Common Chinese Herbal Teas

Chinese herbal teas are also called Tisanes and are not, technically speaking, actually teas. Rather, they are infusions made from herbs instead of tea that is made from the Camelia Sinensis plant. The essence of the herb is extracted when the tea is steeped in hot water.



Chinese herbal teas are traditionally used for their healing, medicinal properties. Many varieties are also enjoyed simply for their taste, however. China is known for producing an entire pharmacy of herbs, making the herbal teas from there increasingly popular today.



The Beneficial Properties of Chinese Herbal Teas



The caffeine-free alternative represented by herbal teas is one of the well-known benefits Chinese herbal tea offers. Additionally, many of them are attributed with very soothing and comforting effects. Rosebud and Chrysanthemum herbal teas are two of the more popular examples of them.



Rosebud and Chrysanthemum teas are considered in China to be a woman's herb. They are, however, also useful for aiding digestion. Even a hard-core tea drinker is sure to enjoy the fresh floral flavor of these miniature rosebuds. Chrysanthemum tea has long been used to cool the body and reduce fever and has a particularly unique flavor.



Due to the lack of caffeine, Chinese herbal teas are great beverages to have when caffeine would be avoided, such as at night before bed.



The Fantastic Flower Herbal Teas



Among the many varieties of Chinese herbal teas are the wildly popular flower teas. These teas are, like all herbal teas, caffeine-free alternatives and offer various benefits. Most offer a palate of flavors while being calming and soothing.



The following are among the more famous of the flower herbal teas (alphabetically):



* Carnation Flower Tea--The tea brewed from this is attractive red flower is said to help restore the energy of the body. It is also widely used for relaxing.



* Chrysanthemum Herbal Tea--This tea has a subtle sweetness and is regarded as highly refreshing. Among the popular cooling infusions this is a premier choice.



* Forget Me Not Flower Tea--This brews a mild and grassy flavored tisane. Said to aid the lungs, it is also caffeine-free. It is widely known for its beautiful purple flowers.



* Gongju Herbal Tea--The Gongju flower is known for its soothing and relaxing attributes and brews a smooth tasting herbal tea.



* Jasmine Bud Flower Tea--This Chinese herbal tea, according to some experts, is comprised solely of the small and beautiful Jasmine flowers that have not yet opened. The tea produced sweet and caffeine-free.



* Kuding Pearl Tea--The leaves for this variety are rolled into large pearls, which is one of the sources of its nickname, "one leaf tea" due to the size of the leaves. The other reason it is called "one leaf" is because of the belief that only one leaf of this tea is needed to heal a number of things. Many people consider this tea to be a bitter tea, but nearly everyone agrees that this ancient leaf brews an interesting herbal tea.



* Yunnan Flower Bud Tea--This Chinese herbal tea grows, as implied by the name, in the old forests of Yunnan. This rare flower is primarily a local Yunnan drink and is caffeine free.



* Wild New York Ginseng--For those who appreciate the wild growing conditions in which the roots ripen this is another well-known Chinese herbal tea. It is said that each root develops a unique appearance and personality because of the rugged wild conditions. Size and age can vary greatly, with some of these wild roots being very small and very old while some larger roots are much younger. These herbal roots live for seven years or more.

Cleansing Liver Herbal Teas Recharge Your Body

When spring comes it is time for a liver cleanse. This is a good time to rejuvenate the liver for the coming year of work. One good way to cleanse the liver is to use herbal teas. They are easy to use and they provide a powerful punch to reawaken the liver. Here is a herbal formulation for the liver provided by Brigitte Mars (herbalist in Colorado) called "Puri-Tea" which consist of: Peppermint, red clover, fennel, licorice· cleavers, dandelion, oregon grape root, burdock root· butternut bark, chickweed, parsley root, nettles. Another liver herbal tea is: Fennel Seed (1 part), Fenugreek (1 part)· Flax Seed (1 part), Licorice Root (1/4 part)· Burdock (1/4 part), Peppermint (1 part). Here's another herbal combination that is good for detoxifying and cleansing the liver: Yellow Dock root, Dandelion root, Licorice root· Red sage, Sarsaparilla, Hyssop· Pau de Arco, Milk Thistle Seed, Parsley leaf. Here's something else you can do for you liver. Buy an extract of Milk Thistle Seed. Then when you make the liver tea's list here, add 2-3 full droppers of the Milk Thistle Seed extract to the tea. Here are the effects of some of the herbs listed above. fennel seed - white cell formation, acid/alkaline balancing· peppermint - body cleanser and toner· red clover - blood purifier licorice - adrenal stimulation cleavers - anti-infection· dandelion - cleansing and strengthening· oregon grape root - cleansing, building· burdock root - purifying · nettles - rich in minerals· chickweed - fenugreek - helps to eliminate toxins and mucus· yellow dock root - cleansing, white cell formation· pau de arco - cleansing, white cell formation· milk thistle seed - cleansing, building You can make these teas yourself or look for a ready made one at a health food store. What I do is buy a 1/2 or 1 oz of each herb. Then I mix one full tablespoon of each herb into a mason jar. Shake it up and its ready to go.Preparing the teaBoil 1 1/4 cup of distilled water in a glass container. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of herbal mixture. Let tea sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink when it cools down a little.Drink one cup of tea before breakfast and one before dinner for about 1-2 months.

