As I’ve may have mentioned before, I’m a proud tea drinker.
My mom is a big tea drinker, and although I thought it tasted like weird water up until I was a teenager, a trip to Ireland and then a semester in England opened my eyes to the beauty that is a cup of tea.
Why I drink tea:
- It’s healthy
- It’s relaxing
- It can be caffeine-free
- It comes in so many types and flavors
- It’s great to drink by yourself or with others
- It goes great with cookies, cake and other treats
I think Americans sometimes give hot tea (I’m not talking sweet iced tea here) a bad rap. But, I have hope that we’re all coming around.
Although, I do think that Americans, on the whole, need a bit of a re-education about tea.
Since I’m a huge herbal tea fan (I don’t often drink caffeine), I thought I would start this Tea IQ series of posts with one on tisane or herbal tea.
What is tisane/herbal tea?
Although herbal tea (also called tisane) isn’t technically tea, it’s a quite tasty and refreshing drink (that most people still consider to be tea). It’s a beverage made from an infusion of dried herbs, spices, fruits or other plant material.
All herbal teas are caffeine free.
Where do they drink herbal tea and how?
People drink herbal tea across the world (and more and more in the USA each day), like:
- Verveine (verbena) in France
- Rooibos in Africa
- Mint tea in Morocco
- Yerba mate in Argentina
What flavors of herbal teas are there?
As with other types of tea, there are endless flavors of herbal tea, and most of them help with relaxation, digestion, sleeping and more.
Some of my favorite herbal teas include:
What do you think about herbal tea?