Caffeine Free Naturally Sweet, Dessert-Like Tea Flavored With Pure Spices And Licorice. Naturally Caffeine Free. For Our Unique Licorice Spice Tea We Combine The Finest Licorice Root From Europe, Cinnamon From Sri Lanka, Star Anise From China, Orange Peel From The U.S.And Sarsaparilla From South America. The Result Is A Delicious Dessert-Like Tea, Good Anytime, But Especially Enjoyable In The Evening, As It's Caffeine Free. Licorice Spice Is An Exclusive Blend For Stash Tea. It Is Both Sweet And Spicy With The Distinct Yet Subtle Flavor Of Black Licorice. Our Master Blender Ensures That Each Handcrafted Batch Is Perfect. Special Care Goes Into The Purchase Of The Herbs And Spices Which We Buy From All Over The World For This Unique Blend. One Of The Key Ingredients, Licorice Root, First Appears In The Chinese Pen Sao Ching (Classic Of Herbs), Written More Than 5,000 Years Ago. Chinese Physicians Prescribed It To Treat A Variety Of Ailments Including Coughs And Colds, Malaria, Food Poisoning, Respiratory Problems, Liver And Urinary Complaints. They Often Used Its Natural Sweetness To Mask The Bitter Taste Of Other Herbal Medicines. Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza) Is From The Legume Family And Is 50 Times Sweeter Than Sugar. Its Name Is Derived From The Greek Word "Glycos Plus Roza" Which Means "Sweet Root". The Romans Called It "Liquiritia", Which Evolved Into "Licorice." There Is Also Evidence That The Ancient Egyptians Used Licorice Root. Amid The Treasures Of King Tut's Tomb, Archeologists Found A Bundle Of Licorice Root. Another Ingredient, Cinnamon, Is One Of The Oldest Known Spices. Cinnamon Comes From The Bark Of An Evergreen Laurel Tree. Native To Sri Lanka, It Thrives In This Hot, Moist Climate. Cinnamon Is Naturally Sweet With A Delightfully Spicy Fragrance Due To The Essential Oils Found In Its Bark. Star Anise, Native To Southern China And Vietnam, Is The Fruit Of A Small Evergreen Tree That Bears Small Yellow Flowers. The Flowers Are Followed By Fruits In The Sixth Year And The Tree Continues To Bear Fruit For Up To 100 Years. It Is A Very Pretty Spice With The Shape Of An Irregular Eight-Pointed Star. Its Chinese Name "Pak Kok" Means Eight Points. Although Not Related To Anise Or Fennel, Star Anise Has A Similar Aroma And Flavor. It Has A Licorice-Like Flavor And A Distinct Sweet Note. The Sweet Orange Is The Most Popular Of All Citrus Fruits. It Originated In China Where It Received Its Botanical Name "Citrus Sinensis". Columbus Brought Seeds Of Orange, Lemon And Lime On His Voyages To The New World In The 1490S. During The Early 16th Century, Settlers Planted Oranges In Florida, Which Was To Become The States Flourishing Citrus Industry. In The Early 1700S, Missionaries Planted Oranges In California, Which Now Rivals Florida In World Citrus Production. Stash Tea Sources Its Orange Peel From The Best California Valencia Oranges. The Orange Peel Is Made Only From The Orange Colored Outer Peel And Not The White Inner Membrane Which Has A Bland And Bitter Taste. Sarsaparilla, A Root Of Woody Climbing Plants Of The Genus Smilax, Is Native To Central And South America. These Flavorful Roots And Rhizomes Can Be Unearthed Throughout The Year. The Ancient Greeks And Romans Considered Sarsaparilla An Antidote To Poisons. Sarsaparilla Was Not A Popular Herb Until The 16th Century When Spanish Explorers Discovered The Caribbean Species, A Small, Prickly Vine. The Spanish Word For It Evolved Into Sarsaparilla.