Herbal Teas and Specialty Tea Drinks

Herbal teas are beverages that are brewed like tea but that are made with herbs, spices, dried fruits, and other plant ingredients in place of tea leaves, or sometimes in addition to tea leaves. In other words, most herbal tea contains no actual tea. Hundreds of flavors and blends are available, far too many to list, and most purveyors have their own proprietary blends. Mint and chamomile are among the most popular herb teas.

Chai (rhymes with pie) is a spiced milk and tea blend that originated in India and has become popular in the West. Chai is the word for “tea” in several languages. The mixed beverage called chai is made of black tea, milk, spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and black peppercorns, and sugar or another sweetener. In the West, chai is generally made from commercial mixes.