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Is Chamomile Tea Really Tea? Chamomile tea is not really tea. Chamomile tea is what is known as an herbal infusion. Only teas derived from Camellia sinensis are true teas. Everything else, including chamomile tea, is an herbal infusion.
That’s the short answer. And it doesn’t really matter in everyday practice. What you call it doesn’t really matter as long as you understand the fundamental difference.
Green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea are the only true teas, everything else is an infusion or herbal tea.
The reality is that calling a chamomile infusion tea is perfectly acceptable. It is also known as an herbal infusion, herbal tea, or a tisane. Herbal tea and herbal infusion are interchangeable terms.
No one really uses the word tisane when describing herbal tea unless they want to sound a little smarter than the audience they are talking to. You will see it used quite a bit on tea websites but it means the exact same thing as herbal tea to herbal infusions.
So we call it chamomile tea even though it is not really tea. This might be a revelation to you. The vast majority of people think of herbal tea as tea.
They don’t differentiate chamomile tea from green tea for example. It’s all on the same shelf in the store and it’s all called the same thing. The differences are huge, however.
Chamomile tea is one of the hundreds of different herbal teas. Rose petals and lavender to peppermint and cherry bark to aniseed and calendula, these are all herbal teas, that aren’t really teas.
Typically herbal teas fall into a variety of categories based on what part of the plant you are using. For chamomile tea, the flower is used making it a flower herbal infusion.
Check out our list of the 10 best chamomile teas to try this year. You won’t want to miss out on some of these amazing blends.
Fun Facts And Related Questions For Chamomile Tea
Is Chamomile Tea An Herbal Tea?
Dovetailing off of the overall question is this follow up question. Chamomile tea is an herbal tea even though it is not really tea at all. Confused? Don’t be.
Herbal tea is simply an agreed-upon name for any herbal infusion or tisane that is made from plants other than the Camellia sinensis plant. Chamomile tea is made from chamomile flowers and thus qualifies as an herbal tea.
Does Chamomile Tea Go With Milk?
Milk or cream is a great way to smooth out some of the bitterness and earthy flavor that is present in chamomile tea. Generally, the flavor of chamomile tea is pretty mild and the bitterness is minimal.
For some people, especially new tea drinkers, the earthiness and bitterness are too much and you need to add milk or cream just to make it palatable.
I always recommend drinking a few cups of a new tea without anything added to it, just to see if you like the flavor at all. Then add sweeteners or milk if you have to.
Is Chamomile Tea As Healthy As Green Tea?
This is a tough one. The truth is I don’t know. How do you define “healthy”. Chamomile tea has no caffeine, green tea does. Does that make chamomile tea healthier? Maybe, unless you want some of the health benefits of caffeine.
The bottom line is that most tea is pretty good for you. Even if you only drink it as a calorie free beverage there are going to be benefits of not drinking a ton of calories each day.
Drink whatever tea you like and enjoy the antioxidants and benefits of the tea. You can always check the finer details of each individual tea to see what other benefits it might have for you.
Is Chamomile Tea Astringent?
There is certainly a little bit of bitterness in the flavor profile of chamomile tea but I would not classify the tea overall as astringent. Then again, what tea tastes like for each individual is going to differ wildly from person to person.
While I don’t find chamomile tea particularly astringent, someone else might find it incredibly bitter and undrinkable.
Is Chamomile Tea Always Caffeine Free?
It is important to note that chamomile tea is not decaffeinated. It never had caffeine, to begin with so it is naturally caffeine-free. Decaffeinated teas like decaffeinated green or black tea still have some level of caffeine most of the time.
If you want a purely caffeine-free chamomile tea then you should not blend it with a true tea like green tea, even a decaffeinated one.
Is Chamomile Tea All Natural?
Pure chamomile tea, which is tea made from just chamomile flowers is going to be all-natural. Most chamomile tea brands are organic and all-natural as well.
I am not aware of any chamomile tea drinks that have additives or artificial flavors but they may well exist, those would not be considered all-natural.
But for the most part, any chamomile tea that you buy is going to be all-natural as it is simply the flowers that you steep in water.
Is Chamomile Tea An Anti-Oxidant?
Chamomile tea is not an anti-oxidant in and of itself but it is loaded with anti-oxidants. Most herbal teas and true teas are great sources of anti-oxidants that you can easily add to your diet. Anti-oxidants can play a crucial role in your overall health(source).
What Is Chamomile Tea Made Of?
At its base chamomile tea has only 2 ingredients. Chamomile flowers and water. Steeping the chamomile flowers, either dried or fresh, in hot water will create the herbal infusion we know as chamomile tea.
You can then add any type of sweetener, milk, or blend it with other teas to make your own unique chamomile drink.
Closing Thoughts
Short and sweet. Well, sweet if you add sugar to your chamomile tea. But I digress. Chamomile tea is not really tea but it’s fine to call it tea.
The whole point here is that it really doesn’t matter. The majority of people will call herbal teas “tea”, some will call them infusions and a tiny minority will refer to them as tisanes.
Herbal teas are a brand unto themselves at this point. The bottom line here is that you can call it whatever you like, but most importantly choose teas, real or herbal, that is going to make your life a little more relaxing and a little more enjoyable for those few minutes that you are sipping on a wonderful cup of tea, or infusion, or tisane or whatever.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day