Tisane

Definition

Tisane is the French word for an herbal infusion, and tea sellers use it to separate true tea, made from Camellia sinensis, from everything else people steep in hot water. Chamomile, peppermint, lemon verbena, hibiscus, ginger, rooibos, honeybush and linden flower are all tisanes. In everyday English they are often called herbal tea, which is accurate in common use but technically wrong, since they contain no tea leaf. Tisanes are made from leaves, flowers, roots, bark, seeds or fruit. Rooibos and honeybush are processed in ways that resemble tea making, with bruising and oxidation. Most others are simply dried and cut. Blends mix several herbs and often add dried fruit or flavoring. Most tisanes are caffeine-free. The main exceptions are holly-family plants: yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), guayusa (Ilex guayusa) and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) all contain caffeine. Tisanes that include tea leaf, such as a mint green tea, are tea blends rather than tisanes. Some herbs interact with medicines or are not advised in pregnancy, so labels and a pharmacist are the right check for anyone with a medical concern.