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Herbal tea in a glass teapot and cup

Herbal teas or herb teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes, are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of any herbs, spices, or other plant material in water that is not derived from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Many herbs used in teas/tisanes are also used in herbal medicine and in folk medicine. Herbal teas are not technically teas because they are not brewed from the tea plant.

The term "herbal tea" is often used to distinguish these infusions from true teas (e.g., black, green, white, yellow, oolong), which are prepared from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) or, more rarely, its close relatives (such as Camellia taliensis). Beverages actually created from tea and combined with material from other plants are known as "blended teas", "scented teas", or "flavored teas". Examples include jasmine tea, genmaicha, and Earl Grey tea. Unlike true teas, most tisanes do not naturally contain caffeine (though tea can be decaffeinated, i.e., processed to remove caffeine).

A number of plants, however, do contain psychoactive compounds, such as caffeine or another stimulant, like theobromine, cocaine or ephedrine. Some have the opposite effect, acting as a sedative. Some common infusions have specific names such as mate (yerba mate) and rooibos (red bush). (Full article...)

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