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[[Image:Kräutertee.jpg|thumb|Herbal tea]]

A '''tisane''', '''ptisan''' or '''herbal "tea"''' is any [[herb]]al [[infusion]] other than from the leaves of the [[tea]] bush (''[[Camellia sinensis]]''). The [[English language|English]] word "tisane" originated from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] word πτισάνη (ptisanē), a drink made from pearl [[barley]]. 

Tisanes can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots, generally by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be boiled on a stove. The tisane is then strained, sweetened if so desired, and served. Many companies produce herbal [[tea bag]]s for such infusions. 

Many blends of [[tea|real tea]] are prepared by adding other plants to an actual tea (black, oolong, green, yellow or white tea); for example, the popular [[Earl Grey tea]] is black tea with [[bergamot orange|bergamot]], Jasmine tea is Chinese tea with [[Jasmine]], and [[Genmaicha]] is green tea with roasted rice. Such preparations are varieties of tea, not tisanes.

==Varieties==

Varieties of herbal tea include:
* [[Anise]] tea, made from either the seeds or the leaves.
* Roasted [[barley]], known in Japanese as ''[[mugicha]]'' and Korean as ''bori cha''. The roasted flavor can be reminiscent of coffee (without coffee's bitterness and caffeine). It is often drunk cold in the summer.
* [[Bissap]], consumed in the [[Sahel]].
* [[Boldo]], used in South America to calm upset stomachs.
* [[Cannabis]], used in the preparation of [[Bhang]].
* [[Nepeta|Catnip]] tea is used as a [[relaxant]], [[sedative]], and to calm.
*[[Cerasse]], a bitter [[Jamaica]]n herb [http://www.jamaican-recipes.com/jamaicanbushtea.html]
* [[German Chamomile|Chamomile]] tea is used as a [[sedative]].  In [[Beatrix Potter]]'s ''[[The Tale of Peter Rabbit]]'', Peter's mother gives him chamomile tea.
* [[Chrysanthemum tea]], made from dried flowers, is popular with Chinese [[Dim sum]].
* [[Citrus]] peel, including [[bergamot orange|bergamot]], [[lemon]] and [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] peel.
* Roasted [[maize|corn]], known in Korea as ''[[oksusu cha]]'' (옥수수차)
* [[Echinacea]] tea, often consumed to prevent or alleviate the [[common cold|cold]] or [[influenza|flu]] symptoms.
* [[Essiac|Essiac tea]], a blended herbal tea.
* [[Fennel]]
* [[Gentian]]
* [[Ginger root]]
* [[Ginseng]]
* [[Greek Mountain Tea]] (Tsai tou Vounou- Tea of the Mountain), a very popular tea in Greece and other areas of the Mediterranean region. Made from a variety of the ''[[Sideritis syriaca]]'' plant which grows in warm climates above 3000 feet. The tea (or more properly Tisane) has a reputation as a cure-all, but is specifically used against colds. Records of its use date back 2000 years.
* [[Hibiscus]] (often blended with [[rose hip]]), a popular tea alternative in the Middle East and is drunk hot or cold. Hibiscus tea is also consumed in Okinawa, where the natives associate Hibiscus tea with longevity.(See Bissap)
* [[Honeybush]] is related to [[rooibos]] and grows in a similar area of [[South Africa]], but tastes slightly sweeter.
* [[Horehound]]
* [[Jiaogulan]]
* [[Kava]] root, from the South Pacific, is popular for its effects in promoting talkativeness and relaxation.
* [[Ku Ding tea| Kuding]], a bitter tisane found in Chinese herbal medicine and used to thin blood and reduce blood pressure
* [[Labrador tea]], made from the shrub by the same name, found in the northern part of North America.
* [[Lapacho]] (also known as ''Taheebo'') is the inner-lining of the bark (or cambium) of the Red or Purple [[Lapacho Tree]] which grows in the [[Brazil]]ian jungles. It is boiled to make an infusion with many and varied health benefits.
* [[Cymbopogon|Lemon grass]]
* [[Licorice]] root
* [[Lime Blossom|Lime blossom]], dried flowers of [[Tilia|lime tree]] (''Tilia'' in [[Latin]]).
* Lotus flower, from the [[stamen]]s of ''[[Nelumbo nucifera]]''.
* [[Mate (beverage)|Mate]] (or ''yerba mate'') is a shrub grown mainly [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Brazil]] from which a caffeinated, tea-like brew is prepared.
* ''[[Mate de coca]]'' (sometimes called "coca tea"), made from [[coca]] leaves. Authentic ''mate de coca'' contains very small amounts of [[cocaine]] and [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8819993&dopt=Abstract similar alkaloids]. In some countries where coca is illegal, products marketed as "coca tea" are supposed to be ''decocainized'', i.e., the pharmacologically active components have been removed. 
* [[Mint]], especially [[peppermint]] (also mixed with green tea to make mint tea)
* European [[mistletoe]] (Viscum Album), (steep in <u>cold</u> water for 2-6 hours)
* [[Neem]] leaf
* [[Nettle]] leaf
* [[Pennywort]] leaf, in [[Southeast Asia]]
* Red [[raspberry]] leaf
* Scorched [[rice]], known as ''[[hyeonmi cha]]'' in Korea
* [[Rooibos]] (Red Bush) is a reddish plant used to make an infusion and grown in [[South Africa]]. In the US it is sometimes called red tea. It has many of the [[antioxidant]] benefits of [[green tea]], but because it does not come from tea leaves, it has no [[caffeine|theine]].
* [[Rose hip]] (often blended with [[hibiscus]])
* [[Rosemary]]
* [[Common sage|Sage]]
* [[Sassafras]]
* [[Scutellaria barbata|Skullcap]]
* Staghorn [[Sumac]]
* [[Stevia]] can be used to make herbal tea, or as a sweetener in other tisanes.
* [[Sugarcane]] drink, in Asia<!--I believe this is a juice, not a tisane.-->
* [[Thyme]]
* [[Tulsi]]
* [[Uncaria tomentosa]], commonly known as [[Cats Claw]]
* [[Valerian (plant)|Valerian]]
* [[Vervain]]
* [[Vetiver]]
* Roasted [[wheat]] is used in [[Postum]], a coffee substitute.
* [[Wong Logat]] a medicinal tea with several herbs
* [[Wax gourd]] in East Asia and Southeast Asia.
* [[Woodruff]]
* [[Yarrow]]
* [[Yuen Kut Lam Kam Wo Tea]] Composed of thirty Chinese herbs, made in [[Hong Kong]].
* [[Tan Ngan Lo Medicated Tea]] a herbal concoction formulated by a Chinese immigrant from mainland China in the early 20th century, made in [[Malaysia]].

