What is herbal tea?
Quick answer
Herbal "teas" — properly called tisanes — aren't made from the tea plant at all. They're infusions of other botanicals: chamomile flowers, peppermint leaves, rooibos, ginger, and more. Because there's no Camellia sinensis, they're caffeine-free, which makes them the natural choice for an evening wind-down. Brew with near-boiling water and a longer steep than true tea.
What they taste like
It depends entirely on the plant: chamomile is floral and honeyed, peppermint is cooling and bright, rooibos is naturally sweet and woody, ginger is warming and spicy. Blends mix these for a particular mood rather than a single origin flavour.
How to brew tisanes
Unlike delicate green or white tea, most tisanes want full boiling water (100 °C) and 5–7 minutes — the flavour is locked in tougher flowers, roots, and leaves, so they need heat and time to come out. There's little risk of "bitterness" from over-steeping the way there is with true tea, so steep until it tastes right.
Common questions
Is herbal tea "real" tea? Not botanically — but for the ritual of a warm, caffeine-free cup, it absolutely counts. It's the best option when you want the routine without the caffeine.
Can you drink it late at night? That's exactly its strength: no caffeine means a cup can be part of an evening routine without affecting sleep the way black tea might.
Make it part of an evening wind-down ritual, get your water right, or scale a pot with the grams calculator.