It is often thought that herbal tea and infusion are the same, yet there is a real difference between the two? To find out what this difference is, you will see in this article the definition of herbal tea as well as the definition of infusion. You will also see their benefits.
THE HERBAL TEA
Herbal tea is a natural drink made from plant extracts. It is used for curative purposes. Herbal tea is usually extracted from fresh flowers, roots, leaves, seeds, dried flowers or stems. How to prepare herbal tea? Three techniques can be used to prepare herbal teas: infusion, maceration or decoction. Regardless of the technique you choose, you should always filter the herbal tea before drinking it. To soften its bitter taste, you can add honey or sugar. Which herbs should be used? Coca leaves, bibacier leaves, ginger roots, mint, fennel seeds, hibiscus petals, nettle, chrysanthemum flowers, sage, yerba mate, lemon balm, thyme, verbena, roman chamomile, lemon balm, mistletoe, rooibos or fragrant bedstraw.
THE INFUSION
Infusion is a method used to prepare herbal tea, tea or beer. In general, this method consists of extracting the aromas or active substances from a plant. The solvent for an infusion can be water, alcohol or oil. It should be noted that maceration, infusion and decoction are three completely different processes. Maceration is a technique that consists of macerating a plant in cold water for about thirty minutes. While decoction is a method that consists of boiling water mixed with the plant. As for infusion, it is a technique that consists of infusing a plant in hot water (it usually lasts between 5 and 10 minutes). To make an infusion, you can for example use bergamot, rosemary, camomile, hyssop anise, borage, rosehips or rosemary.
THE BENEFITS OF HERBAL TEA AND INFUSION
- Herbal tea: for thousands of years, herbal tea has been known for its innumerable therapeutic virtues. The benefits it offers are so numerous that it can alleviate intestinal problems, fatigue and nausea; it helps fight anxiety; it prevents irritable bowel syndrome; it improves sleep; it can also be used as an analgesic remedy; it facilitates digestion.
- Infusion: like herbal teas, the benefits of infusions are also numerous, among others they purify the body; they soothe respiratory problems; they soothe sore throats; they help people to lose weight; they help to fight against stress; they improve sleep; they have draining and relaxing virtues.