Urtica dioica (nettle leaf)

Purpose: Traditional Medicinals considers this one of their tonic teas, which means the full effects are felt when drunk daily for a long period of time. However, TM has been very careful in not stepping on the toes of the FDA. However, nettle leaf has many uses, and the one that interests me in particular is its aid in fighting hay fever. I do enjoy the flavor of this tea quite a bit, however, I go through two boxes of it during the fall allergy season, so I usually restrict my drinking of it to that time. Today however, I am testing to see whether my "cold" is actually a spring allergy (which I do not usually get); if it clears up after a few days of nettle leaf tea, then I will have my answer. As a note, TM provides contraindication information on the box, so it would be a good idea to read it to be sure it is right for your particular needs. Nettle tends to have a diuretic effect, so be sure to plan that into your day as well (ie, don't drink it just before a long car ride).