Hot Tea

[Angel M]

I have some hot tea that I purchased before going gluten free, and I called the store to check on the gluten free status of the tea. The lady seemed somewhat knowledgable regarding gluten, and she called the company that she buys the tea from to double check on whether or not the tea was gluten free. Fortunately, almost all of them were gluten-free. However, there is one that she told me is gluten free, but I have a question about it. Here is the description of the tea,

"Lady Londonderry is a special treat in summer either as hot tea or as an excellent iced tea. It infuses to a flowery malt flavor with a spot of strawberry and lemon to make it well rounded."

I was unable to get an ingredients list. So, what's the deal with malt? I thought malt contained gluten. This description doesn't state there is malt in it, only that there is a malt flavor. She assured me that this one is gluten free.

I just discovered that she may get her tea from the English Tea Store. I saw the name of several of her teas on that website, so I may try to call the company directly. However, I would like some information about malt.

[psawyer]

Almost anything that contains sugar can be malted. It does not have to be barley, although that is the most common source. When the source is unknown, and the product is not stated to be gluten-free, malt is a red flag. But in this case, I would gather that the source of the malt is not a gluten grain.