Have you ever heard your grandmother asking you take certain herbs when you are sick! Well, this is the exact philosophy and logic behind the wonder full world of herbal tea. The herbs or the tisanes are infused in the tea and the goodness of these herbs is consumed by the tea drinker. Thus, making and drinking of this tea is both healthy and delectable!

Herbal tea is brewed just like any other tea. The herbs or the tisanes need a good brewing so that the flavor and all the goodness comes out! The tisanes or the actual herbs come from carefully planned and planted botanicals and this is what makes it so special, popular and healthy. Herbal infusions can have an array of things – barks, nuts, flower of the plant etc. It totally depends on what plant and what kind of benefit its offering to the consumer.

Herbs and herbal tea has always had some magic and folk lore surrounding it. It is amazing the way people get captivated and fascinated with the combination of taste, flavor and the rich goodness of these herbs! Many health benefits can be achieved:

• Increases energy levels
• Complements and supplements the digestive juices
• Supports heart health
• Helps in relaxing frayed nerves
• Helps in increasing blood flow to all parts of the body
• Helps in cleansing out our system

There are tons of herbs and herb mixtures available and specially grown for the mankind! Before you actually start a schedule of herb tea drinking, it is necessary to know which herb and which infusion will cause which benefit! If you are looking for cleansing property, well ginger and not peppermint will do the trick. It is better to consultant an expert and then start.

You can also have amazing tea parties with just the beautiful taste and aromas of the tisanes. Health benefits can follow but the delectable flavor can do the trick in the mean time! There is nothing like a perfectly brewed herbal tea, group of friends and a nice warm afternoon!

Have you ever wondered why someone’s tea tastes really good and when you try to make same kind of tea, it may or may not turn out t be as good. Well, every likes tea, but not every can brew a nice cup of tea. Here are some guidelines on brewing and the right temperature.

Brewing it right:

• Place 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in an infuser
• Bring water to a boil
• Warm the tea pot and boil the water
• Place the tea infuser inside the mug / tea pot
• Add the boiling water
• Steep according to proper steep times
• Remove infuser
• Enjoy fresh tea!

Brewing the right tea in a right fashion is as important as brewing it at a right temperature. People just think that boiling it is enough but they are mistaken. Bring it to a right temperature and you are good to go! It is a said that a good boil is needed to bring out the full flavors of teas but lower temperatures are a must for green tea in order to avoid the bitter taste. Thermometer is must if you want a perfect tea.

• Ideal temperature for nice, fresh, delicate green tea is between 160-180 degree F. at this temperature, tiny bubbles begin to float to the surface of the water
• If it is a strong green tea and not very delicate, even 180-190 F is great. Here, bubbles form a line and sink to the bottom
• Well, if you are one of those who like a strong oolong or a nice black tea, boil the water to at least 200 F

Right temperature of water will fetch you a nice cup of tea. Making good tea is a science and an art. Science deals with right temperatures, equipments, brewing method, selecting the tea leaves etc. but ultimately, how you mix the ingredients and how passionately you brew your cup, is the art! Remember, no one gets it right the first time. But do not lose hope! Try and try, you will succeed!

When we think of tea, it is usually a hot cup of black tea or a nice hot pot of masala chai or a fragrant oolong. Common denominator is that it is hot! Tea or even coffee is usually synonymous with been “hot and warm”. Well, with the world wanting something new every day and youngsters craving for different flavors every time, the world of tea has something else to offer to the world – Iced tea!

Thanks to America that iced tea is here today. It is one of the most popular cold beverages in USA and other parts of the world. Just like coffee, it can be store bought and made instantly. But the beauty of iced tea is to brew it at home and make it real. Great iced teas can be made with any black tea as well as flavored teas like peach, lemon etc. One secret behind not clouding the tea is to allow it to cool down naturally! Well here are more secrets to make a perfect iced tea:

• Pour your favorite hot tea very lot of ice. Steep 2 tea spoon of lose tea in 8 ounces of hot water for 3 minutes. If you are infusing green tea, keep it for a minute only. Then pour this over a glass packed with ice. The rapid cooling will give you nice iced tea without any clouds
• There is another method to brew nice iced tea. Double the amount of tea leaves and steep it longer, for around 5 minutes and then pour it into a glass (half filled with hot tea and half with ice cold water). This chills and dilutes the tea
• Place 2 tea spoon loose tea in a tea filter, place this on a pitcher and fill it with nice ice cold water. Let this infusion take place over night in a refrigerator. Enjoy a nice iced tea in the morning!

Making ice tea is a skill as well as an art. Store bought ice tea ix is quick and easy but where is the fun of actually making your own iced tea and enjoying it!

Whether it is delicious scones with high tea in England, sitting on a tatami mat in Japan awaiting a cuppa green tea, enjoying Masala chai early in the morning in India or adding hot water to black tea from a samovar in Russia, Tea has always been associated with culture, heritage and traditions. Every type of tea has a story to tell and every tradition across the world is associated with drinking tea!

French tea:

Tea parlors and tea salons are more in the French land than coffee shops in USA or tea shops in England! French give much reverence to wine and also to tea. These tea shops in France were established as early as 1850`s and they sell around 500 types of tea

English tea:

All said and done when we think about tea, British or the English people first come to our mind and not without a good reason! Traditionally, English tea is a strong and full bodied blend and British people love this tea with little sugar and cream. In UK, high tea is a meal in itself where numerous cups of tea are served with few savory and sweet tit bits to munch on

German tea:

When we think of Germany, first thing that strikes us is that they are beer lovers. Well, they are equally into tea drinking and take tea tradition very seriously! Fact remains that some of the biggest tea importers are based out of Hamburg and the northern Germany region boasts of highest tea per capita consumption than anyone else in the world. Germans love their loose tea!

Russian Tea:

Drinking nice black tea from a samovar has its own charm AND ALL Russians are besotted and addicted to this concept. They dilute their strong tea with hot water, add sugar or fruit jam to sweeten it and voila! A favorite Russian cuppa is made. Tea is usually had in the afternoon or after an evening meal. It is served in a glass held in a silver holder with handles. They also serve their tea in glass mugs which is peculiar to Russian tradition. They enjoy full bodied teas from Vietnam, Assam or Kenya