Knowra Herbal tea Herbal tea Herbal tea is a drink made by steeping herbs, flowers, spices, or other plant material in hot water, usually without leaves from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.
Infusion : An extraction method that transfers soluble compounds from a substance into a liquid by steeping. Herbal tea is a hot-water infusion of plant material.
Chamomile tea : An herbal infusion made from chamomile flowers, commonly served as a caffeine-free drink. It is a widely recognized flower-based herbal tea.
Extraction (chemistry) : The separation of substances from a mixture by transferring them into a suitable solvent. Hot water extracts soluble flavor and aroma compounds from plant material.
Caffeine : A naturally occurring stimulant found in coffee, tea, cacao, and some other plants. Most herbal teas contain no caffeine, unlike infusions made from tea leaves or mate.
Camellia sinensis : An evergreen plant whose leaves and buds are used to make traditional tea. Herbal tea usually excludes this plant, which defines black, green, white, and oolong tea.
Peppermint tea : An herbal infusion made from peppermint leaves, with a characteristic mint aroma. Its menthol-rich leaves provide a familiar example of a strongly aromatic infusion.
Solubility : The ability of a substance to dissolve in a specified solvent under particular conditions. Only compounds sufficiently soluble in water readily enter an herbal infusion.
Herb–drug interactions : Changes in a medicine's effects caused by an herb taken alongside it. Some plants used in infusions can alter medicines' effects or metabolism.
Essential oil : A concentrated, volatile mixture of aromatic compounds produced by plants. Volatile oils give herbs such as peppermint and lavender much of their aroma.
Rooibos : A caffeine-free infusion made from the leaves and stems of Aspalathus linearis, a South African shrub. It is often grouped with herbal teas despite coming from a distinct plant.
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