In tea-related discussion forums and groups, we keep encountering the discussion of whether the definition of the word “tea” should be limited to the varieties of the Camellia Sinensis plant or whether it is ok to call anything tea that will infuse in (hot?) water, as is quite common use in the English language. Never, …
Continue reading Tea: Camellia Sinensis, or Just Anything That Will Infuse?
Herbal infusions are teas, too. Now, I’m probably going to upset a lot of tea lovers for making this bold statement and in fact, if you’d have said “herbal infusions are teas” to me a couple of months ago, I’d have found it difficult to agree with you. Why this sudden change of heart you …
A tisane is not a true tea, but a herbal concoction that is brewed just like tea. While tea is a leaf plucked from the Camellia sinensis plant, tisanes are leaves plucked from just about everything but the Camellia sinensis plant. These herbal drinks can include anything from Chamomile to Peppermint and can even be …
by William I. Lengeman III As the popularity of tea and tisanes has continued to increase in recent years, there has also been more interest in rooibos, an herbal beverage grown exclusively in South Africa. Though it's produced from a different plant altogether, honeybush is another herbal product that’s only grown in South Africa. Honeybush …
Let’s begin with a brief discussion about terminology and more specifically with some thoughts on the term herbal tea. To be perfectly correct, the word tea should only be used to refer to products derived from the plant known as Camellia sinensis. Herbal beverages are more properly referred to as "infusions" or "tisanes," a term …
by William I. Lengeman III Herbal Teas for Health and Healing by Jessica Houdret There are a number of books on the market devoted solely to herbal teas, also known as infusions or tisanes, and here's another one to add to the list. Houdret's book is a slim volume that will aid you in making, …
For such a simple leaf, the tea plant has undergone amazing transformations in the cups of its drinkers over the centuries. There are as many ways to drink tea as there are leaves on Camellia Sinensis. The Chinese people today drink tea as a simple infusion. But there was a time that so many additives …
