One of my New Year's resolutions for this year is to wean off coffee and drink more tea. It’s quite the challenge considering that I require a minimum of four cups of caffeine to function on a daily basis. But I can proudly say that I’m already off to a great start.
In February, during a gnarly bout of the flu, I found both comfort and strength in my very first cup of elderberry lemon balm tea. So much so that the tea is now an essential bedtime beverage that I look forward to sipping on every night. Same with moringa tea, which I’ll take with a dollop of honey. Most recently, I indulged in buckwheat tea (also known as soba cha in Japanese) while enjoying omakase in New York City. Its toasty yet slightly sweet flavor was unlike any other tea that I’ve tried.
Now that spring has officially sprung, I’ve been on the hunt for more seasonal tea to drink. It seems like I’m not alone in my search. An old Reddit post asked for recommendations for tea that “screams ‘spring’” while another sought out teas that are more fruity and sour in taste, like a strawberry lemon cold tea. A 2023 discussion board on Hungry Onion highlighted must-try teas of the season.
To help narrow down the best teas to drink this spring, Salon Food spoke with Ann Ziata, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education’s (ICE) New York City campus. Ziata shared her favorite spring teas, which can be enjoyed hot or cold.
“Tea can be very personal,” Ziata said. “I would look for drinks that are going to be a little more floral. Drinks that are grassy, green and light in flavor — maybe they're herbaceous and have some mintiness. Kind of moving away from more warming teas that have cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.”
01 Green Tea
Ziata’s personal favorite is the Republic of Tea’s Dragon Well Green Full-Leaf Tea which is made from top-grade Lung Ching (or Longjing) tea, a renowned green tea from the Zhejiang province in China. Per the brand’s website, Lung Ching is “famous for its jade green color, earthy aroma, mellow taste and long flat leaf” along with its “distinct character” and “unique cooling effect.”
The Dragon Well tea has a slightly grassy flavor that’s signature to green tea while also being “lightly toasted and nutty,” per Ziata.
02 Black Tea
“I think a really cool choice is Numi’s Chinese Breakfast black tea,” Ziata recommended. “It includes the golden tips of the tea leaves in the blend, so you get more floral notes and more malty and citrus notes. It’s still a nice, robust and full-bodied black tea, but it does have these elements that bring a little more brightness to it.”
She also suggested the Republic of Tea’s Darjeeling Black Full Leaf Tea, which “is less oxidized than most black teas, so you're going to get more fruity flavors and more floral flavors,” Ziata explained.
03 Jasmine Tea
Mighty Leaf’s Organic Spring Jasmine tea is one of Ziata’s go-to jasmine tea blends. This specific variety is “made of smooth Chinese loose leaf green tea leaves naturally scented by layers of jasmine buds,” according to the tea’s description.
“You get a little bit of those warmer floral notes from the jasmine,” Ziata said. “It’s a little warming — not like a heavy kind of warming.”
04 White Tea
“A white tea is going to be the most ethereal of all caffeinated teas,” Ziata said. “That is because they don’t go through as much processing, so you get really young leaves and open buds.” The final product is a caffeinated tea that’s both light and fresh in taste.
“White teas, I feel like, get a little bit ignored in the conversation sometimes,” Ziata continued. “You know, we love green tea and black tea so much. I feel very peaceful drinking white tea, although I feel awake too.”
Ziata’s personal favorite is Dona’s Wah White Peony Sachets.
05 Chamomile Tea
As for herbal teas, Ziata recommended Steven Smith Teamaker’s Meadow blend, which includes golden Egyptian chamomile flowers, hyssop, Cape rooibos, rose petals and linden flowers.
“It’s something a little different, which is nice because in spring, we just want a little variety,” Ziata said of the tea’s taste. "It's nice to have that feeling of change and newness once it starts to get a little warmer out."
For a bargain option, check out Trader Joe's Well Rested Herbal Tea, which touts chamomile, spearmint, peppermint, blackberry leaves, and rosebuds.
06 Lemon Verbana Tea
The caffeine-free tea is celebrated for its medicinal, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, the tea is said to improve sleep quality, alleviate muscle damage (making it a great drink amongst athletes) and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Ziata’s favorite brand is Mina’s Louiza, Organic Moroccan Lemon Verbena Herbal Tea. The tea features traditional Moroccan lemon verbena, best known for its “alluring floral-lemony scent, flavor, and many health-giving properties, including the support of the immune system and healthy digestion,” per the tea’s description.
Lemon Verbana tea is best enjoyed warm during the spring months and chilled during the summer.
07 Roasted Dandelion Root Tea
“I always crave a roasted dandelion root tea every March,” Ziata said. “It’s a very bitter tea. Some people use it as a coffee replacement because it doesn’t have caffeine, but it has a lovely toasted, bitter flavor.”
She added that the tea reminds her of the “thawing of winter.”
Ziata said she usually opts for the traditional and medicinal roasted dandelion root, but Teechino’s line of Dandelion tea blends are great options.
08 Turmeric Tea
Ziata’s favorite turmeric tea is Organic India’s Tulsi Turmeric Ginger tea.
“Personally, I think turmeric is lovely, but it can be a bit strong on its own,” Ziata explained. Organic India’s blend includes turmeric, tulsi (an adaptogen that’s also known as Holy Basil) and ginger, making the tea peppery and slightly sweet in taste.
“I think turmeric teas are lovely in the springtime,” she added. “Usually we're eating a lot of heavy food in the winter, and we want this feeling of lightness and brightness as we head into spring and summer, when we're going to have more fresh produce available.”
