Tea is perceived as an ideal drink for vegans, but unfortunately, not all tea is actually vegan; in fact, ingredients hidden in the label can reveal a nasty non-vegan surprise. If you are dedicated to a vegan diet, it is crucial to know what types and brands of tea align best with your lifestyle. Let’s cover why some teas are not vegan, what to look for, and how to be sure your tea is vegan.
Some teas will not be vegan because of their added ingredients, the most common ingredients being honey, dairy products, and natural flavoring. The packaging in which tea comes in can also be considered non-vegan.
If you are thinking about trying a cup of tea for the first time or are newly vegan, knowing if it fits with your dietary restrictions is key.
In the remainder of this article, I’ll cover what warrants a tea being vegan, the types of ingredients that affect the classification, and how to find out whether a tea is actually vegan next time you shop for it.
“Some teas will not be vegan because of their added ingredients, the most common ingredients being honey, dairy products, and natural flavoring. The packaging in which tea comes in can also be considered non-vegan.”
TEA CROSSING
Is All Tea Vegan?
Generally speaking, if tea is brewed from the leaves of a tea plant, it is vegan.
However, the full, detailed answer to this question is more complicated than it might seem. It is easy to assume that tea is vegan—unless you add a little milk—but when you take the time to look at the ingredient labels next time you are shopping, you will be surprised at what you find.
To accurately answer the question of whether all tea is vegan, it is vital first to understand where tea comes from. This might sound silly, but there is actually a lot of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding this rejuvenating beverage and its true origins.
What is True Tea?
All true tea is made from the leaves of the plant, Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia.
If the beverage you are drinking doesn’t have any leaves from the tea plant in it, then it is some other warm and tasty beverage. Even if your “tea” comes from herbal plants, flowers, or even bark, it is considered a “tisane.” I’ll cover this briefly below.
Even though true tea comes from one species of plant, there isn’t only one kind of tea; there are actually several.
Each type of tea has a unique flavor and color properties. The location, climate, and soil of where the tea leaves are grown are going to influence the taste, but what determines which kind of tea the leaves become is in how they are processed. After being picked, the leaves are oxidized, dried, and rolled.
Depending on how they are processed, the tea leaves will become one of the following varieties:
| Type of Tea | Oxidation Level | Flavor Profile | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Tea | Fully Oxidized | Earthy and bold with a strong finish | Dark brown with a reddish hue |
| Oolong Tea | Somewhat Oxidized | Floral to malty flavor with a smooth finish | Light green to deep amber |
| Green Tea | Not Oxidized | Roasted, nutty, and herbaceous with a smooth finish | Light green to slightly yellow |
| White Tea | Not Oxidized | Delicate and sweet with a soft finish | Light yellow with hints of green |
| Pu`erh Tea | Somewhat Oxidized & Fermented/Aged | Similar to green tea and moving toward black tea with age | Light to dark red |
While true tea only comes in the above varieties, each variety has classifications and ratings that give each batch of leaves a specific name. For example, orange pekoe tea is a classification of black tea. White peony has no flowers in it but is a translation of “Bai Mu Dan,” a style of drinking white tea.
If you want to dive deep into the world of tea, Teatulia’s Tea 101 goes into the origins, processing, flavors, and more for each variety.
But, with all that said, is it safe to say all true tea is vegan?
The warm drink made from the steeped leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (true tea), with nothing added, is always vegan.
The problem, though, is that the word “tea” doesn’t always refer to the beverage made from just Camellia sinensis leaves.
Sometimes, it also refers to herbal teas.
Herbal Teas
The term “herbal tea” is a bit of a misnomer and these teas are technically “tisanes” as I mentioned above, since there are no real tea leaves in it.
Herbal tea refers to a blend of herbs that are also infused in hot water. Despite this, herbal teas can be just as enjoyable. A beneficial difference for some people is that herbal teas typically do not have caffeine, unlike true tea.
Several well-known herbal teas are:
- Chamomile
- Hibiscus
- Peppermint
- Rooibos
- Yerba Maté
But even though herbal teas are not precisely “true” teas, are they any less vegan? Fortunately, both true tea and the pleasant tisane herbal tea, are made from plants and plants alone, and therefore vegan.
That sounds good so far, but before you start blindly grabbing any tea off the shelf, you need to think about flavors as well.
