A confusing attribute of tea is that many of the beverages that are called “tea” are actually not tea. Herbal teas, which tea experts term Tisanes (a French word for “herbal infusion”), are usually dried flowers, fruits or herbs steeped in boiling water (no actual tea leaves are included). Historically consumed for medicinal reasons or as a caffeine-free alternative, many Tisanes are beginning to find their own popularity outside the tea world.

Virtually any flower, fruit or herb that can be steeped in water and ingested can become a Tisane. Just take a trip to your local health food store and you’ll find dozens of “medicinal herbal teas” boasting a variety of benefits from relaxation to rejuvenation. In this lesson, we’ll just focus on a few of the more noteworthy Tisanes: some old classics, and some new favorites.

Herbal “teas”

The first and arguably most famous Herbal tea finds its roots in ancient Egypt. The first recorded mention of Chamomile being chugged was in a document known as the Ebers Papyrus, dating back to 1550 BC. Used to honor the gods, embalm the dead and cure the sick, Chamomile has endured a lasting fame. This light, sweet, apple-like concoction is still revered for its uncanny (caffeine-free) calming effect.

Peppermint has been used as a caffeine-free home remedy aiding digestion and soothing the stomach for millennia, dating back to the Greeks. During these times, tables were rubbed with Peppermint to make dining more pleasant. However, not all herbal teas were so pleasant. Some were, in fact, deadly. Philosophers will kindly remind us that Socrates, the father of modern thought, was sentenced to death by drinking a brew known as Hemlock. Hemlock, however, is unavailable in many cafes, due to its unfortunate side effects.

Fruit “teas”

Fruit teas or tisanes are caffeine free blends containing a range of fruits, spices and herbs. The most common ingredient in fruit teas is Hibiscus, a crimson flower that yields a deep red color to the cup and a powerful tart sweetness. Hibiscus is naturally high in Vitamin C. Tea blenders use dried fruits, fruit peel, fruit oils, blossoms and spices to achieve just the right blend of visual appeal and flavor profile.

Rooibos

A Johnny-come-lately to the Tisane scene, Rooibos, is quickly stealing the spotlight from its Camellia cousin, green tea. Also known as “Red Bush Tea” or simply “Red Tea,” Rooibos was introduced to the beverage world as a substitute for black tea. During World War II, virtually all supplies of Japanese and Chinese teas suddenly became unavailable. The tea-addicted Western culture scoured the world for an alternative, finally discovering caffeine-free Rooibos. However, recent health benefits attributed to Rooibos are allowing it to emerge from the shadows as a legitimate drink in itself. Rooibos has a rich, slightly sweet flavor that is excellent alone and blends extremely well with a variety of flavors.

Yerba Mate

Finally, the newest drink to say “olá” to the herbal market is called Yerba Mate. This South American botanical from the holly family is consumed throughout much of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and the Far East. Yerba Mate, or simply “Mate”, has been lauded as a cultural phenomenon that both energizes and remedies the body. Mate is one of thew few plants on earth (along with coffee, cocoa and tea) that contain caffeine. While the taste tends to be quite unusual to newcomers, many folks overlook its unique character to receive the benefits. Originally stranded in the obscurity of the niche cultural market, it has now been introduced to the US as a substitute for coffee and is attracting wider attention.

More frequently than not, however, one will find herbal blends, mixtures of the tisanes mentioned and many others. The wide diversity of tisanes available makes the combination possibilities virtually unlimited.

No longer a drink merely for the pregnant, caffeine-sensitive or those trying to catch some z’s, Herbals have found a new place in the market. Tisanes are beginning to infuse culture with a wide range of tastes and astounding array of benefits. They have now parted ways with bigger brothers Coffee and Tea and their independence should be recognized.

This is brought to you by Adagio and this post is taken straight from their site.  Please visitAdagio.com and immerse yourself in the world of tea.

I remember the first time I had one of these. I always wondered why they never caught for ketchup. I always have a problem with the packets in the car. O well just thought this was a blast from the past.

Now how often do you get to see this? This by the way isn’t even all of the computers in this office.

Adagio is my favorite seller of loose teas.  They also have a great knowledge base about tea.  This will be the first of many posts where I will share some of that information with you my readers.  This Info section is called What is Tea?

What is Tea?

Tea is the second-most consumed drink in the world, surpassed only by water. An often-surprising fact to tea novices is that all teas (Black, Green, Oolong, White) come from the same plant. The scientific name of this versatile plant is Camellia Sinensis. Camellia Sinensis is a sub-tropical evergreen plant native to Asia but now grown around the world. The tea plant grows best in loose, deep soil, at high altitudes, and in sub-tropical climates. So, in short, “tea” is anything derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Anything else, while sometimes called “tea”, is more accurately referred to as an herbal tea or tisane. Tisanes include chamomile, Rooibos and fruit teas.

How is it grown?

The tea plant, which grows naturally in the wild through much of Asia, is cultivated in a variety of settings from small family gardens to giant estates covering thousands of acres. The best tea is usually grown at elevation, and often, on steep slopes. The terrain requires that these premium teas be hand-picked. Many of the teas that are grown for tea bags or iced teas, on the other hand, are grown on large, flat, lowland areas to allow for machine harvesting.

Teas that are hand picked and processed in the traditional fashion are called Orthodox Teas. Orthodox teas generally contain only the top two leaves and the unopened bud, which are picked carefully by hand and then processed in varying ways to reach the desired result and bring out the characteristics of the tea. While tea plants do have yellow-white flowers approximately 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, the “buds” referred to in the tea trade are the young, unopened leaves – the newest, freshest growth.

Machine picked and processed teas are typically called CTC (Cut-Tear-Curl or sometimes, Crush-Tear-Curl) teas. These teas usually include the uppermost leaves and unopened buds, but also typically contain varying amounts of older leaves, stalks and stems. Depending on the quality of the tea and the care used in picking and processing, CTC teas can be of very good quality, but cannot compare to the quality of the best orthodox teas.

What is in tea?

The three primary components of brewed tea (also called the “liquor”) are:

1. Essential Oils – these provide tea’s delicious aromas and flavors.
2. Polyphenols – these provide the “briskness” or astringency in the mouth and are the components that also carry most of the health benefits of tea.

3. Caffeine – found naturally in coffee, chocolate, tea and Yerba Mate, caffeine provides tea’s natural energy boost.

How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, white, green, and oolong teas. We’ll discuss these styles of tea in the next lesson.

Although tea is one of the most enjoyed beverages worldwide, it is also one of the least known. For example, most tea drinkers in Darjeeling, India have never drank (or even heard of!) a Japanese Hojicha. This is primarily due to the fact that the enjoyment of most teas remains mainly isolated to that tea-growing region. Luckily, with the dawn of transportation and creation of clever online tea education courses, this naïveté will soon be a thing of the past.

This is brought to you by Adagio and this post is taken straight from their site.  Please visit Adagio.com and immerse yourself in the world of tea.

I remember when I was little that games never looked this good.  Actually games weren’t really more than flat images on screens that moved around.  Over the years that has changed but it has been a while since a game has really taken my breath away.

Guild Wars 2 has shown me a lot more than most sequels ever will.  They have really brought the rain.  This game has it all and best of all it is still only the one time fee.  I feel like this is going to change the way people think about MMORPGs.  Well if you want more either check out their site: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/ or check out the video below.

Guild Wars 2 Video