Lemon Balm with Lavender, Chamomile and Honey
Lemon balm steeped with lavender buds and chamomile at 90°C, with raw honey and a squeeze of lemon: citrusy, floral and caffeine-free.
This is the cup lemon balm was made for: the leaf on its own is delicate, and lavender and chamomile are the two companions that meet it at the same volume rather than shouting over it. All three are caffeine-free.
All three plants have grown in European gardens since the Middle Ages, and a monastery still room would have had them within a few steps of each other. Lavender brings the floral top note, chamomile a honeyed roundness, and lemon balm the citrus that holds the whole thing together.
A spoonful of honey rounds out any bitterness and gives the cup some weight. Use raw honey if you have it, and stir it in once the infusion has cooled a little, so the heat does not flatten its own aroma.
Sip this 30 minutes before bed, or at any hour you like: with no caffeine in any of the three plants, there is no time of day this cup is wrong for. Lemon balm fades fast once dried, so a fresh packet is worth the trouble.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon balm tea bag or 2 tsp dried lemon balm
- 1/2 tsp dried lavender buds
- 1 chamomile tea bag
- 1 cup hot water (90°C)
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
How to make it
- 1Place lemon balm, lavender buds, and chamomile in a mug. Pour hot water over.
- 2Cover and steep for 7–8 minutes; keeping it covered holds the aromatics in the cup instead of letting them leave with the steam.
- 3Strain out herbs (or remove tea bags). Let cool 2 minutes.
- 4Stir in honey and a squeeze of lemon if desired. Sip slowly.
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