Fresh mint leaves give this mint tea recipe an alluring herbal aroma and flavor. Since this tea is made with an herb instead of tea leaves, it is considered an herbal tea or tisane and does not contain any caffeine. You can enjoy a cup of mint tea before bed without worries about it keeping you up.

You can vary the mint in this recipe as long as it's fresh. Peppermint or spearmint are classic choices, but other varieties will work just as well. You can even use a mixture of them. While you can use dried mint for tea, it doesn't compare to the flavor of fresh herbs. Serve it hot or iced, sweetened or unsweetened, and with or without lemon. It's easy to adjust to your taste and customize to each drinker.

If you love mint tea but prefer a caffeinated beverage, Moroccan mint tea made with a blend of green tea (that has caffeine) and mint leaves might be just the ticket. For a summer quencher, consider an iced tea recipe.

• 2 cups filtered water
• 15 fresh mint leaves (peppermint or spearmint)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (or honey), optional
• 1 cup ice, optional
• 2 lemon slices, optional
• Fresh lemon juice, optional

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring the water to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the fresh mint leaves. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired strength.
• Add optional sweetener. Start with 1 teaspoon per cup and add more as desired.
• If serving iced, fill tall glasses with ice and pour the tea over. If serving hot, pour the tea into mugs. Garnish with optional lemon slices and/or lemon juice to taste.

There are hundreds of varieties of fresh mint, and they are all good candidates for a mint herbal tea. Here are some of the more obscure types that make great tea:

• Pineapple mint
• Apple mint (woolly mint)
• Ginger mint
• Red raripila mint
• Catmint
• Chocolate mint
• Orange mint
• Lavender mint
• Grapefruit mint
• Calamint
• Licorice mint
• Basil mint
• Chewing gum mint
• Water mint
• Corn or field mint