Flavored Teas
Yes, tea, both true and herbal, does have flavor on its own, but “sugar cookie sprinkles” tea is not one of them.
The range of flavored teas that have been created is incredible. Caramel apple pie, eggnog, pumpkin spice, watermelon lime—you name it, there is a tea flavored like it, and this is where it gets tricky for vegans.
Both true and herbal tea can be flavored, and some ingredients are quite clearly non-vegan, while others are more ambiguous.
Organic Teas
The debate on organic versus conventional growing does not get left behind at the produce stand. Since tea, both true teas and herbal teas, are plant matter, they can be grown organically or conventionally. While the growing process doesn’t change what the ingredients in your drink are, it does have an impact in the greater scheme of things.
The word “organic” is used in many different contexts and with different definitions. Understanding what organic really means can be confusing but is an important concept to know.
A couple of definitions will help put things into perspective:
- Organic: In a scientific context, the word “organic” means something that is, or is made from plants or animals. A pie, a piece of cardboard, and cat hair are all organic because they are made of things that used to be alive.
- Organic Label: Products labeled “organic” follow strict regulations to ensure there are no chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides used in the growing process. Different organizations and countries have their own ideas as to what the regulations are. In the U.S., the USDA is in charge of organic regulations.
- Natural Label: The term “natural” doesn’t mean much, if anything. There is no official FDA definition, and the USDA has very loose regulations for the classification. Interpreting Food Labels: Natural versus Organic, an article by The American Society for Nutrition, dives into what it means when products are labeled “natural.”
Organic farming considers the health of the entire ecosystem, including the soil and water. Instead of applying chemicals, physical labor is used. Weeds and hungry bugs are removed by hand and sometimes with the help of chickens. Nutrients are added to the soil with compost. The focus is not solely on making money from the harvest but to care for the earth in the process.
Organically grown tea does not equal vegan tea, though. Both organic and conventional teas can be vegan or non-vegan. The likelihood of a tea company using conventionally grown leaves to care about the same issues as a vegan—such as animals and the environment—is much slimmer than that of an organic tea company.
When you are searching for that perfect flavor of tea, you are more likely to find a vegan-friendly one from an organic tea company.
How to Know Which Teas Are Vegan
The only way to be sure if a tea is vegan is to read the listed ingredients on the nutrition label.
If you have never bothered to read the nutrition label on a package before, it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, it is a bit easier for tea.
All you need to focus on is the ingredients list. Scan the list, and if any of the red-flag items or “could be non-vegan” things pop up, then it’s not the tea for you. Vegan Food and Living has an excellent guide for reading food labels that you can use for any food product.
If you don’t want to spend all your free time in the grocery store staring at cardboard boxes, an alternative option is to order your tea online. Ordering online can let you easily find a delightful tea that you and the planet will be happy with.
Common Non-Vegan Ingredients in Tea
When looking at an ingredient list, a few red-flag ingredients for vegans to look for are:
- Carmine/Carminic Acid/Cochineal Acid: coloring agent derived from insects
- Gelatin: natural gelatin is an animal protein but a substitute, agar-agar, is vegan
- Honey: a product created by an animal
- Lactose: a product produced by an animal
- Milkfat: a product produced by an animal
- Sodium Caseinate: a milk derivative produced by an animal
If you see any of these ingredients on the label, put the tea back, and move on. These non-vegan ingredients are often used to add sweetness, color, or creaminess to tea.
On a blustery fall morning, if that creamy vanilla chai tea is calling to you, make it from scratch instead of from a box, and it will be even better. Brit + Co has a list of warm vegan drinks you can make yourself, including a chai tea latte.
Ambiguous Vegan Ingredients in Tea
Even if you bypass the more grandiose of tea flavors, you are not out of the woods. Besides those red flags, there could be other deceitful ingredients lurking among the tea leaves.
The following ingredients are sometimes vegan and sometimes not, so it is best to avoid them entirely:
- Artificial Flavors: Since artificial flavors are not made from natural sources (plant or animal), they are vegan, but not necessarily healthy.
- Caramel: Caramel is sugar, butter, and cream. Unless it is an artificial caramel flavor, it’s best to avoid it.
- Colors/Dyes: Added colors and dyes are a big maybe. Some natural colors come from insect matter, while others come from plants. Unless the label specifies what the color additive is made from and you are willing to put in a little research, it is best to assume colors and dyes are not vegan.