==Medicinal concerns==

Herbal teas are often consumed for their physical or medicinal effects, especially for their [[stimulant]], [[relaxant]] or [[sedative]] properties.  The medicinal effects of certain herbs are discussed under [[herbalism]]. The medicinal benefits of specific herbs are often anecdotal or controversial, and in the United States and elsewhere, makers of herbal teas are not allowed to make unsubstantiated claims about the medicinal effects of their products.

While most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, some herbs have [[toxin|toxic]] or [[allergy|allergenic]] effects. Among the greatest causes of concern are:

* [[Comfrey]], which contains [[alkaloids]] that can cause permanent [[liver]] damage with chronic use.
* [[Lobelia]], which contains [[toxins]] similar in effect to [[nicotine]].
* [[Pineapple weed]], which is sometimes sold as [[chamomile]], is closely related to [[ragweed]] and can cause violent [[allergy|allergic]] reactions in [[hay fever]] sufferers, up to and including [[anaphylactic shock]] and [[death]].

Herbal teas can also have different effects in different people, and this is further compounded by the problem of potential  misidentification.  The deadly [[foxglove]], for example, can be mistaken for the much more benign (but still relatively hepatotoxic) [[comfrey]].

The UK currently does not require natural products such as herbs to have any evidence concerning their efficacy, but does treat them technically as food stuff and require that they are safe for consumption.

==Popular culture==

Herbal tea, along with [[hot chocolate]], was the favorite drink of [[Agatha Christie]]'s sleuth, [[Hercule Poirot]]. In numerous stories, Poirot brews a tisane in order to recover from wet weather or to soothe his 'little grey cells.' 

According to the [[movie]] [[Le Divorce]], drinking certain mystical varieties of tisane will sweeten a woman's natural [[lubricants]].

==See also==

* [[Tea]]
* [[Coffee]]
* [[Herbalism]]

==External links==
*[http://www.herbaldiary.org/ Herbal information and recipes]
*[http://tea-guide.blogspot.com/ Tea Guide]
*[http://www.customizeyourmug.com/herbal-tea.html Herbal Tea Varieties and Benefits]

[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Tea]]
[[Category:Tea culture]]