Let's play tea detective. This product was a bit perplexing—not because of anything having to do with its own properties, but because it took some digging to find exactly this stuff online. Lipton sells a "Relax" branded chamomile in retail—on its site and in some stores—but I don't know if this is the same stuff, more simply named. RateTea has a retired Lipton chamomile blend already, but this one is solely chamomile flowers. On the back of the "Not Labeled for Retail Sale" wrapper was a web address for parent company Unilever's food-service site, deep within which I finally found this specific offering...but only as part of a bulk variety pack. Since I got it at a cafeteria along with some of the same others, I'll rather safely assume this is the food-service chamomile. "Value" is rated based on the food-service (bulk) pricing, as if you really wanted to order a bunch for home (or business) use, not what you'd pay in an eatery for a cup, as I did.

As for the beverage itself, it's decent in aroma and flavor—nowhere nearly as rich and buttery as McCormick's outstanding offering, and somewhat flat at the front of the mouth. Still, it's better than several other chamomiles I've gotten as restaurants, hotels and conferences. Flowers are chopped up very finely in the bag, so the liquid turns a fairly rich yellow-amber quickly, then tan. I've found that chamomile aftertastes generally linger longer than most other tea/tisane types, but this one clings to the sides and back of the tongue for an exceptionally long time. Curiously, when squeezing the wet bag, it doesn't get clumpy and mildly slimy like many other chamomile teas. Instead, it stays rather granular and easily can be worked loose again while damp.

Overall, if you find this at your next meeting, hotel, or on some plane or ship, you certainly could do worse for a chamomile.

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