What is Tulsi?

What is Tulsi?
Tulsi is a type of basil plant of which there are three varieties (purple, green, and mixed color). Especially valued in India for its spiritual significance, it is also commonly referred to as “holy basil". Tulsi is a sacred herb in many cultures, especially in India, where it is prayed to and used in religious ceremonies. It is also revered for its health giving properties and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for 5,000 years. Like many other herbs, the leaves of the Tulsi plant can be dried and used to make a mild tasting, delicious, relaxing and rejuvenating tea!

What does Tulsi taste like?
Tulsi has a delicate yet invigorating flavor that is subtly minty, somewhat buttery, and mildly floral with a natural sweetness. The tea is appealing both hot and cold, and is complex enough to pair well with a variety of foods.

Where is Davidson’s Tulsi grown?
Davidson’s Tulsi Tea is grown in India in Davidson’s certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified, biodynamic small farmer tea gardens. The same workers who tend Davidson’s traditional tea varieties also take care of the Tulsi plants. The gardens are situated on the warm humid plains of DOOARS (which literally means doors)—a fitting name because this area is the gateway to Bhutan, Sikkim, and Assam, which are prime tea growing regions. Virgin evergreen forests, the Darjeeling hills, and a pristine mountain river surround the 100-year-old gardens.

Under what agricultural principles is Davidson’s Tulsi grown?
Davidson’s Tulsi Tea is Certified Organic by OTCO and Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA (formerly TransFair USA). Davidson's Tulsi is grown according to biodynamic principals, an agricultural practice that goes beyond chemical free agriculture to work with the forces of nature. Biodynamic agriculture treats the garden as a holistic ecosystem by paying special attention to the health of the soil, planting and harvesting at the proper times, and controlling pests through natural methods.




Want to learn more? Click the link below to go back to our main Tulsi page and find more interesting facts about Tulsi. And don't forget to try one or more of our 12 unique and delicious Tulsi blends!

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