Passiflora is a sprawling genus of climbing plants, more than 500 species in the Passifloraceae family, and it's the leaves, stems and flowers of the passion flower that go into this cup, not the fruit. That distinction catches people out, since most know passionfruit only as juice or garnish. As a herbal infusion, this one carries no caffeine at all, which makes it a reasonable pick for an evening cup or for anyone cutting stimulants from their routine.
The taste sits on the mild side: floral and grassy, with lemon and raspberry brightening the edges, a vegetal, sage-like backbone, a touch of ginger warmth, and a natural honey sweetness underneath it all. Passion flower has a long history of traditional use. Indigenous American communities used its leaves, stems and flowers for boils, wounds, earaches and liver complaints, and herbalists point to compounds such as chrysin, vitexin, coumarin and umbelliferone as the active ingredients behind that reputation. It has also been drunk traditionally to ease anxiety and support sleep, an effect some credit to its influence on GABA activity in the brain, though this remains folk use rather than settled science and shouldn't be mistaken for a treatment. It's generally advised against during pregnancy, unlike gentler infusions such as raspberry leaf or ginger.
Brew it with freshly boiled water, around 100°C, and give it a generous steep: five to ten minutes draws out the full flavour without tipping into bitterness. Honey or a slice of lemon suit it well, and it holds up fine without either. Tea and Coffee, which supplies this batch, packs it fresh to order rather than holding stock, so what arrives is close to freshly cut rather than sitting in a warehouse.
