What Is a Tea Infusion?

Infusions are used in many beverages to add flavor to the drink. It is, in fact, how we make many teas and the process could not be simpler. If you have brewed tea, then you have made an infusion.

Infusion

By definition, an infusion is a drink made by placing a flavoring ingredient (such as tea or herbs) into a liquid (such as hot water). Infusions are the most popular method of preparing teas and tisanes.

This tea or "herbal tea" preparation is also call brewing and typically involves:

1. Pouring hot water over plant matter (such as dried leaves or berries).
2. Waiting for a period of time (called steeping).
3. Then removing the plant matter before drinking.

The word infusion may also refer to the infused beverage itself. It is sometimes used to refer specifically to tisanes, which may be called "herbal infusions," but it can also refer to true teas.

Infusions are also used when making flavored liquor at home. The most popular is a vodka infusion, which can be flavored with a variety of fruits, herbs, and spices. Rather than relying on heat, the alcohol extracts the flavor, and these infusions take longer, often stretching to a week or more depending on the flavor.

Likewise, you can also infuse flavor into drink sweeteners such as simple syrups and honey. These are a nice way to add your favorite sweetened flavor to any beverage.

Infusion vs. Decoction

The infusion method differs from a decoction in that the water is not continuously heated or boiled away as the plant matter steeps. This may result in a weaker beverage but is necessary for extracting the flavors from some ingredients.

Some berries, barks, and roots need extra heat to get the flavor out of the harder surface, so a decoction is used.