Spicebush Tea: Michigan's Native Alternative to Imported Spice Blends

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) grows wild throughout Michigan's eastern woodlands, and its dried leaves and twigs make a naturally caffeine-free tea with a flavor profile restaurant guests don't expect from a "local" ingredient: warm allspice, citrus peel, and a whisper of clove, closer to an imported chai spice than anything typically associated with Midwest foraging.

A beverage menu opportunity

For restaurants building a tea program, spicebush offers a genuine point of differentiation — a spice-forward, warming tea that's entirely regional rather than shipped from overseas. It steeps well on its own and pairs naturally with baked goods and hearty breakfast service, and its allspice-citrus character makes it a workable base for beverage program experimentation beyond straight tea: simple syrups, poaching liquids for fruit, or a glaze component for roasted dishes.

Sourcing sustainably

Because spicebush is wild-harvested rather than farmed, sourcing from a forager who follows low-impact practices — rotational cutting, leaving mature plants intact — matters both for the ingredient's long-term availability and for a restaurant that wants to accurately describe it as sustainably sourced on a menu.