Learning how to make costmary tea takes only a handful of fragrant leaves and a few minutes at the counter. Costmary tea is a mild, cool, minty-balsam-and-lemon-scented, caffeine-free infusion made by steeping the long, soft leaves of costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) in just-off-boil water for two to four minutes, then straining and sipping it warm. A little goes a long way, so start light and adjust from there.
Costmary is an old cottage-garden herb of Western Asian origin that has been grown across Europe for centuries. You may also see it labelled alecost or bible leaf, and both of those names carry a story worth telling before you reach for the kettle.
What costmary tea is
Costmary tea is a gentle herbal infusion with a soft, layered aroma: a cool minty-camphor lift up front, a faintly lemony-balsam sweetness underneath, and a clean finish. Brewed with a light hand and a short steep, it stays smooth rather than bitter. Like most botanical brews it is naturally caffeine-free, which makes it an easy cup for the evening. If you are new to steeping leaves and flowers, it helps to read what herbal tea is and the general method in how to brew herbal tea first, then treat costmary as a slightly more aromatic member of that family.
The two nicknames are the fun part. Long before hops became the standard, brewers reached for bittersweet aromatic herbs to flavour and help keep their ale, and costmary was one of them. That is where the name alecost comes from, and a cup of alecost tea keeps the same balsamy character in a much gentler form. The other name, bible leaf, comes from a quiet old habit: the long, sweet-scented leaves were pressed flat and slipped between the pages of prayer books and bibles as fragrant bookmarks, giving off a little scent whenever the pages turned. Brew a cup of bible leaf tea and you are steeping that very same leaf. In the same spirit, ground ivy once flavoured ale too, so costmary sits in good company among the old ale herbs.
Costmary, not bitter common tansy
One clarification matters before you pick a single leaf. Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) is the mild, sweet-scented balsam herb, with soft grey-green leaves and a gentle mint-and-lemon aroma. It is not the same plant as bitter common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), a sharper relative with feathery, deeply cut leaves and a much stronger, harsher character. The two share a plant genus, so double-check what you are growing or buying: you want the smooth, long-leaved, balsam-scented costmary. A light hand and a short steep are what keep it pleasant. Use too much leaf or let it sit too long and the resinous, camphor side takes over, which most people find overpowering. When in doubt, use fewer leaves and a shorter steep, then build up to taste.
What you need
This is a short costmary tea recipe with almost nothing to it. Per cup (about 240 ml) you will want:
- Costmary leaves: a few small fresh young leaves, or about 1 teaspoon of dried, crumbled leaf. Young leaves are milder and sweeter than large mature ones.
- Water: just off the boil, around 90 to 95 C (about 195 to 205 F). A moment off a rolling boil keeps the aroma soft rather than sharp.
- Optional add-ins: a little honey to sweeten, a slice or squeeze of lemon to lift the citrus note, or a few fresh mint leaves to round out the flavour.
You will also want a cup or small teapot, a lid or saucer to cover while it steeps, and a strainer. That is genuinely the whole kit.
How to make costmary tea, step by step
- Rinse and ready the leaf. Give fresh leaves a quick rinse. Tear or lightly bruise them so the aromatic oils can open up in the water. If you are using dried costmary, crumble roughly 1 teaspoon per cup.
- Add the leaves to your cup or pot. Drop the fresh leaves or dried crumble straight in, or use an infuser basket if you would rather not strain later.
- Pour over hot water. Heat water to about 90 to 95 C and pour it over the leaves. Full boiling water can scorch delicate herbs, so let a rolling boil settle for a few seconds first.
- Cover and steep. Put a lid or saucer over the cup to hold in the aroma and steep for 2 to 4 minutes. Start at the short end, taste, and only steep longer if you want a deeper balsam note. Costmary is strong, so a small amount and a short steep go a long way.
- Strain. Lift out the infuser or pour through a strainer so no leaf keeps brewing in the cup.
- Sweeten and sip. Add a touch of honey or a squeeze of lemon if you like, then sip it warm. If it tastes too camphory, you have used too much leaf or steeped too long, so scale back next time.
Quick reference: leaf, steep and note
| Costmary per cup | Steep time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 small fresh young leaves | 2 to 4 min | Brightest mint-lemon lift; the best place to start |
| About 1 tsp dried, crumbled | 3 to 4 min | Deeper, more balsamy note; still keep the amount modest |
| 1 costmary leaf plus a few mint leaves | 2 to 3 min | Softens the camphor edge and adds fresh green lift |
Because the flavour is assertive, err on the side of less leaf and taste as you go. It is much easier to add a second leaf than to rescue a cup that has turned resinous.
Flavour pairings and the culinary-herb angle
Costmary sits alongside the kitchen herbs you may already brew as tea. Its cool, minty side means it plays well with the same partners as spearmint tea, and in fact a leaf or two of spearmint is one of the easiest ways to soften costmary and make it feel more familiar. Its aromatic, slightly savory-balsam depth also rhymes with the garden character of sage tea, so if you enjoy a leafy, herbaceous cup, costmary will feel at home. A thin slice of lemon or a small pour of honey (never for infants under 12 months) rounds any of these out nicely.
How to store costmary and its tea
Fresh costmary keeps for a few days wrapped loosely in the refrigerator, ideally with the stems in a little water like a small bunch of herbs. To keep it longer, dry the leaves: spread them in a single layer somewhere warm and airy, out of direct sun, until they crumble easily, then store the dried leaf in an airtight jar away from light and heat. Dried well and kept sealed, it holds its aroma for many months. Brewed costmary tea is best enjoyed fresh and warm; if you want it cold, brew a small pot, let it cool, then refrigerate and drink it within a day. As with anything you have brewed and left to sit, when in doubt, throw it out.
A light note on using costmary
Costmary has a long history as a fragrant garden and kitchen herb, and the sensible way to enjoy it as tea is simply to use a modest amount and keep it occasional rather than making it a heavy daily brew. Traditionally it is avoided during pregnancy, so anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking any medication, should ask their own healthcare provider before drinking it. This is a light, aromatic cup rather than a remedy, responses vary from person to person, and none of this is medical advice. If a herb is new to you, start with a single leaf, see how you feel, and let taste and comfort be your guide.