Lavender tea: The latest celebrity trend with surprising health benefits

Want to feel like a showbiz star? Prepare a delicious lavender-scented tea – a drink that has recently become a big hit in the United States. It provides delightful taste sensations and offers plenty of nutritional value.

Culinary trends are now primarily shaped on the internet. They are created by such innovators as Khristianne Uy from the Philippines, better known online as "Chef K". She is the favourite chef of the famous Kardashian family.

One of her latest hit recipes is lavender tea. Kourtney Kardashian, the eldest daughter of the renowned lawyer Robert Kardashian, who, along with her sisters, gained fame through popular reality shows "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami," fell in love with it.

Other stars and celebrities also eagerly reach for lavender tea. No wonder, as it is tasty, refreshing, and beneficial for our health. How do you prepare it?

The base of the drink is Earl Grey tea, a black tea flavoured with bergamot orange oil – obtained from the peel of the yellow-green fruits of a small tree native to India, known for its characteristic, slightly bitter taste and high nutritional value.

It's a treasure trove of catechins, which are compounds that help reduce inflammation, have antiviral and antibacterial properties, and strengthen the immune system.

Earl Grey tea is a rich source of l-theanine, a non-protein amino acid that helps lower cortisol levels, protects against stress, and improves mood, memory, attention, and focus.

The tea also contains flavonoids – strong antioxidants that prevent allergic reactions, protect the cardiovascular system (by sealing blood vessels), and lower levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, which, when excessive, builds up in arterial walls as so-called atherosclerotic plaques, potentially leading to coronary artery disease, heart attack, or stroke.

The unique flavour of the drink is owed to dried lavender flowers, which have long been valued for their medicinal properties, even considered a remedy for insomnia in ancient times. English Queen Elizabeth I sipped lavender tea to get rid of headaches, while the renowned French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé, who coined the term "aromatherapy," was captivated by the plant when he accidentally plunged his burnt hand into a container of lavender oil. The pain subsided, and the wound healed quickly.

The flowers of lavender owe their intoxicating fragrance to a high concentration of lavender oil, which is a source of many valuable health compounds from the terpene group, exhibiting anti-inflammatory, calming, anxiolytic, and relaxing properties. Lavender effectively alleviates stress and acts as an antidepressant.

The original recipe for the drink uses organic lavender-almond cream, which is very difficult to find in the UK. Fortunately, we can substitute it with homemade lavender whipped cream.

An important ingredient is lavender sugar, which can be bought in specialised stores or online, but it is also easily made at home – mix about 200g of fine sugar with dried lavender flowers (the same amount), seal in a jar for 4-6 weeks, then sift to remove the flowers.

Transfer about 100g of lavender sugar into a bowl, add well-chilled double cream (roughly 1 litre) and lavender extract (roughly 2.5ml), then whip on medium speed until the cream becomes very fluffy.

Brew Earl Grey tea (2 tea bags) in 240ml of boiling water. After three minutes, pour it into a mug along with vanilla extract (about 1.25ml). Stir until the extract dissolves. Add the lavender cream, gently mix, and serve the drink, decorating it with chamomile flowers. Serve warm.