I’ve been drinking an unusual (for me, anyway) amount of herbal teas lately. I used to drink them all the time; then I started getting more into black and green teas, and my love affair with herbal simples and blends fell by the wayside for quite a long time. But I’ve been feeling my way back into drinking them again lately, partly because I’ve been growing quite a few herbs that are good for making into tea, except when the *insert expletive of choice here* possums or caterpillars or snails get them first.
That’s beside the point though, for the moment.
The thing is: I call them HERBAL TEAS.
Regardless of whether they contain Camellia sinensis, or not.
I base my definition of ‘tea’ on the preparation method, rather than the ingredients. Unapologetically. I regularly see people having other people jump down their throats before they can even have a sip of their lovely herbal tea, because the herbal-tea-drinking people called it tea rather than a tisane or an infusion. How tedious.
Let’s be inclusive, not divisive. Let’s go there.
If you ALWAYS add ‘HERBAL’, then you have a strong case. If you ever slip up, though, there are those who would put you in stocks and pelt you with fruit.
You make a good point.
I used to make the distinction based on ingredients myself. I would even get annoyed when others didn’t, but I hope I never openly bothered them about it. I honestly can’t remember if it has happened or not.
When I started getting into loose leaf and gradually made the transition to loose leaf exclusively, my feeling of snobbery grew as well. There were things I just would not touch, because they were not worthy of my attention.
These days I seem to have come out on the other side of snobbery. I don’t care if people say herbal infusion or herbal tea, I don’t care if people want to add all sorts of additions to their cups, and I don’t care if people prefer bagged tea for the convenience. I came to the realisation that people could do as they pleased, really. I did not have to.
I’ve even been exploring the Lipton bag selection at work lately, just because it’s there. So far, though, I’ve disliked each and every one I’ve tried.
If I ask for a Coca Cola, I don’t want to be given a Pepsi Cola.
If I ask for a soda, both are valid options
The main reason I’m not keen on herbal infusions being called “tea” is that I get so disappointed when friends offer me “tea” at their house, and it turns out they only have herbal. It’s at those times I wish herbals, were never called tea
As to planting your own; awesome! I have a similar problem though with being up against those wild beasts….