The differences between infusions and herbal teas, and how to choose
With the start of the new year, you will surely be full of good intentions, like the desire to start looking after your health and well being again. But where to begin? The first step has got to be to say goodbye to the delicious foods and snacks that have filled your lives and covered your tables over the Christmas period, and to adopt a healthy diet. Then perhaps it may have occurred to you to go back to the gym or pick up jogging where you left off, (or perhaps to start any physical activities for the first time!) At any rate, to dedicate yourself to getting fit. But what if we told you that besides these inviolable steps, you could do something more for your health? Something incredibly enjoyable for the mind and body?
We are talking about infusions and herbal teas, two worlds often identified as one, but that actually have very different characteristics. We can explore the difference between infusions and herbal teas by looking more closely at the two terms. "Infusion” or “brew", is in fact a generic name to intend ingredients that, left in hot or cold water, diffuse their scents, aromas and flavours much like with teas which are obtained or brewed from the infusion of the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Assamica plant.
"Herbal Tea" however, refers to a drink prepared using the leaves, roots or stems of medicinal plants containing numerous beneficial characteristics for our body.
Detoxification, diuretic effects, relaxing, digestion: both infusions and teas contain many properties which can help you start the year with great flavour and plenty energy. What will your favourite beverage be?
The differences between infusions and herbal teas
Now that we have revealed the basic difference between infusions and herbal teas, we can explore these two healthy, aromatic and beneficial worlds in more depth.
Infusions
An infusion is a drink obtained by brewing, that is by placing flowers, fruits, spices, roots and leaves of a particular plant in hot or cold water to extract its beneficial properties and its aromas. Ergo teas are infusions, but so are chamomile tea, and a drink you do not hear mentioned very often, but that has a great variety of benefits, especially for the digestive system and that is hibiscus tea or karkadè. Also called red tea, karkadè is an infusion obtained from the hibiscus plant and is full to its roots of beneficial properties.
Chamomile, as many of you will know, is an infusion obtained from the flowers of the homonymous plant and has a calming and relaxing effect.
But the first drink we want to talk about to illustrate the difference between herbal teas and infusions is tea itself.
It is obtained by blending the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant and Camellia Assamica. Tea is an ancient drink that has fascinated every part of the world with its powerful energy, from Ancient China to Japan, from India to the United Kingdom and even from the Maghreb to Russia: tea comes second only to water as the most popular drink worldwide and it is hardly surprising given the vast range of types, aromas and flavours that can be found, mixed and brewed.
Green tea: an elixir for beauty
If you are looking for a philtre for beauty and wellness, green tea is the right choice for you! Thanks to its strong antioxidant powers, this type of tea counteracts cell ageing. This happens not only by drinking the infusion, but also by ingesting it in other ways, especially in cosmetic products. Green tea, for example, is used as a component of body, face and hair lotions.
We at Babingtons always prefer to enjoy its pleasant scents and aromas by infusion. For example, our Citrus Blossom, a fresh and regenerating Japanese sencha tea.
Citrus Blossom Tea - Airtight Tin
THIS BLEND COULD ARRIVE IN A DIFFERENT COLOR TIN
A delicious, healthy green Sencha tea blended with 7 different citrus fruits to give it its unique and tasty aroma.
White tea: precious and delicate
Also known as "the emperor's tea", white tea is one of the most valuable varieties. It has a delicate and soft taste, and is at the same time tantalising, however this is not its only particularity. Imagine, if you will, when harvesting this tea only the youngest shoots and leaves of the tea plant are selected which is why the leaves are only ever picked by hand.
The uniqueness of white tea is also reflected in its beneficial characteristics. Because of its richness in vitamins C and E (which are metabolism stimulants) it is often prescribed in low-calorie diets. Moreover, it gives a good dose of energy, while relaxing the body and the mind. In fact, theanine is an amino acid present in tea that relaxes and gives a feeling of physical and mental well-being. And since white tea has a higher concentration of tea components, it is a great help for keeping concentration levels high whilst relaxing the body at the same time.
Are you curious to try it? Then we recommend White Passion. A wonderful blend dedicated to all dreamers, in which we have enriched the delicious Pai Mu Tan with natural fruit ingredients.
Royal White Passion Tea - Airtight Tin
THIS BLEND COULD ARRIVE IN A DIFFERENT COLOR TIN
A wonderful, refreshing Pai Mu Tan scented with pear, peach and exotic fruit. The white tea is a perfect base for this light, delicate blend.
Black tea: a charge of energy
We talked about the benefits of green and white tea, but did you know that even black tea gives us huge amounts of wellness along with pleasant flavours and aromas? Indeed, several studies have shown that black tea can help prevent heart disease, delay skin ageing, and even lose weight. Good news, especially with the beginning of the new year, when one of the first things we usually want to do is to get back on track with a healthy diet after the Christmas frivolities!
