Herbal Lesson 05

## Herbal TEAS (TISANES)

Daniel Blankley - Thursday, November 16, 2017

In this Third Lesson we will discuss HERBAL TEA (TISANS) with Hands-On Video.

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. After water, it is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some teas, like Darjeeling and Chinese greens, have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavor, while others have vastly different profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral or grassy notes.

Tea (its Proper name is CHAI) originated in Southwest China, where it was used as a medicinal drink. It was popularized as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among Britons, who started large-scale production and commercialization of the plant in India to bypass the Chinese monopoly.

The term herbal tea usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs made without the tea plant, such as steeps of rosehip, chamomile, or rooibos. These are sometimes called TISANES or herbal infusions to prevent confusion with tea made from the tea plant.

Herbal teas,  less commonly called herb teas or tisanes (UK and US ), and fruit teas are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, fruits, or other plant material in hot water. They do not usually contain caffeine.
The tea industry often confusingly uses the term fruit tea to refer to what are in fact fruit-flavored black teas, not fruit teas.

Herbal teas and fruit teas should not be confused with true teas (e.g., black, green, white, yellow, oolong), which 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.

Like beverages made from true teas, herbal teas can be served hot or cold. Documents have been recovered dating back to ancient Egypt and ancient China that discuss the enjoyment and uses of herbal teas.[citation needed] Among the Chinese, herbal teas are commonly known as 'liang cha'

WE WILL USE THE TERM LOOSELY HERE to mean any herbal leaves fruit or blossoms made into a hot drink by INFUSION or DECOCTION.

You have done this many times without even thinking about it but probably never realized that "coffee is really a tea!" Ha Ha are you confused yet? Hang in there...

See any herb that is steeped is called an Infusion and if boiled is called a Decoction. All Teas (Tisanes) can be made both ways whether Chinese CHAI, Herbal Teas, or Coffee. In the Southwest United States (Cowboy Country) we make Coffee on the trail by neither dripping or perking, but by boiling and that is called... you guessed it.. Cowboy Coffee!

Here is how famous Chuck-Wagon Cook Cowboy Kent Rollins does it... Try it.. it is great tasting coffee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq7...
MOST of us usually drink coffee dripped which is an infusion. Boiling water is poured over the ground coffee herb, or tea herb, and allowed to steep for up to 5 minutes and then drank.

**HANDS-ON PRACTICE WITH VIDEO**
Things You Will Need: Mugs, tea strainer, small saucepan Herbs: Chamomile, Echinacea Root, or your choice of herbal or black tea

**HERE IS OUR HANDS ON VIDEO** from Mountain Rose Herbs...

Video 01 how to make tea with loose herbs.

Take your time with this FIRST VERY EASY LESSON To Get Your Feet Wet and then I will post your self scoring quiz

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