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If you were to ask anyone in LA where to get tea, most people would point you to an organic grocery store.
I love a good ginger lemon tea before I go to bed and usually buy ginger root and lemon to grate them and heat it on the stove. However, I wanted to look for a place that sold loose tea to broaden my horizons. As it turns out, if you google herb stores in LA, you’ll end up with a hundred of marijuana dispensary listings. I refined my search and came across Wild Terra, one of the very few herbal apothecary shops in Los Angeles.
This tea haven is located in Highland Park, one of my favorite neighborhoods in LA and far removed from Central LA and the Valley. Chances are, unless you frequent the neighborhood or someone tells you about it, the likelihood of stumbling upon Wild Terra is very slim.
As soon as you walk in, you will be welcomed by herb containers with all types of loose tea you could possibly imagine. I was mesmerized by the incredible array of teas.
But this is not all of it. Besides their impressive herb tea selection, you will also find books, skincare/body products, incense, clays, powders, local honey, spices and their essential oils, which are fairly priced. I got two small bottles of Palmorosa and Eucalyptus for $3.97 each to add to my diffuser. So damn good.
The teas are caffeinated and caffeine-free. I confirmed with the employee that the teas I asked for were caffeine-free, since I was going to drink them at night.
I wanted something similar to ginger tea so the girl recommended lemongrass tea, which not only included ginger, but also antioxidants and antimicrobial properties.
The employees are so knowledgeable and will answer any questions you have. Literally.
A prime example of this was when I inquired about a tea that could help ease period cramps. The girl commiserated with me and walked me to two containers: Cramp Bark and Happy Womb! She said she liked to mix them together for an extra boost.
The employees will also give you instructions on how to prepare the teas. For the Cramp Bark tea, she said you could either heat it on the stove for 20 minutes, or you could put the bark in a water-filled mason jar and put it in the refrigerator overnight to get the most out of it. The longer the bark is soaked in water, the better.
A girl that came in told the other employee that she had just gotten back from Europe and every time she ate, she felt bloated and gassy. Then, the employee proceeded to walk her towards one of their miraculous teas. There were also other people that handed them a list for special custom blends.
It goes without saying that at Wild Terra, healing with plants is highly valued. After you pick your herb, the employee will take the container to the cash register and carefully weigh the herbs on the scale. Something that truly amazed me as I was adding the Happy Womb loose leaves into the boiling water was the freshness of the herbs. Although they were dried, they looked vibrant and smelled like fresh plants.
The container labels have the product origin, as well as a brief description of the ingredients and ways to use them.
As you are filling in your payment information on their iPad, the screen will prompt you to join their reward program. I highly recommend joining if you are going to pay frequent visits.
On my second time, my total amount for both teas was less than $10! Depending on how much you drink, they will last you for a while. I ran out of the lemongrass tea pretty fast, but I still have a good amount of Cramp Bark and Happy Womb left. Another thing is that you can bring your own container to reduce waste.
Whether you have an ailment you want to relieve, or you just simply want to peruse the containers and see what catches your eye, Wild Terra has something for everyone. These are two of their top-selling teas: Quiet Mind and Daily Nourish.
Before you make the trip, you can browse their full inventory on their website, which is pretty neatly laid-out. But honestly, nothing compares to going in person, talking to the lovely employees, walking through the aisles and getting a sensory experience of the place.
Have you been to Wild Terra? What are your favorite teas?
