Forsythia Tea

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Forsythia tea offers a delightful way to welcome the spring season, and its bright sunny blossoms make a fruity tea that tastes surprisingly like fresh peaches! It’s not just tasty, it’s also well known in herbal medicine circles for its antimicrobial properties and anti-inflammatory effects. 

Whether you’re looking to alleviate cold symptoms or simply enjoy a soothing cup of tea, forsythia is a fun herbal tea to try this spring!

As the first signs of spring emerge, forsythia bushes burst into a sea of yellow blooms, signaling not just the arrival of warmer days but also offering a wealth of herbal benefits.  Honestly, when I sipped my first cup, I didn’t know about the medicinal benefits, I was just looking to enjoy a tasty floral tea.

Forsythia blossoms are edible flowers, and a simple floral tea is one of my favorite forsythia recipes.  I’ve also made it into a delicious forsythia syrup and forsythia jelly, largely because it tastes like fresh peaches long before you can find those flavors in season anywhere.  It’s a sweet, fruity way to welcome spring.  

But it’s not just tasty, it’s also medicinal! 

Forsythia, known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.  It’s known as one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese medicine, and modern studies are confirming many of its traditional uses. 

One of the simplest ways to harness these benefits is by brewing a soothing cup of forsythia tea.

What is Forsythia?

Forsythia, a genus of flowering plants in the olive family (Oleaceae), is native to Asia and Europe.  Western countries, forsythia is a common landscaping shrub, and it’s one of the very first flowering plants to bloom each spring (alongside crocus and daffodil). 

The most commonly used species for medicinal purposes is Forsythia suspensa, which is widely cultivated in China. The plant’s flowers, leaves, stems and fruits are used in herbal medicine, but the flowers are particularly valued for their flavor.

Benefits of Forsythia Tea

Forsythia has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as “lian qiao.” It is often combined with other herbs to treat a variety of ailments, including fever, sore throat, and skin infections. The plant’s ability to combat infections and reduce inflammation has made it a staple in many herbal remedies.

Modern peer reviewed studies have found that forsythia “exhibits significant activities in treating various diseases, including inflammation, virus infection, neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, liver injury, and bacterial infection.”

Forsythia tea is not only a delightful beverage but also offers several health benefits:

• Relieves Cold and Flu Symptoms: Forsythia tea is believed to help alleviate symptoms of colds, fever, and cough, making it a natural remedy during the flu season. Its antimicrobial properties can help combat viral infections.
• Antimicrobial Properties: It may help combat infections due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, which can be beneficial for treating bacterial and viral infections.
• Cardiovascular Health: Forsythia is thought to support heart health and maintain healthy blood pressure, although more research is needed to confirm these effects.
• Inflammation Reduction: It may help decrease inflammation, which can be beneficial for conditions like tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

How to Make Forsythia Tea

The first thing you’ll notice when you start harvesting is just how abundant the flowers are. A single forsythia bush can produce enough blooms to make gallons of tea, but don’t worry, you only need a handful to brew a single cup. 

The key to getting the best flavor out of your forsythia tea is in the preparation of the flowers. Each bloom has a green base that needs to be removed because it can be quite bitter.  That’s not a big deal because they pop off easily and the petals separate without much effort.  Once you’ve removed the bases, you’re left with the sweet, fragrant flowers themselves, which have a lovely peachy undertone. 

This sweetness is what makes forsythia tea so enjoyable to drink. Simply place your prepared flowers in a jar, pour over some boiling water, and let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Some sources say to steep it overnight, but I’ve found that you have 80 to 90% of the flavor in the cup after about 15 minutes so extended steeping isn’t really required.

The longer it steeps, the stronger the tea will be, so feel free to experiment until you find your perfect blend. Strain the flowers and enjoy your tea warm or chilled, depending on your mood. 

Unlike black tea, long steeping doesn’t create off flavors.  When I want to plan ahead for a chilled cup on a warm spring day, I’ll pour boiling water over the blossoms in the evening and then put it in the refrigerator to infuse overnight.  

The next morning, you can strain out the petals (or honestly, leave them, they’re edible and taste just fine, it’s more of a textural thing and I prefer a cup of tea without anything in it).

The tea itself is floral, sweet, and reminiscent of peaches with subtle notes of stone fruit, making it a refreshing drink perfect for spring. You can enjoy it plain, or sweeten it with a touch of honey or a slice of lemon to brighten the flavor.

It’s a simple yet satisfying process that connects you with nature and offers a refreshing way to unwind.

By embracing the natural world and exploring the benefits of herbs like forsythia, you can enhance your well-being and cultivate a deeper connection with nature. So, take a moment to appreciate the beauty of forsythia and the simple joys of brewing a cup of tea that not only tastes good but also does good.

Wild Foraged Tea Recipes

Looking for more ways to harvest tasty teas from nature? Dandelion tea is delicious, and it can be made from any part of the plant. Likewise, pine needle tea and spruce tip tea are absolutely wonderful and they’re a great way to get a bit of extra vitamin C in the winter months.