What is a Tisane?

At Tea & Tisanes, we celebrate every beautiful way people around the world enjoy a comforting cup — and that includes the vibrant, fragrant world of tisanes. If “tea” feels like a familiar friend, then a tisane is its free-spirited cousin: herbal, colorful, naturally caffeine-free, and steeped in ancient wisdom.

A Tisane Is Not Technically Tea — And That’s What Makes It Special

While all true tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, tisanes—also known as herbal infusions—come from anything but that plant. The main distinction is that true tea contains caffeine and tisanes typically do not.

They’re crafted from an endless palette of nature’s gifts:

● Leaves

● Flowers

● Roots

● Bark

● Fruits

● Seeds

● Spices

Chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, hibiscus, ginger, lavender, rose—each tisane is a world unto itself, expressing flavor, culture, and tradition.

Ancient Origins in Every Sip

The word tisane carries a lineage as rich as the herbs themselves.

It begins in ancient Greece with the word ptisánē, which referred to a barley-water infusion used for nourishment and healing. Over centuries, the idea of a grain or herb steeped in hot water expanded in meaning, and the term traveled into Old French as tisane, referring broadly to herbal medicinal drinks.

As European herbalism blossomed, the French sense of the word spread into Spanish and English, where tisane came to mean any herbal infusion made from flowers, leaves, fruits, roots, or spices.

Today, while many people casually say “herbal tea,” the word tisane honors the drink’s ancient heritage — a reminder that long before tea leaves traveled the world, humans were already steeping botanicals for comfort, healing, and ritual.

Egyptians sipped chamomile, Traditional Chinese Medicine used chrysanthemum and ginseng, Indigenous cultures brewed roots and berries, and Ayurveda crafted holistic blends to restore balance.

Drinking a tisane connects us to the earliest form of plant medicine—a quiet ritual that has comforted humanity for thousands of years.

Tisanes vs. Tea

Though we often say “herbal tea,” a tisane is not technically tea at all.

Tea = One plant

● Camellia sinensis

Tisanes = Everything else

● Herbs, spices, fruits, flowers, roots, seeds

Tisanes are:

● naturally caffeine-free

● often soothing or medicinal

● incredibly diverse in flavor

● easy to enjoy any time of day

Where tea offers nuance within a single plant, tisanes offer infinite possibilities.

Types of Tisanes

The herbal world is vast, but most tisanes fall into these categories:

🌸 Floral – hibiscus, rose, lavender, chamomile

🌿 Herbal – peppermint, lemon balm, lemongrass, nettle

🍊 Fruity – berries, apples, citrus peel

🌶 Spiced – cinnamon, clove, ginger

🌱 Root-Based – turmeric, dandelion root, licorice root

🌰 Seed & Bark – fennel seed, cardamom, cinnamon bark

Each one offers a distinct personality—bright, calming, warming, refreshing, floral, or earthy.

How to Brew a Perfect Tisane

Tisanes are forgiving and flexible, but here’s a simple guide for the perfect cup:

1–2 teaspoons dried herbs per 8 oz water

212°F (boiling water)

5–10 minutes steep time, depending on strength preference

Cover your cup while steeping to preserve essential oils

For roots or bark, steeping longer brings out deeper flavor and benefits.

Why We Love Tisanes at Tea & Tisanes

Tisanes are at the heart of what we do.

They allow us to create vibrant, nourishing blends using herbs we grow, source, and love. They invite creativity, wellness, and ritual into every cup.

Featuring seasonal favorites like Plum Pudding, Ginger Pear, and Pineapple Blackberry, our fruit-infused tisanes are made fresh — because nothing dried can capture the same vivid flavor. Every cup is crafted with intention and beauty — just for you.

Because whether you’re seeking comfort, clarity, energy, or calm, there’s a tisane for every moment and every mood.