Tea VS Tisane

It goes by different names, it has deceived many who have crossed its path, and it’s probably somewhere in your kitchen as we speak. What is it you ask! TISANE!!! Dun, Dun, Dun… or as most people call it, herbal “tea”.

The fancy name for it, pronounced (ti-zann) which is a French word for “herbal infusion”, is technically not tea at all. So what is tisane you ask? Well, it’s pretty much a blend (infusion) usually made up of spices, fruits, roots and leaves not from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Types of tisane teas

Basically, any flower, root, berry etc that you are able to steep in water and drink would be considered a tisane, but here are 7 of the more popular ones:

1. Chamomile
2. Peppermint
3. Rooibos – Check out our selection of rooibos “teas”
4. Hibiscus
5. Yerba Mate
6. Lavender
7. Ginger

Here is a list of some of our more popular tisanes:

1. In The Garden – A garden variety of herbs such as chamomile, rosehips, raspberry leaf and several mints artfully combined. This mint forward herbal tea provides a relaxing and calming experience for those looking for a non-caffeinated tea.
2. Autumn Chai – Zesty chai spices combined with the sweet flavor of the Honeybush (a cousin to the Rooibos) creates the perfect beverage to warm you up on a crisp autumn day.
3. Chocolate Banana – This dessert tea is sure to have you craving for more. Rooibos and Honeybush tea combined with sweet chocolate and ripe bananas for a silky smooth finish
4. Counting Sheep – One, two, thr… zzzzzz. you won’t be counting long after drinking our delicious bedtime tea blend. We perfectly balanced the flavors of spearmint, lemon balm, lemongrass and other herbs with the calming effects of chamomile and valerian root, to not only help you fall asleep but stay asleep.
5. Pina Colada – The name says it all — this blend of pineapple, coconut, apples, rose hips and hibiscus creates an exotic and intoxicating tea experience. The sweetness of the apples and coconut balances well with the tartness of the pineapple and hibiscus.
6. Tea With Nonna – What’s more comforting than time with “Nonna.” This beautifully crafted honeybush tea is robust with warm notes of caramel and hints of almonds. The rose petals give off a soft floral aroma that invites you in like a hug from grandma herself.

What is tea?

What is tea then? Tea can include any of the tisanes I listed above, but it requires one more main ingredient: leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant. As long as it contains true “tea” leaves then it would be considered a tea. For instance, our Moroccan Mint tea has peppermint & spearmint which would be known as a tisane, except it includes Gunpowder green tea which is from the Camellia Sinensis plant, which makes it a “tea”.

Caffeine

Which has more caffeine, tea or tisane? This is easy, ALL tisanes have zero, nada, none, caffeine free, with the exception of… Yerba Mate! Yes, Yerba Mate is a wonderful holly-like tree that is found in South America. Yerba Mate has almost the same amount of caffeine as coffee and is extremely good for you too. Yerba Mate is extremely high in antioxidants and contains 24 vitamins and minerals, and that’s not all folks, it also has 15 amino acids!

The amount of caffeine in tea can depend on many different variables, but here are some basic caffeine levels for tea:

Black tea: 23-110mg
Oolong Tea: 12-55mg
Green Tea: 8-36mg
White Tea: 6-25mg

 What Do You Drink?

So which do you prefer? Tea or Tisane? Let us know in the comments, and if you have any rec’s on some good tea or tisane, I’d love to taste it for myself :).

Sincerely,
Ryan Conlon
Employee of Jesus Christ