The more you learn about tea, the more products you will find that call themselves a tea. However, all true teas come from the tea plant, the camellia senensis plant. It only grows in one part of the United States at the Charleston Tea Plantation, but almost all tea comes primarily from the five following countries: China, Japan, Taiwan, India, and Sri Lanka. Their climates are conducive to the success of the camellia senensis plant~higher altitudes, high moisture, etc.
Herb teas are not teas at all, but tisanes, meaning they are another plant brewed in very hot to boiling water to release a characteristic of the plant into the water. Our grocery and health food stores are filled with herb tisanes sold as teas, when they contain no tea in them at all. Black, oolong, green, and white teas are all made from the same plant, but oxidized for a different length of time (or in the case of white tea, not at all).
Many people are still jittery (pun intended) about the caffeine in tea, despite the fact that a cup of black tea holds 1/3 the caffeine of the same cup of coffee. Therefore, when planning a tea party, it’s a good idea to plan to serve two teas, including one tisane. Someone may ask for no caffeine, and you’ll be prepared.
Two other options include serving a rooibos tisane, available in every imaginable flavor, or naturally decaffeinating the tea. Your call. However, it is still primarily the case that those who avoid all caffeine are looking for an herb tisane to drink.
Wow, I just found your site from a comment left at Craft Critique. Your site is wonderful…although I am not a tea drinker, I do love all the elegance of the tea party. Thank you for commenting on our site.
Thanks for stopping by, Colleen! Maybe a cup of well-brewed loose leaf tea will help you enjoy tea once in a while.
Thanks for the link to this article. I didn’t realize herbals should not really be called teas. I have had friends recommend red roobios, but I prefer black tea. Now I need to try and make the leap from teabags to loose tea sometime. With 3 kids I feel lucky to get a cup of anything sometimes! 🙂
Oh Beth, I know how busy motherhood can be first-hand! My youngest is six now, so it helps a great deal. I started her when she was two, though, and I plan to write more about Tea with Children soon. Best to you!