Tisanes vs. "Herbal Teas"
Tuesday November 3, 2009
Although people commonly refer to chamomile, mint and ginger as "herbal teas," they are technically not tea at all. Whereas "herbal teas" come from many plants, "true teas" (such as white, green, oolong and black) come from the camellia Sinensis (or "Chinese camellia") plant. For that reason, many people are switching to the French word "tisane" (pronounced "tea-ZAHN") or the more evasive term "herbal infusion" when referring to tea-like, non-tea brews.Do you have a preference for the term "tisane," "herbal tea" or "infusion?" Why do you prefer one term over the others? Comment on the blog or in the forums to share.
Want to learn more? Here's an article on tisane basics and here's a recipe for a Spiced Cardamom Tisane that's one of my personal favorites for winter.
Photo (c) Lindsey Goodwin
Comments
It depends on who I’m talking with. If it’s with folks who know tea & tea terminology I usually use Tisane or Herbal Infusion. Most other people however have no idea what a tisane is. So, with them, I use Herbal Tea. I’m not always up for educating folks on why an herbal tea isn’t tea.
I use tisane most of the time, with herbal infusion a distant second. I never use “herbal tea” unless I’m putting it in quotes and explaining why that’s a weird term. All of my intro tea classes start with that distinction (”When I say ‘tea’ I mean only Camellia sinensis. So-called ‘herbal tea’ isn’t tea.”)
A tea friend of mine likes to say, “Herbal tea is tea in the same way that hot cocoa is herbal coffee. It’s not to say one is better than the other, they’re just distinctly different drinks made from different plants.”
Wavybend — I’m the same way with my usage. I used to be very particular about it but, as you said, it gets tiring explaining it all the time!
Tea Geek – I love your friend’s analogy! Thanks for sharing.