Passion fruit tea comes in several different forms. It may be made from dried passion fruit that has been steeped in water or from passion fruit juice mixed with dried tea leaves. Some manufacturers also add artificial passion fruit flavorings to various teas to give them a touch of sweetness. Which passion fruit tea you choose depends on what flavors and health benefits you’re looking for. You should always examine the packaging or ask the tea barista about your choices to make sure you’re getting exactly what you want.
Herbalists often recommend passionflower as a calming herb to relieve mild muscle pains and prevent distraction while concentrating. Passion fruit doesn’t have as many of these benefits, but proponents of herbal medicine say it does share some of the same qualities. If you want to reap the fruit’s medicinal benefits, it is best if your passion fruit tea contains real passion fruit juice or dried passion fruit pieces. This should be listed as one of the first three ingredients on the tea packaging, indicating that there is a significant amount of fruit in the tea.
Many tea-lovers enjoy passion fruit juice in chamomile or valerian teas. To make this kind of passion fruit tea, the dried herbs are generally soaked in the fruit juice and dried again to infuse them with flavor. The sweetness of the juice often helps bring out the flavors in the other herbs. Manufacturers may also pair green tea with passion fruit to help lower the tea’s acidity and give it some sweetness. If you don’t normally like green tea, try some with passion fruit.
If you’re only looking for the flavor of the fruit, and not the benefits of the fruit itself, feel free to pick up any tea with passion fruit extract listed in the ingredients. These extracts are often added to black tea blends and are usually a mixture of evaporated cane juice and a small amount of passion fruit juice. This typically makes the tea very sweet and extremely fruity. If this appeals to you, this may be the kind of passion fruit tea you want to purchase.
You can also create your own passion fruit tea blends at home. Adding passion fruit puree, juice, or whole fruits to your tea can give it both the flavor and the benefits of this fruit. When using whole fruits, you can either crush the fruit with a spoon or pass them through a blender. Freezing the fruit juice and using it as ice cubes may also create a pleasantly fruity iced tea.