Teaology
What is tisane? We call all of our tea blends tea, but you will also see the word tisane on our site to avoid confusion. Growing up in Germany and Switzerland we did not differentiate between tea (made by pouring hot or boiling water over the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (the plant from which all tea is produced: Black tea, Green tea, Oolong tea, Pu'erh tea, White tea) and tisane (an infusion from plant materials other than from the Camellia sinensis e.g. peppermint, hibiscus, lavender, tree bark, etc.). So to summarize:
tea = anything made from the Camellia sinensis plant
herbal tea/tisane = everything else infused in hot water (rooibos, chamomile, etc.)
How much tea should I buy? As much as you like! As a general rule: per 2 oz tea, you get around 20-30 cups of tea depending on the tea blend. Heavier teas (i.e. fruit teas yield less volume, while leafy teas yield a higher volume (the leaves are much lighter than the dried fruit)). Use about 1 heaping teaspoon of leaves for 200-260ml of water (see brewing details for each tea/tisane types below). For stronger flavor, use more tea. For weaker flavor, use less tea.
It’s important not to over steep your tea. The longer your tea steeps (this is not the case for most fruit tea (tisane) blends or rooibos blends) the more quickly it will release any bitterness and astringency. Taste your tea after the recommended steeping time and then decide if you’d like it to steep a little longer.
Important: Taste is subjective. Everyone should decide for themselves how much or little tea/tisane to use.
How long will tea stay fresh? Unopened, packaged tea can last a year beyond any "best by" date (as indicated on the package). Dry leaves will last a very long time, but tea will eventually lose flavor. Store tea in a dry, dark place at room temperature and you are sure to have a beverage you will enjoy. We seal our tea in food-safe barrier packages to ensure moisture control and flavor.
Why is there so little in the fruit tea (tisane) in the pouch I ordered, yet the herbal tea (tisane) pouch is filled to the top? Our tea and tisane products are sold by weight. We blend fruit teas using mostly dried fruit (some of them contain some herbs or flower petals). They are much heavier than our leafy teas and tisanes (e.g. Alpine Spring) who only contain lightweight herbs and flower petals.
How to prepare tea? Below we explain the hot brewing methods for different types of teas/tisanes and the cold brewing method.
- We recommend always starting with filtered cold water or spring water.
- Keep in mind that the oxygen content in water will be reduced in the boiling process. Having less oxygen in the water can result in flat tasting tea. Below we provide recommendation for the water temperatures for steeping tea (some are below the boiling point). Make sure your water is safe to drink at those temperatures without boiling it.
- You can use an infuser or let the leaves roam freely in your vessel of choice and use a strainer after the recommended steeping time.
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Herbal and fruit tea:
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Chai:
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Black tea:
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Green tea:
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Oolong tea:
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White tea:
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Pu-Erh:
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| *tastes are different. I like my green tea, oolong and white tea at lower end of recommended steeping temperatures. Try it out to find your preferred steeping temperature. |
Cold tea brewing (as the name suggest) uses only cold water for the steeping process (the brewing). This requires a longer steeping time as the leaves need more time to release their flavors. However, one benefit is that this results in a lighter tasting tea with less astringency and less bitterness. Another added benefit is that you will not be able to over-steep your tea as it can happen when using the hot brewing method.
1. find a pitcher or glass jar
2. use about 2 teaspoons of your favorite loose leaf tea for 2 cups of room temperature water or cold water. (We recommend using filtered, freshly drawn cold water). **you can also add fruit pieces (e.g. Mountain Morning Air pairs well with fresh lemon slices)
3. you may add your sweetener of choice at this point, but we recommend waiting as cold brew tea is naturally sweeter in taste
4. cover the pitcher and place it in the refrigerator. The times below are a suggestion. Feel free to experiment with steeping times according to your own taste.
Oolong tea: Oolong teas have complex flavor profiles that can change from steep to steep. Good oolong will give you at least 2-3 steepings if not more. Be aware that flavored teas will use their potency after the first steeping.
We give you suggestions on steeping times. You may want to try shorter or longer times depending on your taste. You can also try adding honey or sugar to sweeten your tea/tisane (be careful adding sweetener to fruit blends and herbal blends with stevia leaves as those blends are naturally sweet). You might also enjoy adding milk to your black tea blends.