Black tea, like all teas, contains vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and caffeine and is an excellent coffee substitute in the morning. Its taste is very intense, especially if you choose a blend with a very persistent flavour and aroma such as our Scottish Blend.
Scottish Blend - Airtight Tin
A powerful and robust blend of Ceylon and Assam black teas with hints of citrus, honey and malt. A tribute to Scotland, the birthplace of Isabel Cargill
If you prefer spicy aromas, we recommend our Colonial Chai, a delicious blend of Assam tea, rich in Indian spices.
Karha Chai Tea - Airtight Tin
All-natural rich, spicy blend of Black Tea.
Oolong: a tea for any time of day
Oolong, blue tea and black dragon. These are some of the names given to this variety of tea with infinite beneficial characteristics. We say "infinite" because oolong is a tea that is halfway between black and green teas in its processing technique. In fact, if black tea goes through complete oxidation and green tea is only very lightly oxidised then it follows that because blue tea undergoes partial oxidation it means that many beneficial properties of black tea and green tea are enclosed in oolong’s leaves.
Furthermore, despite having a strong and structured taste, the presence of caffeine is lower. That's why oolong tea is absolutely perfect for every moment of the day, even in the evening.
If you have never tasted an oolong tea, treat yourself to our In The Mood for Love, you’ll be delighted. A well-balanced blend, but at the same time unique and particular which has already fascinated the majority of our fans.
In the Mood for Love Tea - Airtight Tin
A delightfully refreshing oolong tea with hints of citrus and pineapple. Oolong tea is partly oxidized and it’s strength is somewhere between black teas and green teas.
Having inundated your taste buds with our flavoursome teas, we’d like to take a deeper look at the differences between infusions and herbal teas by telling you about other blends we think are ideal for this time of year.
The world of herbal teas
To fully understand the difference between infusion and herbal tea, allow us to transport you to another world. A world made up of numerous and varied types of not just herbs, but also flowers, fruits and spices, blended to give a sense of wellbeing, warmth and taste. With herbal teas it is possible to draw on the properties and characteristics contained in many diverse types of plants thus giving life to a very healthy drink which is also why there are so many different types of herbal teas!
An infusion to . . .
Herbal teas are among the few drinks we can allow ourselves whenever the mood takes us. Because they are caffeine-free, they are ideal for every moment of the day, from first thing in the morning for a good pampering, until the evening or last thing at night to relieve the tiredness of the day. The world of herbal teas is so full of different flavours and aromas that it's really difficult not to find a favourite blend!
. . . sleep peacefully
Every herbal tea has its own specific beneficial characteristics. If you are looking for a relaxing blend that will help you to sleep easily, our Sleepy is the right herbal tea for you.
We have carefully selected our ingredients for this blend and have successfully achieved a tea that is both relaxing and tasty. Based on chamomile flowers, we added rose petals, fennel, lemon balm, linden flowers and lavender. The result is an ideal herbal tea to sip in the evening in complete relaxation, before going to sleep.
Sweet Dreams Tea - Airtight Tin
Floral, slightly sweet bed time Herbal Tea.
When it comes to bed time there is nothing better than a soothing herbal tea which really works.
. . . a detox effect
Another typical effect of some herbal teas is detoxification of our system, helping to eliminate toxins and restore our bodies to health. With selected drinks and detoxifying foods, we can help organs such as our liver and kidneys to expel harmful substances from our bodies that would otherwise lead to various kinds of illness.
Allowing ourselves a detoxifying drink every now and then is important, but it is also important to detox without putting ourselves through too much sacrifice. And that is precisely our aim in the preparation of our Detox Herbal Tea. We have enriched the detoxifying power of the blend by adding delicious aromas and flavours of peppermint, chamomile, liquorice, echinacea, burdock root and dandelion leaves.
Purity Herbal Tea - Airtight Tin
Detoxifying ourselves is always a good way to take care of our body and mind. That’s why we have created a detox herbal tea which is also good to drink!
. . . help digestion
Digestive teas are an excellent natural remedy for when we allow ourselves to over indulge a little at table. So, if you notice a slight feeling of bloating or are having a little trouble digesting then an herbal tea made from spearmint and fennel is ideal. Both in fact have strong digestive powers and are also refreshing. This is why we have chosen these particular ingredients for our Digestive Tea, to which we have added liquorice and anise to make it even fresher and more pleasant on the palate.
Fresh & Light Herbal Tea - Airtight Tin
This herbal tea is made with ingredients that help digest and at the same time leave a wonderfully fresh aftertaste!
The differences between infusions and herbal teas: which one will you choose?
Now that you have understood the differences between infusions and herbal teas, all you need to do is choose your favourite blend: infusions based on exquisite tea blends, to give wellness and energy to the body and mind, or herbal teas with which to pamper yourselves in the cold winter days . Babingtons offers a wide selection of infusions and herbal teas that you can sip at home or in our Tearooms in Piazza di Spagna. And if you want to accompany your moments of relaxation with a sweet taste from our bakery, we will be happy to recommend the best combinations!
