Basil. A common ingredient in my household. So is tea. But if you are thinking that this is just basil in tea form, you might be a bit mistaken depending on what ends up in your cart regularly. The basil I keep is the one that pairs really well with tomatoes and cheese. In reality, the one variety I use is among the 40 varieties of basil available. Tulsi or Holy Basil is a totally different variety than what you might be picking up in the fresh herb section. Now Trader Joe's introduces those of us who might otherwise be unfamiliar to Holy Basil Tea.
About this
Holy Basil or Tulsi in India is an entirely different cultivar of basil altogether.
Rather than the smell of the herby sweet basil, this Tulsi tea is way more spice just on smell alone. The aroma here is spicy and far more clove and anise-like.
In addition, Holy Basil is commonly used in Thai cuisine as it is in Indian cuisine. The box references India the most and where is it used for culinary, medicinal, and for religious purposes.
Now, if you are new to this type of tea, then each bag in this package will brew a rich brown cup of tea. I usually don't drink small glasses of tea.
Taste and review
The one tea bag I used had no problem brewing 20 ounces. So while your nose might lead you to believe that you are getting a deeply spiced cup of tea, your taste buds will tell you otherwise. It becomes a more soft and subtly flavored brew.
The taste here does have hints of basil, and mint, but also notes of citrus. So despite what your nose might tell you that this is going to taste like, it tastes far softer. Plus, it's caffeine-free.
I personally enjoyed this chilled more than hot. But try it anyway you prefer.
Overall
For $2.99 you get 20 individually wrapped tea bags. Perfect for sharing.
Would I buy this again? It was fun to try, but Trader Joe's Organic Tulsi Herbal Tea wasn't my personal favorite. That doesn't mean it was bad in any way. Just other teas I would reach for first.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product photos
The box of Trader Joe's Organic Tulsi Herbal Tea:
The ingredients and how to prepare:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Organic Tulsi Herbal Tea
Product Name: Trader Joe's Organic Tulsi Herbal Tea
Product Description: Trader Joe's Organic Tulsi Herbal Tea is an Indian blend of two types of basil.
Price: $2.99
Currency: USD
Availability: Discontinued
Summary
Trader Joe's Organic Tulsi Herbal Tea comes to us from India
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Organic and straight from India
- A very different type of tea experience if you have never tried this before
Cons
- The aroma might have you believe it tastes different than it does
- Nothing stands out
Alek says
I think it might be a nice change for Chai tea. Something different.
Terri says
I LOVED this tea! Very smooth and tasty! I shared most of my box with my son andcl daughter andcwentvto buy more. Unfortunately itcwas not in stock. The clerk said TJs didnt like the final production so they recalled the item!
I pray they bring it back quickly!
becomebetty says
Hey Terri! Good information you shared. If it comes back it sounds like I should re-review it. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing !
EA says
I’m excited I tried out this tea at a local Trader Joe’s store and it’s caffeine free. When I bought it I think it was less than $2.99. Great choice can’t wait to buy it again. It’s actually overpriced on Amazon and other sites currently. It’s great to sip on.
becomebetty says
Hey EA! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Pyewacket says
I use this to flavor real tea. (Sorry, I'm enough of a tea snob to care about the difference between REAL TEA and mere herbal infusions LOL!) I use one bag of the Tulsi with 4 bags of a middlin' quality bagged British tea.
Because US tea sukz.
At any rate these are each 1g tea bags so its 4:1 tea to tulsi.
I did not get a single citrus note. I've never tried a mint or (Italian, I presume) basil herbal infusion but I didn't detect anything much other than a strong clove-like flavor. There are probably notes of pepper that blend into the clove-like flavor. I quite like it this way! And would definitely buy it again, except I am moving soon to somewhere without a Trader Joes - so I'm trying to recreate this using regular dried (but still named) Tulsi herbs.
One thing for sure, no Vana for me! I find it cloying and it seems to promote certain late-digestive difficulties for me. Neither the Rama nor Krishna versions seem to cause said problem. Do keep in mind that Vana is actually Forest Holy Basil or Wild Holy Basil and is actually a different species.
Hopefully I can get close enough to the Trader Joe's version. Everybody has different tastes but this is the first herbal infusion I've ever had any use for at all, I kind of expect EVERYBODY to love it like I do. LOL!
becomebetty says
Hey Pyewacket! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Danielle says
This is the best tea I ever had. I called my local store. The woman told me it was discontinued.
Danielle says
Please let me know if you figure out the ratio! I desperately want this tea. It’s the best one I’ve ever tasted. All other tea bags I can find have vana 😔
Shelby says
Danielle – I love this tea too and so disappointed that it is discontinued. I’m on the search to find it under another label. Have you had any luck?
Danielle Felitto says
No luck! If you find it or one comparable please let me know. I'm thinking about writing them again.
becomebetty says
I haven't found anything similar to this yet Danielle. If I do, I'll reach out. Thanks for stopping by!