Thai Beverages
Herbal Drinks
Health-boosting herbal beverages and traditional Thai medicinal drinks
Kaffir Lime Juice
น้ำใบมะกรูด
Refreshing drink made from kaffir lime leaves
Roselle Juice
น้ำกระเจี๊ยบ
Nam Krajiab (น้ำกระเจี๊ยบ) — also called Roselle Juice or Hibiscus Flower Tea — is one of Thailand's most traditional herbal drinks, made from the deep crimson dried calyces and sepals of the Roselle plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa). The result is a strikingly beautiful ruby-red drink with a refreshingly tart, cranberry-like flavour that is both sweet and powerfully sour. Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is native to West Africa but was introduced to Asia via trade routes in the 16th and 17th centuries, where it quickly became established as a culinary and medicinal plant. In Thailand it has been cultivated for centuries, particularly in the northern and northeastern regions. Thai traditional medicine has long considered Nam Krajiab a health tonic with multiple benefits: it is used to treat loss of appetite, colds, high blood pressure, fluid retention, and digestive complaints. Modern scientific research published in peer-reviewed journals has confirmed several of these properties — studies demonstrate that Roselle extract has antihypertensive effects (may lower blood pressure), anti-hyperlipidaemic properties (may reduce LDL cholesterol), anti-inflammatory activity, and significant antioxidant content due to high levels of anthocyanins and vitamin C. To prepare Nam Krajiab, dried roselle flowers are simmered in water for 8–10 minutes until a deep crimson liquid forms, then sweetened with sugar and often enhanced with a strip of pandan leaf for additional fragrance. It is served either hot as a warming tea or, more commonly in Thailand's heat, poured over ice as a refreshing cold drink. Found at every Thai market, school canteen, and restaurant, it typically costs 15–30 baht.
Bael Fruit Juice
น้ำมะตูม
Traditional herbal drink from bael fruit
Butterfly Pea Tea
น้ำอัญชัน
Butterfly Pea Tea (น้ำอัญชัน, Nam Dok Anchan) is one of Thailand's most visually spectacular traditional drinks — a vibrant, intensely blue beverage made from the dried petals of the Butterfly Pea flower (Clitoria ternatea), a climbing plant native to Southeast Asia that has grown in Thai gardens and forests for centuries. In Thailand, butterfly pea flower tea has been a cultural mainstay for generations, often served at social gatherings and traditional ceremonies — the 'nam dok anchan' is as familiar and everyday to Thais as chamomile tea is to Europeans. The plant's flowers range from deep royal blue to violet, and when dried and steeped in hot water, release anthocyanin pigments that colour the water an extraordinary electric blue. The most remarkable feature of the tea is its pH-sensitive colour change: add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice (acidic), and the tea instantly transforms from blue to purple to pink — a magical visual effect that has made it enormously popular on social media and in specialty cafes worldwide. In Thai traditional medicine, butterfly pea flowers were used to support eye health (high antioxidant content was believed to protect vision), enhance hair strength and shine, calm the mind, and improve memory. Modern research indicates the flowers contain ternatins — polyhydroxylated anthocyanins that act as powerful antioxidants with potential neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. The drink is caffeine-free, naturally sweet with a mild floral taste, and is prepared by steeping dried flowers in hot water for 3–5 minutes. In Thailand it is served both hot and cold, and is frequently combined with lime juice and a drizzle of honey for a refreshing iced drink.
Ginger Tea
ชาขิง
Spicy ginger tea for digestion and cold relief
Lemongrass Tea
ชาตะไคร้
Lemongrass Tea (ชาตะไคร้, Cha Takrai / Nam Takrai) is one of Thailand's most beloved traditional herbal drinks, steeped in centuries of use in Thai cooking, herbal medicine, and daily wellness rituals. Lemongrass, known in Thai as 'ta-khrai,' is one of the most essential ingredients in all of Thai cuisine — the aromatic backbone of Tom Yum soup, green curry paste, and dozens of other dishes — and its tea form captures its distinctive fragrant quality in a soothing, caffeine-free beverage. In Thai traditional medicine, lemongrass tea has been prescribed for generations to calm the nervous system, restore energy, relieve bloating and indigestion, and reduce fevers. Herbal practitioners often recommend it as a general tonic. Contemporary scientific research has supported many of these traditional claims: lemongrass contains citral and geraniol compounds with demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and studies suggest regular consumption may support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The tea is made by simmering fresh or dried lemongrass stalks in water for 10–15 minutes; the stalks are bruised or cut to release the essential oils. It can be served hot or cold — hot lemongrass tea (often garnished with kaffir lime leaves or pandan) is a staple after meals and at traditional Thai massage spas, where it is offered to guests as a cleansing post-massage drink. The cold version, poured over ice with a little honey or palm sugar, is a popular roadside drink costing just 15–25 baht. Lemongrass tea is naturally caffeine-free, making it an ideal evening drink, and is available everywhere from 7-Eleven convenience stores to high-end spa retreats.
Chrysanthemum Tea
ชาเก๊กฮวย
Chrysanthemum Tea (ชาเก๊กฮวย, Nam Gek Huay) is one of Thailand's most beloved herbal drinks, a tradition brought by Chinese immigrants and now deeply integrated into everyday Thai life. The Chinese name 'gek huay' (from the Teochew dialect spoken by many of Thailand's Chinese-Thai community) refers to the chrysanthemum flower, and the drink is simply an infusion of dried chrysanthemum blossoms sweetened with rock sugar. Chrysanthemum has been cultivated in China since at least 1500 BCE, originally as a herb rather than an ornamental flower, and was brewed as a tea during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE). Chinese traders and settlers brought the tradition to Southeast Asia over centuries of migration, and in Thailand it became particularly popular in cities with large Chinese-Thai populations — Bangkok's Chinatown (Yaowarat), Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Phuket's Old Town. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, chrysanthemum tea is classified as a 'cooling' herb — meaning it reduces what TCM calls 'internal heat,' manifesting as fever, inflammation, sore throat, red eyes, and irritability. This cooling quality makes it especially valued in Thailand's tropical climate, where 'hot' foods and weather are believed to create internal imbalance. Scientific research supports some of these properties: chrysanthemum flowers contain flavonoids, chlorogenic acid, and antioxidants that demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies. The tea is prepared by steeping dried chrysanthemum flowers (usually white or yellow varieties) in hot water for 3–5 minutes with rock sugar added for sweetness. It is served both hot and cold — the chilled version is particularly popular as a bottled drink sold at 7-Eleven and convenience stores throughout Thailand for 15–25 baht.
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