How is fermented willowherb tea different from ordinary herbal tea?

Most herbal teas are dried leaves, flowers or roots with no further processing. Fermented willowherb tea is made differently: the leaves of rosebay willowherb ‘mature’ under controlled conditions before they are dried. During fermentation, the plant's enzymes break down some of the compounds in the leaf, and this changes the taste: the grassy sharpness disappears and rounder, deeper notes emerge.

In practice, this means the infusion is smoother and more pleasant to drink than simply brewed dried herb. At the same time, the tea remains completely caffeine-free, unlike black tea, which is also fermented but naturally contains caffeine because of the plant it comes from. Rosebay willowherb contains no caffeine to begin with, so it can be drunk at any time of day, including the evening.

The pyramid bag format of this product also affects how well it brews: inside a pyramid the leaves have more room than in a tight flat tea bag, so they open up better in hot water and release their flavour more fully.