Canton Botanical Calm: benefits, flavour and origin
share
One of the simplest pleasures has to be enjoying a calming infusion to help unwind before bed. It just may be one of the most popular self-care rituals. Canton Botanical Calm was blended for this purpose, to help promote relaxation and ease you into a good night’s sleep.
the source
The moringa leaves in this blend are farmed by a women’s co-operative in Burkina Faso. Founded in 1982, it was originally intended to cultivate medicinal plants but, after that direction wasn’t viable, the women turned their focus to moringa. The leaves are harvested by hand every couple of weeks throughout the year. They are cut, washed, dried on indoor racks before being packed – all by hand. A partnership with the Dreyer Foundation has meant that the co-op has also been able to set up a rice-growing project, which involves over 2000 local farmers and benefits thousands of people in the region.
Portugal’s mountainous region and natural park, Serra de São Mamede is the source of the lemon verbena. Grown on a small family farm producing a range of aromatics and medicinal plants, lemon verbena, thyme and sweet mint are just a taste of the crops that are grown, processed and exported by the team of eight people. They are gently steering their process towards biodynamics.
A small farm in Croatia is where the chamomile is harvested, and the tilia (also known as linden and lime tree), is from Bulgaria, the lavender and rose petals are from Morocco and Albania. These ingredients from diverse corners of the globe come together in Alsace, where they are blended by hand.
the flavour
This aromatic blend has a beautiful floral flavour with a sweet hint of rose that’s complemented with lavender and tilia. The exceptionally small chamomile flowers we source for this infusion contain a higher concentration of essential oils than larger flowers, which give the blend a particularly fruity, mellow flavour. The moringa leaves have a similar profile to green tea, so they round out the sweetness of the florals with grounding notes of fresh green bean. The lemon verbena adds a hint of citrus that melds with the dreamy aromas of sweet meadow flowers making this an ideal infusion delightful to help calm and let the stress of the day float away.
the benefits
Moringa leaves appear to have taken on recent “superfood” status, with many health benefits attributed to them. They are rich in antioxidants and are said to have anti-inflammatory properties. Some sources link moringa leaves with modest cholesterol and blood-sugar lowering, but the main reason we added them to this blend was the benefit of helping to promote a good night’s sleep.
Chamomile is so well-loved for its calming properties and makes the perfect base for the other ingredients. Tilia has long been valued for its soothing effects and has been used to help insomnia and relieve stress. It’s said to soothe indigestion and cramps. Lemon verbena is also believed to help ease period pain and offer a sense of calm for those feeling anxious. Lavender too is known to help relaxation – who can resist that heady aroma? As this tea is naturally caffeine-free and unites these ingredients treasured for their calming properties, it’s blended specially to help you unwind before bed and best enjoyed an hour before you call it a night.
