I’ve had a lot of people ask me what a tisane is recently, so I felt compelled to write this blog post to help y’all understand what it is. 😉

 

There are only two categories of tea, tisane (AKA herbal tea) and true tea, but there are many different types in each category.

 

Tisane

“Herbal tea, or, more properly, tisane is any beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine.” –Wikipedia 

So, under the tisane (AKA herbal tea) category you’ll find teas that are prepared from herbs, spices, or other plant material. Here are a few types of tisanes: ginger tea, sage tea, and red raspberry leaf tea.

An infusion is a steeping method used for the more delicate parts of the plant such as flowers, stems, and leaves. Recommended proportions vary from herb to herb. For beverage teas, about 1 tsp. of dried herb per cup of water. Medicinal teas are usually stronger, about 1 tbsp. dried herb per cup of water. The common way to steep is to place dried herbs in your cup, pour boiling water from your kettle over the herbs, cover, steep, strain, compost herbs, and enjoy!

A decoction is a slow simmer, reserved for tough roots and hardy barks that take more time and work to extract constituents. I recommend soaking these herbs overnight prior to decoction. Same portions as stated above. To make a decoction you’ll place the herbs and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, simmer for 20-45 minutes, remove from heat, strain, compost herbs, and enjoy!

 

True Tea

“Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia.” –Wikipedia

So, under the true tea category you’ll find teas that are prepared from the cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, as well as from decaffeinated tea, in which the caffeine has been removed. Here are a few types of true tea: black tea, green tea, and oolong tea.

For loose leaf teas, you’ll use 1 tsp. of tea (green, black, etc.) and a cup of boiling water. Steep for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

 

I drink tisanes almost daily, they help me unwind at the end of the day. I like to write in my journal, prepare homeschool lessons, or work on my herbal studies while I’m sipping a steamy cup of herbal tea. I hope y’all enjoyed this blog post! 😊

 

Please note: A child’s serving size is quite different than an adult’s serving size, so please check with Clark’s Rule or Dr. Young’s Dosage table before giving your children herbal teas. Some herbs are not recommended for people with certain illnesses and/or diseases, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people who take certain medications, so please consult with your holistic health care provider before using herbal teas.

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