PURE LEAF HIBISCUS TEA: INTRO
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Pure leaf hibiscus tea is of the most natural herbal teas on the market. You can’t help but love the way it looks and tastes – just like nature intended. Combine this with its health and/or general wellbeing benefits and it’s a no-brainer!
Many HTH readers have never tried hibiscus tea, much less pure leaf hibiscus tea. Have you? Let’s take a look at why this particular type of herbal tea is really moving up the charts in terms of popularity!
Pure Leaf Hibiscus Tea: General Overview
It’s going to be quite a ride! In this article, we’re going to be looking at everything you need to about pure leaf hibiscus tea so you can determine whether you want to add it to your herbal tea rotation.
First, we are going to learn a TON of interesting facts about pure leaf hibiscus tea. Trust me, the things you are going to learn will absolutely leave you thrilled, and maybe a little bit surprised as well!
Next, we are going to look at a simple Hibiscus tea recipe. Don’t worry, we keep this really simple and easy to follow – no confusing lists of ingredients or complicated brewing instructions on HTH! Not now, not ever! This is my favorite part every single time!
After this, we’ll also have a look at some features that can help you pinpoint the right pure leaf hibiscus tea. These features are crucial. So pay attention to this section. We tell you what you need to look or and how to go about doing it. You’ll soon be able to separate the “best” from the “rest” with ease!
Finally, I’ll link to what I consider to be the best pure leaf hibiscus tea on the market. By no means is this the ONLY high quality pure leaf product on the market – in fact, there are several good ones in this space! However, it is one that I have experienced, researched and feel quite comfortable submitting to the HTH readership as the best of the best!
Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
Pure Leaf Hibiscus Tea – Learning the Basics
Now, we’re going to get into the science part of the article, but don’t worry, we won’t stay too long! Pure leaf hibiscus tea often comes from the “hibiscus sabdariffa”. However, this is not the only species of the hibiscus flower.
The particular species you use might differ from place to place. Really, it all depends on what you are using and what part of the world you are buying it from. Pure leaf hibiscus is available worldwide, but the specific sub-species may differ from region to region!
Ok, so why do we call it the pure leaf hibiscus tea? Well, pure leaf hibiscus tea refers to tea brewed from leaves that were handpicked, cut, and sifted. Yes, you heard right!
Hibiscus tea is usually acquired from organic farms around the world. The best places to cultivate this product are Africa and some parts of Northern America. With these two regions being located quite literally “a world apart” from one another, its no wonder that this particular pure leaf has experienced such broad availabilitiy – and we are lucky that it does!
These pure leaves will be devoid of all forms of additives. No caffeine, no gluten. Nothing. You get only the real deal. This is really important for those of us who are living with certain dietary restrictions (whether for medical or personal reasons). Surely that has some health, or at least general wellbeing, benefits, right?
Hibiscus tea is known to have a bunch of them! Take weight loss for example. It aids the process in remarkable ways (at very least because you are electing to consume hibiscus tea instead of a sugary and artificial alternative). If you are also looking for an anti-oxidant, then look no further. The hibiscus tea is your guy for the job!
One more thing. Did you know that the hibiscus tea is known by more than one name? Yep! What you call it depends on where you come from! Anyone from Jamaica will be puzzled when you call it Hibiscus Tea. To them, it’s their special tea from the Jamaican flower.
For people in West Africa, hibiscus tea is referred to as a “special Zobo”. I noticed one thing is constant, despite the respective names they refer to this herbal goodness by! They absolutely adore this tea in its hibiscus leaves form! Are you excited about this tea already? I bet you are because I know I am!!
Let’s take a step closer here by learning an easy to use and delicious recipe! The next section will surely tantalize your taste buds in one tempting way or another!!
Pure Leaf Hibiscus Tea – A Simple Recipe
One thing to keep in mind is that hibiscus tea is one of the easiest to make – especially in its pure lead form. In fact, it takes roughly ten minutes to make this tea.
That’s counting from after your leaves are ready. Surely your tastebuds have earned 10 minutes time from you, right?
When learning this recipe, we’ll be focusing on pure leaves and how you can make hibiscus tea with them. To help you learn this recipe better, I’ve divided it into two parts. This keeps it really easy, I promise.
