Tulsi Tea

Tulsi tea is a caffeine-free herbal tisane made by steeping the leaves — and often the flowering tops and stems — of holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum, syn. O. sanctum), a sacred aromatic herb of the Indian subcontinent revered in Ayurveda for more than three thousand years. It is not a true tea at all: it contains no Camellia sinensis and no caffeine, and is instead an infusion of a mint-family herb. Brewed in hot water it gives a pale golden to greenish liquor that smells warmly of cloves, mint and fresh cut herbs, with a peppery lift. On the palate it is aromatic and gently astringent, faintly sweet, with a clove-like warmth and a cooling minty finish that lingers at the back of the throat. Traditionally regarded in Ayurveda as an adaptogen — a "rasayana" said to help the body cope with stress — it is drunk plain, sweetened with honey, or blended with ginger, lemon, cardamom or lemongrass, and is served across India from temple courtyards to modern wellness cafés.