15 Highest-Quality Herbal Teas on Grocery Shelves

Tea is the second most-consumed beverage in the world, behind water. Sipping a hot mug of herbal tea is an everyday practice in many countries and cultures. Fortunately, for those of us in America, this healthy habit has caught on stateside. You can find a range of excellent-quality herbal teas in your local grocery store for every palate and mood.

Whether you're looking for a calming brew to help you get a night of deep sleep or want something bright and citrusy to wake you up in the morning, these are the 15 highest-quality teas on grocery store shelves. Read on, and if you're looking for true tea options, check out 11 Highest Quality Teas On Grocery Shelves.

What is herbal tea?

Technically speaking, herbal teas aren't exactly teas. They're made by infusing flowers, herbs, plants, and spices into water rather than dried leaves from a tea plant. That being said, herbal brews, sometimes called infusions, are highly varied in ingredients, flavors, and colors, so there are plenty of options to explore. Most herbal teas are also caffeine-free or contain very little caffeine so that you can enjoy them anytime.

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What makes herbal tea high-quality?

We considered a few factors to find the best grocery store herbal teas:

• Flavor and health benefits: First, the flavor and health benefits of the ingredients. Many herbal teas are made with potent herbs and spices that offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

• Ingredient sourcing: We also considered ingredient sourcing, emphasizing Fair Trade Certified and organic products.

• Sustainable and safe packaging: Finally, we considered the tea packaging and prioritized products with less plastic and those made with recyclable, compostable, and plant-based materials.

David's Tea Mother's Little Helper

This cheekily named herbal tea is made with mom's stress level in mind. It includes valerian root, a natural anxiety-reducer, along with chamomile, peppermint, and lemongrass. The blue cornflowers give the brew its deep red color, which is more fun to sip. This tea is also Certified Fair Trade and organic. David's Tea is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, which aims to make the tea industry more equitable and sustainable for the workers and the environment.

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The Republic of Tea Organic Tumeric Cinnamon

This simple warming tea is made with two organic ingredients: turmeric and cinnamon. It's gently spiced and perfect for a cozy fall afternoon. Turmeric is known to have anti-inflammatory properties thanks to a compound known as curcumin.

Yogi Tea Rose Tea

This floral tea contains hibiscus, lavender, and dried rose petals for a well-balanced, naturally sweet brew. It also has a touch of earthy turmeric and ginger for a hint of buzzy spice. The ingredients are all certified organic.

Yogi prioritizes regeneratively-grown crops and uses compostable tea bags. The brand even collaborates with other tea companies to reduce emissions from importing raw ingredients worldwide.

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Bigelow Whispering Wildflowers Tea

This unique, organic herbal blend is fortified with L-theanine, an amino acid that may help reduce stress and promote relaxation. The primary ingredient is chamomile flowers, which are known to help reduce stress, but you'll mostly taste the bolder flavors of rose and lavender.

Bigelow is a Certified B-Corporation with 100% recyclable packaging. The company is also renewable energy certified, thanks in part to the nearly 900 solar panels at its corporate headquarters.

Rishi Tea Greek Mountain Tea

This organic tea is sold loose by the pound, so it uses less packaging than individually bagged teas. The primary ingredient is a plant native to Greece that's been steeped and enjoyed as a tea since ancient times. You'll also enjoy the flavors of ginger, licorice root, chamomile, and a touch of oregano to complete the Mediterranean experience. Rishi imports its fully organic ingredients directly from its grower partners worldwide.

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Traditional Medicinals Raspberry Leaf Teas

Raspberry leaf is thought to help soothe discomfort related to menstruating and pregnancy, so ladies, this one is for you. All teas from Traditional Medicinals, a Certified B-Corp, are organic, and many use hand-harvested ingredients. These raspberry leaves come from Eastern Europe, where women have hand-picked and enjoyed this tea for hundreds of years during that time of the month.

Tazo Tea Refresh Mint Tea

This herbal tea from Tazo has a bold, tingling, and cooling mint flavor that will wake you right up with no caffeine. It's made from a simple blend of peppermint and spearmint and has a bit of tarragon to enhance the herby, numbing flavor. All of the ingredients are organic and regeneratively grown.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Vahdam Tumeric Saffron Loose Leaf Tea

Saffron is a prized spice for its vibrant color and rich, complex flavor. This tea blend features hand-picked Indian saffron, dried turmeric root, cloves, and fennel. There's also dried almond in the mix that adds a nutty, almost creamy flavor, and black pepper, which is shown to help increase the bioavailability of turmeric's anti-inflammatory compounds by up to 2,000%.

All Vadham teas are made with ingredients hand-harvested in India, where they're packaged on the spot to preserve freshness and quality.

Numi Tea Rooibos Chai

If you love the warm, spiced flavor of a classic mug of chai but don't want the caffeine from black tea, steep a scoop of this quality looseleaf herbal option from Numi Tea. It's made from Fair Trade-certified ingredients, including cloves, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. The central ingredient, rooibos, is a plant treated like tea, as its leaves are dried and enjoyed for their subtle vanilla flavor.

In addition to Fair Trade certification, Numi has the Verified Fair Labor distinction with certain grower-partners. This third-party auditor ensures comfortable, organic labor practices.

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Leaves of Leisure Picnic in the Park Tea

This light and fruity tea is designed to be chilled on a sunny day, say, picnicking in the park. It's also delicious hot and is made from high-antioxidant apple, hibiscus, and pomegranate, as well as senna leaves, which are often used to relieve constipation.

Like all Leaves of Leisure products, this tea is additive-free and organic-certified. The brand is also a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership.

Harney & Sons Blood Orange Fruit Tea

This tea is delicious, hot or cold, and has a juicy, fruity flavor from dried orange peel, apple, beetroot, and hibiscus. Marigold and safflower add a touch of earthiness, but the flavor is largely sweet and makes a great afternoon pick-me-up. The tea has a deep orange color and comes in a recyclable and reusable tin.

Tea Forte Purify

This herbal tea has a touch of caffeine from the primary ingredient, yerba mate, a South American plant that's been used as an energy supplement and medicine for millennia. Studies show that yerba mate supports liver and cardiovascular health and is anti-inflammatory. Thanks to organic ginger, mint, licorice, and cinnamon, this tea tastes citrusy, spiced, and lightly sweet.

Tea Pigs Organic Up Beet Tea

This earthy, vegetal tea is for beet lovers. Beets are high in antioxidants and nitrate, which can help manage hypertension. They also give this brew its stunning hue. In addition to beets, this tea contains hibiscus flowers, ginger, green tea, and carrots. The green tea adds some caffeine, so this is a better choice in the morning than an after-dinner sip. Tea Pigs uses sustainable packaging made from wood pulp, and the bags are fully compostable.

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Kusmi Tea Lovely Night

Sip this herbal brew before bed to prepare for a good night's sleep. It's made from bright lemon verbena, honeybush (a South African bush that tastes like honey!), rooibos, cinnamon, and chamomile. This tea, like most Kusmi products, is certified organic. The brand has also committed to transitioning to plastic-free packaging, and many of its looseleaf blends come in refillable metal tins.

Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger

This bright, citrusy tea is perfect for anyone who loves a tart punch of flavor. It will wake your taste buds up in the morning and make an excellent palate cleanser after a meal. The dual citrus duo of lemon peel and lemongrass is blended with hibiscus flowers, orange peel, chicory, and rosehip for a lovely floral brew.