The first part includes a clear and concise listing of ingredients while the second part includes a set of easy to follow instructions.
Let’s begin!
Short List of Ingredients
- Pure Leaves (the more you use, the more flavor you get)
- Water (4-8) the specific amount will depend on the number of servings.
- Sweetener (optional) (we like to use sustainably sourced honey)
- Lime (optional, and you can also use lemon or orange)
Easy to Follow Instructions
Step One. The first thing you have to do is to prepare your pure leaves. Now, if you buy a pure leaf hibiscus tea product, you get the leaves cut and sifted already – that’s part of the benefit! A real time saver!
If you don’t, you’d have to do it yourself, but its not that big of a deal. Cutting the leaves is good as it releases the aroma within. The more you cut (or grind, if using a mortar and pestle), the more flavor and aroma you release!
Make sure you dispose of the remnants once you are done. You can compost these in your garden and, in that sense, use the leaves more than once. A win for Mother Nature!
Step Two. Place your water on the stove and bring it to a rapid boil. Make sure you are wearing protective clothing for this part of the process! Turn the heat level down and allow it to simmer. Add the leaves into the water.
Step Three. Turn off the stove and allow the tea to steep. To make sure that this process works effectively, you can cover the pot.
Covering the pot helps to trap the moisture. This produces a robust aroma. We like to steep for somewhere between 7 and 15 minutes. The longer you steep, the greater the flavor. However, you don’t need to steep for much in excess of 15 minutes, as there is only so much flavor to be produced!
Step Four. Use a strainer to separate the tea from the leaves. This is an important step because you don’t want to end up with ground up leave remnants in your teeth!
Assuming the strainer has done its job, you can now pour your tea into a mug or cup.
Step Five. This is the ideal time for you to add sweeteners. Lemon, sugar (so long as its not artificial), or honey (so long as its sustainably sourced) are all good options at this point! You can be creative here depending on what kind kind of “trace” tastes are most to your liking!
Your tea is ready to be served!
Now, while we can simply imagine how fabulous it’s going to taste, things can go south very fast. How? This can happen, and very quickly, when you get the wrong pure leaf product! How can you avoid such a catastrophe? The next section will address just that!
Pure Leaf Hibiscus Tea – Important Features
Now, to get the best pure leaf hibiscus tea, you have to know what to look for. Here are some signs you are on the right track.
USDA Organic Designation
When a product has been certified as USDA Organic, chances are that it’s really a pure leaf hibiscus tea. This regulatory body is charged with ensuring that plants and their products are kept pure and raw.
Having the symbol on a product can provide all the reassurance you might have needed. While USDA Organic isn’t the SOLE indicator of quality, it does go a long way.
No Additives
The primary characteristic of pure leaves is that they have no additives. Not even a single drop. So pure leaf hibiscus tea should be clear of all additives.
Caffeine, gluten, and the likes are not welcome. It’s really that simple. If you step back and look at it, this is the way that this type of tea was meant to be consumed – pure and natural, just like Mother Nature wants to see!
Price and Quantity Considerations
Now, when you buy a product, you are investing your funds into it. So make sure that you get real value for your money.
The number of pure leaves you get (e.g.: the quantity that comes with the pack that you are buying) should be equal to the money you spend. If it’s not, you really have struck a bad deal.
Remember, you do NOT need to break the bank when it comes to a quality pure leaf offering. If one product seems to be quite a bit more highly priced than the next, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is of better quality, or quantity for that matter!
I think it’s important to keep these three things in your mind when making a choice. Really, you can’t go wrong with them. If the particular pure leaf that you are interested in ticks each of these three boxes, then you’ll go home a winner AND your tastebuds and wallet will thank you!
Now, let me show you the two pure leaf hibiscus tea offerings that I really like. I think you’ll like them too. Remember, there are certainly other great pure leaf brands on the market. However, I have a good feeling that you’ll agree with me that these are the best of the best. Let’s take a closer look!
Pure Leaf Hibiscus Tea – Buy the Best
While I have listed two pure leaf hibiscus tea offerings below, you shouldn’t think that I am ranking one product ahead of the next. Each is somewhat unique in terms of the attributes that I like about it, so keep that in mind when you are making your purchase decision!
Derived from the hibiscus sabdariffa, I found this product to fit my preferences, in terms of herbal tea taste, perfectly.
