Tisanes
Also known as “Herbal Teas,” tisanes are plant parts (leaves, stems, flowers, roots…) that are steeped in water. This includes “teas” like rooibos, honeybush, chamomile, or yerba mate, but generally isn’t used to refer to “true tea,” which is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis (the tea plant).
This is a subcategory of Styles, which explores the diversity of tea styles and varieties.
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Yerba mate
Yerba mate is a species of holly that contains caffeine. It grows in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, and is the caffeinated beverage of choice for many people who live in those countries.
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Teas, Tisanes, and Terminology
Language evolves. I get that. Sometimes changes make communication easier, clearer, or shorter. Sometimes, however, the evolution of the meaning of a word does exactly the opposite. The subject of this blog is a good example. The word “tea” refers to the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), the dried leaves of that plant, or the drink
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Rooibos: The African Red Bush
How have I been at this blog for so long without writing about rooibos? Oh, I know this blog is about tea, and I did write a post about green rooibos last year, but I haven’t covered straight red rooibos yet. Rooibos comes from a bush called Aspalathus linearis, which grows in the west cape
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I’ll have a green red tea, please
I’ve been drinking rooibos (a.k.a. “African redbush,” a.k.a. “red tea”) for years, and stocked our tea bar liberally with varieties of it. All of them use the same base plant — Aspalathus linearis — prepared with an oxidation process similar to what’s used for black tea. The plant is naturally caffeine-free, which is a great
Tea With Gary 