Is herbal tea real tea?
You’re right, herbal “teas” are actually herbal infusions, and can be made from many things. The word tea is misused for these things, as tea is actually an infusion of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal teas can be made from different parts of the plant, and each part will tend to taste different. Mint leaves are steeped to make mint tea. Usually, dry leaves are used, but you might try using fresh. You can add orange peel to other teas, but the peel is oily and a tea that’s stron enough to have a lot of flavor would probably be oily and unpleasant. Anise or fennel seeds are good, as you know. Slices of raw ginger, or ground ginger makes a lovely tea. Lavender flowers are good. Chamomile flowers are also nice. Experiment, mix different things together. Try new stuff.
