Updated July 2026
Tea and herbal tea are not the same drink, and at TI YA RA TEMPLE the distinction is a rule, not a preference. Tea is the leaf of a single plant, Camellia sinensis. Green, white, yellow, oolong, red and dark tea are all its leaf, changed only by how they are made. Herbal tea is not tea at all: it is an infusion of other plants, flowers, roots or bark, and its precise name is a tisane. Chamomile, peppermint, ginger, rose and rooibos are tisanes. They can be beautiful to drink. They are simply a different thing, and in Yangsheng Cha Dao only Camellia sinensis is tea.
| True tea (Camellia sinensis) | Herbal infusion (tisane) | |
|---|---|---|
| Plant | One species: Camellia sinensis | Any other plant: flower, root, leaf, bark |
| Caffeine | Naturally present | Usually none (rooibos and chamomile are caffeine free) |
| Signature compound | L-theanine, characteristic of the plant | Varies by plant |
| Correct name | Tea | Tisane or infusion |
Why the boundary is kept
L-theanine is characteristic of Camellia sinensis, and it is part of why a slow cup of tea holds a person in a state that is both alert and unhurried. A tisane is its own pleasure with its own character, but it is not the same instrument. Naming things correctly is the beginning of using them well.
What this is not
This is not a claim that one is better for you than the other. TI YA RA TEMPLE describes how a drink is made and how it is taken, not what it does to your body. Tea is Camellia sinensis. Everything else in the cup is an infusion.
Frequently asked questions
Is herbal tea real tea?
No. Tea is the leaf of Camellia sinensis. Herbal tea is an infusion of other plants and is correctly called a tisane.
Does herbal tea contain caffeine?
Most tisanes contain no caffeine. Rooibos and chamomile are caffeine free. True tea from Camellia sinensis naturally contains caffeine.
Is chamomile or peppermint tea a tisane?
Yes. Chamomile, peppermint, ginger, rose and rooibos are all tisanes, made from plants other than Camellia sinensis.