- Creamy: A creamy cup of tea might sound perfect for a brisk fall morning, but creamy is often but not always, code for dairy.
- Natural Flavors: Natural flavors are the biggest trickster. Natural flavor is not by FDA definition, vegan. There is no way of knowing what the natural flavor is derived from unless you really want to put your sleuthing skills to work. If it says, “natural flavor,” it’s best not to drink it unless it is clear where the flavor came from.
Depending on what is added to it, the tea you are looking at may no longer be vegan.
When left untouched, those tea leaves and herbs are vegan, but when the flavor of tea gets too creative, and tastes and colors are added, it is no longer vegan-friendly.
All is not lost, though; there are vegan-friendly flavored teas out there; you just have to know what to look for.
Vegan-Friendly Flavored Teas
Although many flavored teas are disappointingly non-vegan, there are still plenty available if you take the time to find them.
If you look at the label and know what every ingredient is and there is no mystery behind it, then the chances are good that you have stumbled upon a vegan-friendly flavored tea.
These vegan flavored teas use actual plant products instead of adding manufactured flavoring. Even “natural flavor” is created in a lab; a chemist takes fruits, barks, spices, or animal products and extracts the flavor out and creates a concentrate. According to Healthline, the chemical composition between natural and artificial flavoring is almost the same.
If you do want a tea with an aroma and pallet that goes beyond plain tea leaves, having an idea of what is available before you go shopping will save you time.
A few of the easier to acquire vegan-friendly flavored true teas include:
- Earl Grey – Look for black tea with real Bergamot orange
- Orange Spice – Look for black tea with real orange peel and spices
- Chocolate – Look for black tea with cocoa, carob, and vanilla bean
- Coconut – Look for green tea with coconut shavings
The flavor in these vegan teas comes from genuine plant materials that you can see on the label.
Just like true teas, herbal teas can come in a variety of vegan-friendly flavors. Look at the label, and if every ingredient is listed out with no questionable items, the chances are good that it is vegan-safe. For example, the ingredient list for chamomile with lavender tea should list chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, and any other genuine plants that make up the bouquet.
But understanding the world of vegan teas does not end here.
While the physical ingredients in a tea may be the most important in determining if it is vegan or not, there are a few other factors that should be considered, such as organic labels.
Popular Vegan Tea Brands
Once you find that perfect blend of tea leaves and spice, you will be sold for life. Some people find one type of tea, and that’s it, while others enjoy a large selection—a tea for every mood. Finding the right tea for you will take some trial and error, but when you finally taste it, it will be a cup of bliss.
Being vegan means the challenge of finding “the one” is more complicated. Luckily, some tea companies have beliefs that line up with a vegan way of life.
Here are a few particularly vegan-friendly tea brands to try:
- Pukka: Most of their teas are vegan; a few do have honey, but you can sort by dietary restrictions on their website.
- Numi: Most, if not all, their teas are vegan. They do not add “natural flavor.”
- Organic India: Most of their teas are vegan; one does have honey. Their vegan beverages are labeled “vegan” on the box.
- Traditional Medicinals: All but three of their teas are vegan; the non-vegan ones have honey.
- Teatulia: Most, if not all, their teas are vegan.
These companies not only provide incredible teas, but they are also committed to fostering a healthy world.
Getting Vegan Tea from Coffee Shops
Making a cup of tea at home is one thing, but sometimes you need a mid-day pick-me-up while shopping or when a friend wants to catch up.
That is where coffee shops come into play.
Next time you find yourself in a coffee shop, be careful what you order. In some regions of the U.S.—hello West Coast—being vegan is not that unusual. Restaurants and coffee shops have milk alternatives, and there are even exclusively vegan cafés.
While a list of six non-dairy creamers may seem like a dream come true, you need to be on guard for the unknowns.
A chai tea latte with hemp milk might be delicious, but the chai tea blend could have honey granules in it. If you decide to ask the new barista if the Earl Grey tea has added natural flavor, on a drizzly morning when the line is out the door, don’t expect an accurate answer.
Being vegan means being prepared; unfair, yes, but that’s reality.
An omnivore can walk into any café and order at random with no worries; for a vegan, it’s not that easy. If you frequent the same local coffee shop or are a fan of a more well-known chain, find what beverages are 100% vegan ahead of time and stick to those.
