I have loved honeysuckle for as long as I can remember. Growing up in the country, I often would stop and pluck a honeysuckle blossom from the vine before pulling off the green piece at the bottom so that I could sip its nectar. I love the look and smell and taste of honeysuckle, so when I saw that Harney & Sons was offering an herbal tea consisting of simply dried honeysuckle flowers, I had to give it a try.
There was no childhood-memory-inducing whiff of honeysuckle when I opened the tin, but then I wasn’t necessarily expecting one. The spoonful of fluffy dried flowers came out in a clump. I brewed them for three minutes in less than boiling water, and the tea still had a strong vegetal taste (the one some describe as “grassy”).
I re-steeped the honeysuckle flowers, for just two minutes, and that was a much smoother, less grassy-tasting tea, very similar to some green teas I've tried. While this probably won't ever be a go-to tea for me, as a honeysuckle lover, I had to give it a try, and I'm glad that I did! It was also time to begin using a favorite spring teacup, the Royal Ardalt English teacup that once belonged to my brother-in-law's grandmother. It was the perfect teacup for Easter weekend sipping.
Are any of you honeysuckle fans? I'm wondering whether I'm the only country kid who grew up sipping honeysuckle nectar!
I loved sipping that nectar from the honeysuckle flowers, and so did my children. If this tea tasted like that, I'd be ordering some today!
ReplyDeleteYes, I always sipped honeysuckle nectar as a child, and I still do! And I teach my friends how to do it, too. I love the scent of honeysuckle, but the idea of a honeysuckle-flavored tea doesn't appeal to me. I'm not big on floral-scented teas, and I don't like grassy-tasting tea, so I'm afraid this new one from Harney & Sons just isn't "my cup of tea."
ReplyDeleteI grew up sipping honeysuckle nectar too. I wonder if fresh honeysuckle would make a nice tea? If I remember this summer I’ll give it a try.
ReplyDeleteIf you do, Ginger, I'd love to hear what you think!
DeleteI love the teacup. As a kid, yes I did sip the nectar from honeysuckle. You are brave to take a chance on the tea.
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone:-). Ditto on loving honeysuckle both for its lovely smell and sweet flavour. We have a bush at the end of our walkway in fact that's mixed in among the forsythia. It looks a mess but usually smells good for one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteLoved walking past a honeysuckle bush... and of course, we'd sip the sweet nectar. Such great childhood memories! Thank you for sharing your review of the Honeysuckle 'Tea'.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, this brings back many honeysuckle memories. Your teacup is so pretty!
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