Herbals Teas & Tisanes

Many people enjoy "herbal tea," though this is a bit of a misnomer, as tea is a specific plant, Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas, more accurately, are called "tisanes," which is any kind of non-tea infusion of dried plant matter. Most do not confer the same health benefits as tea, although many have benefits of their own.

Many, such as peppermint, are often added to tea. Others such as rooibos and chamomile are typically made on their own. But like tea, care should be taken not to steep tisanes for too short or too long a time. Mint tisanes will become bitter and astringent like tea if oversteeped, while others like chamomile can become too strongly flavored to be pleasant.


One of the more popular ones, Rooibos, is often referred to as "red tea." Again, this is a misnomer, as Rooibos is an entirely different plant. As far as tisanes go, however, it's one of the more healthy ones. Rooibos has many of the same antioxidants as tea, as well as a few that tea doesn't have, although few studies have been performed on the efficacy of them.

If you drink tea for its health benefits, then you should stick to actual teas. There's nothing wrong with a good tisane, however, and if you enjoy the taste there's no reason not to have one.