Honey and tea are one of the oldest pairings around. But a strong buckwheat honey can overpower a delicate white tea, while a light acacia might vanish in a malty breakfast blend. A little matching goes a long way.
When to add honey
Boiling water is ideal for brewing many teas, but it's hot. There's no good evidence that honey becomes harmful in hot tea, but very high heat can degrade some of honey's naturally occurring enzymes and delicate aromas.
For the best flavor, let your tea steep and cool for a minute or two before stirring in honey. A temperature you could comfortably sip is a good rule of thumb.
Green tea
Green tea is grassy, vegetal and delicate. Choose a mild, light honey that won't overpower it.
- Best matches: acacia, clover, orange blossom
- Try: jasmine green tea with orange blossom honey
White tea
The most delicate tea of all. Use a very light hand and a very mild honey, or skip it altogether.
- Best matches: acacia, a light clover
Black tea
Black teas like English breakfast, Assam and Darjeeling are bold and malty. They can stand up to medium and darker honeys.
- Best matches: wildflower, tupelo, a darker clover
- Bold choice: a small amount of buckwheat with a strong Assam
Earl Grey
Earl Grey is black tea flavored with bergamot, a citrus fruit. A citrusy or floral honey complements it.
- Best matches: orange blossom, lavender honey
- Try: an Earl Grey latte (London Fog) with honey and vanilla
Chai
Chai's spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove, love rich honey.
- Best matches: wildflower, buckwheat, a dark local honey
Chamomile
Gentle, apple-like chamomile pairs with soft floral honeys.
- Best matches: clover, orange blossom, acacia
Peppermint
Peppermint is bright and cooling. A light honey keeps it fresh.
- Best matches: clover, acacia
Ginger and lemon
A classic for cold days. Strong, spicy ginger can handle a bolder honey.
- Best matches: wildflower, manuka, buckwheat
Rooibos
This naturally caffeine-free South African red tea is sweet and nutty.
- Best matches: wildflower, tupelo
Iced tea
Honey sinks and clumps in cold tea. Dissolve it in a small amount of hot tea first, or make a honey syrup by stirring equal parts honey and warm water together.
How much?
Start with one teaspoon per cup (about 21 calories and 6 grams of sugar) and adjust. Remember that honey counts as added sugar.
Storing honey for your tea station
Keep honey in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. There's no need to refrigerate it; cold temperatures speed up crystallization. If your honey does crystallize, it's still perfectly good. Set the jar in a bowl of warm water and stir until it turns liquid again, or simply stir the crystallized honey straight into hot tea, where it will dissolve. Use a clean, dry spoon each time, since water introduced into the jar can cause honey to ferment.
Honey around the world
Tea and honey traditions vary. In Russia, tea is often served with honey or jam on the side rather than stirred in. In parts of the Middle East, honey sweetens mint and spiced teas. In Korea, yuja-cha is made from citron preserved in honey or sugar and stirred into hot water. Trying a new tradition is an easy way to discover a new favorite pairing.
Try a functional twist
For something different, stir a packet of HYVE Mind Focus & Memory into black tea, rooibos or a chai latte. Its vanilla-chocolate flavor turns a plain cup into a dessert-like treat. Bonus: green and black teas naturally contain L-theanine, and HYVE adds 80mg more.
Each 14g packet has 100% raw, USDA Organic honey (every barrel third-party tested for pesticide residue), 222mg of organic lion's mane extract (20:1, dual-sourced from 100% fruiting body), organic raw cacao, organic bee pollen and organic vanilla. It's 45 calories and caffeine-free.
Use code WELCOME20 for 20% off your first order.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Not for infants under 12 months or anyone with bee or bee-product allergies.
