Celestial Seasonings

Fra FAQ'en på www.celestialseasonings.com: What are the differences between green, black, white, red, chai, honeybush and herb teas?

Black tea - what we commonly think of when someone mentions "tea" - is made from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis, a white-flowering evergreen bush native to China and India.

The leaves used for green tea are the same as those that make black and oolong teas, but they are either steamed or pan-fired right after being picked.

Grown only in the remote mountains of China, white tea consists of just the first tender buds and top leaves of the tea bush that are gathered only in springtime.

Rooibos ("red bush" in Afrikaans) tea is made from the twigs and leaves of the rooibos bush that grows naturally in the dry, sandy soils of the Cedarburg Mountains of South Africa.

Chai is just black tea with a blend of herbs and spices. In India, often times families will have their own secret blend of herbs and spices for their family's chai. Spices commonly used in chai include cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and black pepper. Sometimes the spices are mellowed with anise and vanilla.

Honeybush is a bright, yellow-flowered bush native to South Africa. The stems and flowers create a delicate honey-sweet herb tea with floral and fruity notes. It has been long enjoyed as a soothing herbal tonic and is a healthful source of minerals and antioxidants.

Herb tea is made from many different plants using not just leaves, but also flowers, roots, bark and seeds. Herb tea does not contain any part of the Camellia sinensis plant and is therefore naturally caffeine free.