Chinese Herbal Teas Explained

Chinese herbal teas are technically called Tisanes. These are recognized as infusions made herbs and not tea from the Camelia Sinensis plant. The essence of the herb is extracted when the tea is steeped in hot water.

Traditionally, the Chinese herbal teas are used for their medicinal and healing properties. However, there are many varieties that are also enjoyed simply for their taste. Today, these teas can be bought in China as the country produces an entire pharmacy of herbs.

The Benefits of Chinese Herbal Tea

One of the well-known benefits of Chinese herbal tea is that it offers the tea drinker caffeine free alternatives. Many of them are considered to be very soothing and comforting. The Rosebud and Chrysanthemum herbal teas are just two of them.

The Rosebud and Chrysanthemum teas are known in China as a woman’s herb. However, it is also useful for aiding digestion. As noted, even a hardcore tea drinker will surely enjoy the flowery freshness of these miniature rosebuds. The Chrysanthemum in particular has a unique flavor. It has long been used to cool the body and reduce fever.

The Chinese herbal teas are even great beverages to have at night, especially when you might not want caffeine.

The Famous Flower Herbal Teas

There is a number of Chinese herbal tea varieties, one of those are the flower teas. These teas are caffeine free alternatives and offer various benefits. Most of them are calming and soothing, while offering a palatte of flavors.

Here are the most famous flower teas:

• Carnation Flower Tea – This is an attractive red flower tea which is said to help restore the energy of the body. It is also considered great for relaxing.

• Chrysanthemum Herbal Tea – This is but a top grade of the famous cooling tea infusion. It has a subtle sweetness and is highly refreshing.

• Gongju Herbal Tea – Another caffeine-free tea, which is smooth tasting. The whole flower is known for its soothing as well as relaxing attributes.

• Jasmine Bud Flower Tea – According to some experts, this Chinese herbal tea consists solely of the small and beautiful Jasmine flowers that have yet to open. This produces a caffeine-free and sweet brew.

• Forget Me Not Flower Tea – This is also caffeine-free and is said to aid the lungs. It brews a mild and grassy flavored tisane. And, it is known for its beautiful purple flowers.

• Yunnan Flower Bud Tea – As the name implies, this Chinese herbal tea grows in the old forests of Yunnan. This is considered a rare flower and is a local Yunnan drink that is caffeine free.

• Wild New York Ginseng – Here is another well-known Chinese herbal tea intended for those who appreciate the wild growing conditions in which the roots lived. It is said that because of the rugged wild conditions, each root has a unique appearance and personality. Some of these wild roots can be very small but also very old. There are also some larger roots that can be younger. Accordingly, these herbal roots lives for at least seven years and up.

• Kuding Pearl Tea – Many who have tasted this tea noted that this is a bitter tea. This variety is rolled into large pearls which are also called “one leaf tea” because of the size of the leaves. Others call it “one leaf” because one needs only one leaf of this tea to heal a number of things. In addition, this is an ancient leaf and is deemed by many as an interesting herbal tea.

An Organic Herbal Tea Blend

With US$5 billion market in the United States alone in 2003, a 500% increase in 10 years, tea is a well established industry that is quickly growing. Tea bags, loose teas, tea shops, and gourmet teas are only a few examples of the outlets for this ever increasing number. Though sales have been mainly rooted in the standard teas stemming from the Camelia sinensis plant (Green tea, Oolong tea, and Black tea), a vast increase in herbal and natural medicines in the western world has brought upon a virtual explosion of Organic Herbal Tea Blend, releasing any confinements there may have previously been.

Now it is not only Big Business that is apart of this industry as the infinite number of herbal tea blends are combing with the free commerce of the internet. This conception is creating new life in an industry that had been patiently waiting. New companies are forming, new mixtures are being created, and now even new tea bags are being designed.

The machine manufactured tea bags are still standard in market where cost is being put before quality. A metal staple is used to close a bag filled with low quality tea dust, which is known to have very low health benefits and give a more bitter taste than its whole leaf loose tea counterpart. Due to the manufacturing techniques used by these production factories, tea dust is the only filler able to be injected with the machines used to mass produce these bags. As the general size of each organic herbal tea blend is larger, they are unable to be used with these processed bags.

Second in popularity is a relatively new pyramid shaped tea bag. A more spacious bag allows for a free floating of the loose tea that is inside. Though higher in quality than the stapled standard, problems of this style include a large shape and size that makes bulk packaging difficult. Also, most bags are filled with green and oolong loose teas, as opposed to organic herbal tea.

With the combined short falls of these two bags, the ever increasing number of organic herbal tea blends and home based companies are in desperate need for a tea bag to match their unique nature. Fortunately as the number of companies is increasing, and more money is entering into the market, handmade gourmet tea bags are being created, better matching the ingenuity behind each organic herbal tea blend. It is very possible that as the number organic blends increase in popularity, raising the desire for organic products and higher health benefits, consumers will be more willing to pay slightly higher prices to receive significantly higher in quality tea bags. With this in mind, it very well could be that a unique organic herbal tea blend could be your gateway to differentiation in a busy tea industry.