How to Brew Spearmint (Hierba Buena) Tea the Peruvian Way

August 30, 2026

Walk into almost any kitchen in Peru and you'll find a plant that gets used constantly and talked about rarely: hierba buena, spearmint, growing in a pot by the window or drying in a bundle somewhere nearby. It isn't a specialty herb saved for tea time. It goes into the aromatics for a pot of aguadito, gets tossed into sauces, and gets steeped into tea the moment someone's stomach feels off after a big meal. Running this store, we've come to think it's one of the most underrated herbs we carry, mostly because everyone assumes they already know how to make mint tea and skip the details that actually change the cup.

What hierba buena actually is

Hierba buena translates to "good herb," which is either very confident branding or just accurate, depending on who you ask. Botanically it's Mentha spicata, spearmint, a cousin of peppermint with a milder, sweeter flavor and less of that sharp menthol bite. Peruvian households have used it for generations as a mild digestive aid, typically steeped after meals or sipped when a stomach feels unsettled. The research behind this is thinner than the tradition suggests. There isn't a large body of clinical evidence specifically on spearmint tea and digestion, though its cousin peppermint has more research behind it for IBS-type symptoms. We'd call this a long-history, thin-evidence herb, which describes a fair amount of what's on our shelves, if we're being honest about it.

How to actually brew it

Our loose leaf hierba buena comes as dried spearmint leaves, 30 grams (about 1.1 ounces) to a pouch, enough for roughly 15 to 20 cups depending on strength. Here's the version that gets the best results, based on what we hear from customers:

Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves per 8-ounce cup of water.
Bring the water to a full boil, then pour it directly over the leaves. Spearmint doesn't need the gentler treatment a delicate green tea does.
Steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Three minutes gives a lighter, more delicate cup. Five minutes is noticeably stronger.
Strain and drink. For iced tea, brew it double-strength and pour over ice, since melting ice will otherwise water down the flavor fast.

A couple of things trip people up. Don't let it steep for 10-plus minutes thinking stronger is automatically better; past about 5 minutes, spearmint starts pulling more tannins and the cup turns bitter and a bit astringent instead of bright. And if you're used to the mass-market peppermint tea bags most grocery stores carry, expect a rounder, gentler flavor here. Loose leaf spearmint is noticeably softer than the peppermint blends most people default to.

When Peruvians actually drink it

The honest answer is constantly, and for almost any reason. After a heavy lunch, as a caffeine-free wind-down before bed (unlike our moringa blends, which some people drink earlier in the day for a lift), or just as a default hot drink when nothing else sounds appealing. It shows up alongside meals as often as after them.

One caution worth knowing

Spearmint is one of the gentler herbs we carry, and most people drink it without any issue. The one group that should pay closer attention is anyone with GERD or frequent acid reflux. Mint, spearmint included, can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, the muscle that normally keeps stomach acid where it belongs, which occasionally makes reflux worse instead of better for people prone to it. If that's you, notice how you feel after a cup, and don't be surprised if it isn't the soothing experience everyone else describes. Pregnant or breastfeeding? Culinary amounts are generally considered fine, but check with your doctor before making it a daily habit, as with any herb.

If hierba buena doesn't quite land for you, our digestive health collection has gentler and stronger options, including boldo for something more assertive.