People have been drinking herbal teas for a very long time.
Long before the word "tisane" existed. Long before specialty tea shops and farmers markets. Long before anyone thought to call it "wellness."
The ancient world steeped herbs in hot water for the same reasons we do today: for warmth, for ritual, for gathering, for the quiet comfort of a cup in hand. And many of those herbs — the ones mentioned in the psalms, the prophecies, the celebrations of the Old and New Testament — are still steeped today. You may have some in your kitchen right now.
At Flavorful Tea and Fruit Company, we teach a class called Teas of the Bible — an exploration of the herbs and plants woven throughout Scripture and what it feels like to steep them yourself. What follows is an introduction to some of those plants: where they appear in the text, what they meant to the people who used them, and what they taste like in your cup.
Mint — The Herb of the Tithe
Where it appears: Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin…" — Matthew 23:23
Mint was valuable enough to tithe. That detail tells you everything about how central it was to daily life in the ancient world — a plant so useful, so beloved, that it was counted alongside the household's most important goods.
Today, mint is the most widely consumed herbal tea in the world. It is ubiquitous. And yet a truly excellent cup of mint tea — made with whole leaves, steeped carefully — is something different from the teabag version most people know.
What it tastes like: Clean, cooling, refreshing. A brightness that clears the palate and quiets the mind. Mint tea is equally beautiful hot or cold and pairs naturally with almost every other herb on this list.
When to steep it: After a heavy meal. In the afternoon, when focus is needed. Any time the mind needs a moment of clarity.
Hyssop — The Herb of Purification
Where it appears: Psalm 51:7, Numbers 19:6, John 19:29 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." — Psalm 51:7
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is one of the most spiritually significant plants in the Bible. It was used in purification rituals described in Leviticus and Numbers. In the Psalm of David's repentance, it becomes a metaphor for cleansing the soul. In John 19, a sponge soaked in wine is placed on a hyssop branch and lifted to Jesus on the cross — a small, precise detail that connects the plant to the most sacred moment in Christian history.
Hyssop grows wild across the rocky hillsides of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It is a member of the mint family with small blue-purple flowers and a flavor that is earthy, slightly bitter, and faintly medicinal — an ancient, complex herb with a depth that mint cannot match.
What it tastes like: Herbaceous, slightly bitter, and warmly aromatic. It is not a sweet tea. It is a tea for contemplation — the kind of cup that asks you to slow down.
When to steep it: Morning reflection. A quiet moment before prayer or journaling. For those who find the ritual of tea itself meaningful, hyssop rewards that intention.
Cinnamon — The Spice of Celebration and Anointing
Where it appears: Song of Solomon 4:14, Exodus 30:23, Revelation 18:13 "…cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh and frankincense…" — Revelation 18:13
Cinnamon appears throughout the Bible in contexts of beauty, abundance, and sacred anointing. In Exodus, the Lord gives Moses a recipe for holy anointing oil — and cinnamon is one of its primary ingredients. In the Song of Solomon, cinnamon is named among the fragrances of the beloved's garden. In Revelation, it appears in the inventory of treasures mourned at the fall of Babylon.
In the ancient world, cinnamon was worth its weight in gold. Traded across continents, guarded jealously, and prized above almost any other spice, it carried connotations of wealth, devotion, and the sacred.
Today it is one of the most approachable and beloved flavors in the world — and it makes a stunning tea.
What it tastes like: Warm, sweet, gently spicy, deeply comforting. A cinnamon-forward tea needs no sweetener. It is the tea equivalent of a warm embrace, and it fills a room with a fragrance that feels ancient and familiar at the same time.
When to steep it: Winter mornings, autumn evenings, any moment when warmth is what the body asks for. Cinnamon also blends beautifully with ginger, cardamom, and black pepper for a warming spiced tea.
Anise and Fennel — The Herbs of the Everyday Table
Where it appears: Matthew 23:23 (anise/dill), Luke 11:42 "…you tithe mint and rue and every herb…" — Luke 11:42
Anise and fennel appear together in this passage alongside mint as everyday herbs of the household garden — common enough to serve as a standard of measure for tithing, yet valuable enough to be counted. Both belong to the same botanical family; their flavors are similar — sweet, licorice-forward, gently warming.
In the ancient Mediterranean world, fennel was used as a digestive herb, a flavoring, and a practical medicine. Both anise and fennel were steeped as teas to ease the stomach after a meal. That tradition has never stopped.
What they taste like: Sweet, mildly licorice, smooth, and warming. Neither is as assertive as actual licorice root — both are gentler, greener, more herbal. Fennel seed tea, in particular, is one of the most soothing digestive teas available.
When to steep them: After meals. For stomach comfort. For those who find licorice-adjacent flavors comforting rather than overwhelming. Fennel also blends beautifully with citrus peels.
Note: Aloe Turmerica — one of our current market sample teas — includes fennel root as a key ingredient, connecting this ancient herb to one of our most distinctive modern blends.
Rue — The Herb of Bitterness and Mercy
Where it appears: Luke 11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb…"
Rue (Ruta graveolens) is a small, intensely aromatic shrub with blue-green leaves and yellow flowers. It appears only once in the New Testament — again in a tithing reference — but it was deeply embedded in the ancient world's understanding of medicinal and ritual plants.
Rue has a complex, bitter flavor profile that is not for everyone. It is one of the more challenging herbs on this list — intensely aromatic, slightly pungent, and profoundly old in character. A small pinch steeped with other herbs (mint, hyssop, lemon) rounds out a blend with remarkable depth.
A note on use: Rue should be used in small quantities as part of a blend rather than as a primary tea. It is the kind of herb that teaches you something every time you use it — it demands attention and respect.
Frankincense — The Gift of Kings
Where it appears: Matthew 2:11, Leviticus 2:1, Song of Solomon 3:6 "…and they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." — Matthew 2:11
Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) is the resin of a tree that grows in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. In the ancient world, it was among the most valuable substances on earth — used in sacred ritual, offered to gods and kings, burned in the Temple at Jerusalem, and brought by the Magi to the newborn Jesus.
When to use it: Moments of reflection. Prayer. Intention-setting. Frankincense incense is not a casual scent — it is a ritual one.
A Final Thought
There is something that we find deeply moving about the fact that the herbs in our teas connect us to the same plants people gathered, steeped, traded, and treasured thousands of years ago.
Tea — in all its forms — has always been about more than flavor. It has been about gathering. About ritual. About passing something down. About sitting quietly in the middle of a complicated world and holding a warm cup with both hands.
These herbs have been doing that work for a very long time.
Join Us for Teas of the Bible
On June 28, 2026, we're teaching Teas of the Bible at Gloria Dei Church in New Holstein, Wisconsin at 4 PM. The class is free and open to all. We'll steep several of the herbs described here, explore their stories, and spend a quiet, meaningful hour together over a cup.
If you'd like to bring a Teas of the Bible class to your church, community group, or organization, we'd be honored to come. Reach us at flavorfulteaco@gmail.com.
Explore our full collection of artisan teas and tisanes → https://flavorfulteaco.com/collections/all
You can also find us at the Kaukauna Farmers Market (Wednesdays) and the Appleton Farmers Market (Saturdays) throughout the summer — and we always have something worth steeping.
Traveling the World One Cup at a Time.
— Heather, Flavorful Tea and Fruit Company, Menasha, Wisconsin