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Herbal tea is made by steeping flowers, roots, leaves, and bark from plants other than the tea plant. It can be used for medicinal purposes and is available in a variety of blends. Real tea is made from the tea plant and can be mixed with herbs and flowers. Herbal tea can be prepared in various ways and can target specific medical issues. Common ingredients include lemon, mint, chamomile, and lavender.
Herbal tea is a generic term used for any beverage made by steeping the flowers, roots, leaves and bark from plants other than Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. Sometimes, herbal teas are referred to as herbal teas, especially when they have perceived medicinal value. Many cultures make their own special varieties of herbal teas, and a large assortment of herbal teas are available in most markets and health food stores. It is also possible to prepare your own herbal tea blends, if you are familiar with the botanical ingredients.
When Camellia sinensis is mixed with herbs and flowers, it is still referred to as “tea”, as the main ingredient is the tea leaves. Many classic tea blends include floral or botanical ingredients such as orange, bergamot, lavender, jasmine or roasted rice. The caffeine level and flavor of real tea can be changed through different tea leaf handling and curing techniques, which leads to a huge assortment of teas including green, white, and black.
When herbal tea is made, real tea is not included in the ingredients, and the ingredients can be combined in a targeted blend to create a specific flavor or medicinal effect. Herbal teas can be calming and relaxing, energizing or soothing, and can target skin conditions, stomach ailments, breathing difficulties, cold symptoms, and many other medical issues. In some cultures, herbal tea is an important part of medical practice. Many people enjoy herbal tea as an alternative to regular tea, as it is caffeine-free and usually lacks the tannins that make real tea bitter.
Some common ingredients in herbal teas include lemon, mint, chamomile, lavender, orange, fennel, hibiscus, rose, rose hip, jasmine, licorice, nettles, rosemary, vetiver, valerian, willow, citrus blossoms, thyme, and horehound. Even regional “teas” like mate and rooibos are technically herbal teas, as they’re made from plants other than Camellia sinensis. Since herbal tea is generally low in tannins, it can be steeped for long periods of time to make an intense and strong infusion.
There are several ways to prepare herbal tea. When ingredients such as roots and bark are used, the tea is often boiled on the stovetop in a heavy pan to release the maximum amount of flavor. When the dried flowers and leaves are blended to make herbal tea, the tea can be made by pouring boiling or near-boiling water over the ingredients and then grinding them. Some cooks also prepare sun tea, by placing a large glass pot of water and ingredients in the sun and allowing it to steep slowly over the course of a sunny day.
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