PETA created a list of Vegan-Friendly Cafés and Coffee Chains you can peruse, but if none of them are near you, try a search on Yelp, Zagat, or Foursquare. You might just discover a hidden treasure just around the corner.
Vegan-Friendly Sweeteners and Creamers
Being vegan doesn’t mean you can only drink plain tea. You can still indulge yourself in a creamy mug of lightly sweetened black tea; you just need to know what to use to make it.
Creamers
Dairy-free creamers are becoming more popular, but finding an entirely vegan one, that isn’t full of strange ingredients or is watery, can be a challenge.
Here are a few suggestions to take your tea to the next level:
- Nut Pods: Only nine ingredients and certified vegan. If you read the label, you may notice that it does contain natural flavors; usually, these are to be avoided, but in this case, their website does specify that they are all plant-based extracts.
- Ripple: Newer to the dairy alternative game, this creamer is made with pea protein. This, too, has natural flavors but is also 100% vegan.
- Oatly!: If you prefer tea latte, then Oatly!’s Barista Edition Oatmilk is the perfect thing and is certified to be vegan.
If you are feeling more ambitious, then give The Hidden Veggies’ coffee creamer recipe a try.
Creamer, whether it is from a pea, nut, or oat, is going to have some natural sugar or added sugar. If this hint of sweetness is not enough to satisfy your taste buds, then it is time to turn to sweeteners.
Sweeteners
If unsweetened doesn’t quite hit the spot for you then try adding a sugary ingredients to your brew.
Here are some vegan-friendly suggestions:
- Cane Sugar: Cane sugar can be refined, raw, or unrefined. Not all cane sugar is vegan, though. Some brands process their sugar with bone char. Ordinary Vegan has you covered with a list of vegan sugar brands.
- Agave: Agave syrup is fast dissolving and has a low glycemic index.
- Stevia: Stevia is sweeter than cane sugar. You can buy it in a pure form, but it is usually sold with additives, which are typically all vegan. Stevia also has no calories.
- Brown Rice Syrup: This syrup is mildly sweet and has a slightly nutty taste.
Once you find your favorite creamer and sweetener, then you might as well invite your friends over for a fancy afternoon tea.
Vegan Tea Packaging
Once you have found what seems to be the perfect vegan—no flavor added—tea, there is one last hurdle: packaging.
This includes tea bags, canisters, cardboard boxes, plastic wrap, etc. These types of packaging are generally vegan in the sense that it is not made from an animal or an animal product. That being said, a vegan lifestyle isn’t always about direct impacts but more significant issues.
Ultimately, you get to decide why you are vegan and how that influences the way you live your life and the products you buy. You might consider a product to be non-vegan because the plastic is harmful to sea life or that the cardboard came from unsustainable logging.
If you decide that minimal packaging is the way to go, then try to find tea bags that are not individually wrapped. To learn everything you could want about tea bags, give The Spruce Eats article Tea Bags: History, Types, Uses, and More a read.
The ultimate package-free option, though, is to buy in bulk.
A Disclaimer on Bulk Teas for Vegans
After you find an organic additive-free tea in bulk, you might feel like doing a happy dance, but of course, there is another thing that should be known.
Plants such as Camellia sinensis, lemongrass, lettuce, cashews, and all the others, grow outside. We like to eat them, birds like to eat them, and so do bugs. Sometimes our little multi-legged friends happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to harvesting and processing those plants. This is where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) steps in.
In the U.S., the FDA regulates the presence of “insect fragments” in foods, including herbs and spices. If you’re curious, you can find the FDA regulations in the Food Defect Levels Handbook. Unless you only purchase raw produce that you have thoroughly inspected before eating, a little bug consumption is bound to happen.
As a vegan, if you are not comfortable with this, then tea is not the beverage for you nor any packaged food for that matter. If you can live with the possibility of minor bug residue on your tea leaves, then a world of flavor awaits you.
Encouragement for You
Being vegan is not always an easy lifestyle to live.
From buying cosmetics to eating out, some challenges arise.
Drinking tea doesn’t need to be one of them. While it may initially take longer to find that perfect blend than for the average omnivore, once found, that cup of tea is yours to have.
Whether you delight in a rich cup of Irish breakfast tea in the morning, a matcha green tea latte for an afternoon treat, or a stress-relieving herbal blend before bed, there’s a vegan tea for you.
And, if you follow the tips I’ve detailed here, it won’t take very long for you to find and enjoy it, either.