First, it comes with a lot of leaves, perfect for those of you who like to “double up” on the flavor. It’s stored in a one-pound bag, a quantity that I have found to be just enough to keep me from running out quickly, but not so much as to concern me with the potential for quickly approaching expiration dates!
That should give you the complete picture in terms of a couple of the “big picture” basics. It is also really affordable, especially when considering the quantity.
This product comes verified from USDA Organic – remember how we talked about the importance of that above? It is also Kosher certified meaning that it can accommodate a wide variety of those HTH readers who may have dietary restrictions!
My Experience
It has a bit of a “tart” and somewhat “earthy” taste, in my opinion. I especially like the pure leaf form it comes in – saved me the time and trouble of having to separate the leaves from the remainder of the hibiscus.
One other handy feature, in my opinion at least. The “pure leaf” style of this tea allowed me to experiment with other things (besides tea, of course). The aroma of the tea is in the “moderate to strong” range – enough that you are aware that its brewing, but not too much that you’ll be overpowered by it!
The health benefits were also great in my opinion. I have had pretty bad headaches in the last year or so, and this has helped alleviate them. Now, I’m not sure if the is because of the increased fluid intake, or the loose leaf hibiscus tea itself, maybe a combination, but I do know that the headaches have subsided a bit!
I felt stronger and ready to start the day’s journey. Oh, I usually consumed this tea in the mornings just before work, though sometimes I would brew a cup to help me get through that “2:30 feeling”!
I gathered some pros and cons that I believe might be helpful in terms of helping you quickly glean some of my overall opinions here:
Pros
- Affordable
- Great taste (somewhat “earthy”, a bit “tart”)
- Health or wellbeing benefits
- Good quantity (lasted just long enough)
- USDA organic
Cons
- The description on the packaging doesn’t provide tons of details. Usually we like to see product packaging that includes recipes, and so on!
Since 1976, the manufacturer behind this pure leaf hibiscus tea has been throwing amazing products at us! This one is no exception!!
Forged from organic farms in Egypt and Burkina Faso, I found this pure leaf to be exceptional in many of the categories that we discussed above!
It offers much versatility and is really good value for your money. It comes in a Kraft bag that can be resealed. This preserves the freshness of the leaves. You wouldn’t believe how many bags DO NOT include a resealable feature!
It comes certified by both Kosher and USDA Organic, which is great in terms of its compatibility with various dietary restrictions and its overall suitability in terms of being additive free. It’s really the complete package!!
Do you know what the best part is? It’s really affordable!! Remember, earlier, when I said that you didn’t necessarily have to PAY the most to GET the best? Well, this is a great example of that!!
My Experience
The first thing I thought about when I tasted this tea was cranberries. It tastes a lot like that. I found a way to change the flavor a bit with peppermint and spearmint. The result was just incredible. The pure leaf style gives you tons of room to be experimental and creative. If you find a good twist – make sure to share with us below!!
I found taking this tea at night to be such a blessing. It soothes my nerves and aids my sleep. It just felt like a divine blessing. I don’t know how or why, but the tea brewed from this one has a very “smooth” taste – both the initial taste and the lingering after taste. Perhaps that is why I have come to consume it mostly at night!
Pros
- Kosher certified
- Robust aroma (really makes your home smell more inviting)
- Versatile
- Improves mood and sleep (I drink mine before bed, most of the time)
- Great quantity
Cons
- If you have allergies, see your doctor before using this tea (and learn about hibiscus tea side effects). This is sound advice for the consumption of any herbal tea, for that matter. Safety first!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! It’s been quite the journey. With this guide, you should find the perfect pure leaf hibiscus tea. We have covered EVERYTHING you could possibility want to know about it! We started with the basics, moved into important features to find, included an easy to use recipe, linked to a couple of our favorites, and even mentioned a few of our own thoughts about the tea itself!
Comments
Had you ever heard of pure leaf hibiscus tea? Did you know that it has become as popular as it has? Perhaps you’ve had the opportunity to consume some for yourself and maybe you’ve even tried out our recipe from above? What do you think of it? Any special tips that you’d like to share with your fellow herbal tea enthusiasts? Please share with us by posting in the comments section below! We read and reply to every comment and love interacting with the herbal tea community!