Tea vs herbals: what’s the difference?
Technically speaking, tea refers to one plant - camellia sinensis – which is the basis of all of the world’s white, black, green and oolong teas.
But if you look at our brands like Pukka, Lipton, T2 and Tazo, you’ll find a dazzling array of ‘herbal teas’ available – from peppermint, chamomile, hibiscus and rooibos to complex blends such as lemongrass and ginger or wild apple and cinnamon and so on.
From a purist’s perspective, these are infusions or tisanes (drinks made by infusing natural plant material be it roots, leaves, flowers, bark, or seeds……other than camellia sinensis), but in the eyes of many consumers, drinking such herbal tea in a teabag is as pleasurable, and rooted in wellness, as enjoying their regular teabag cuppa!
As example, a mint infusion is made using leaves from the mint plant ; ginger and turmeric are both types of root ; chamomile is a flower ; and you can even enjoy infusing barks and seeds like cinnamon and fennel…
