Herbal Blessing: TEA OR TISANE

January is National Hot Tea Month and the two most popular types of tea in the world are black tea and herb tea, but, black tea is the only "true" tea since it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Herb tea is properly called an herbal infusion or tisane in French and is made from the bark, roots, leaves, flowers, berries and seeds of any plant including the Camellia sinensis tea plant. Both began their history as medicinal, however “true” tea was first to be used also as a tasty beverage.

The history of “true” tea began around 3000BC. The Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, the father of agriculture and herbal medicine, was boiling water for safe drinking and noticed some leaves from a nearby plant floating in the sterile water, sipped it and found it refreshing and medicinal. During the Ming Dynasty, 1366-1644AD, the three main types of tea - black, oolong and green teas - were produced and became popular with the Chinese people from royalty to commoners. Tea processing changed and for the first time tea was made in loose leaf form. Tea was brought back to England in the 1600's by traders and missionaries and became a drink of the aristocrats. By the 1700's, the Dutch, French and English were all importing tea and drinking it more for its delicacies than for medicinal value plus caravans of camels were carrying chests of tea to Russia. Of course black tea was also being shipped to the American colonies from India and when England attempted to impose a tax on it, the infamous Boston Tea Party led to the War of Independence. Due to the spread of the love of tea, over forty countries now produce tea to some extent including the United States.

The history of herbs is as old as mankind - they had their place in every civilization and one of the most popular ways to use them was in the making of tea. Herbal teas have been consumed for centuries as healing tonics and traditional medicines, however their use as beverages is relatively recent. Europeans drank herb teas such as chamomile, peppermint and rosehips long before the arrival of black tea. Herb teas offer unlimited flavor variations as well as colors and aromas and are a soothing, natural and relaxing alternative to "true" tea. Each herb and spice has its own flavor and taste characteristics which is released when boiling water is poured over them and the herb's cells are broken. A single herb is the best way to appreciate the pure flavor, however combinations of two or more can result in an infinite variety of taste sensations. Herbal tea is growing in popularity today due to its mellow, soothing and healthful properties. They make a fine complement to a meal, a comforting or stimulating beverage, and the ideal companion for a contemplative moment during our hectic, high-pressured world.