• 1337tux@lemmy.worldOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Wait. Really? I thought tea is defined as drink made of tea leaves. Well, you always learn something new :)

    • shuzuko
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Traditionally, yes, to be a tea it must be made with camellia leaves (usually sinensis, but sometimes taliensis). Anything else is technically a tisane or an infusion, not a tea.

      But that only matters if you’re a tea snob ;)

    • simonced@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I know, that’s surprising. I live in Japan and saw many different types of teas.

      About the black beans tea, here is one article if you’d like some reading: https://senbirdtea.com/5-health-benefits-of-kuromamecha-black-soybean-tea/

      Also, I had gobocha here, which is made off of dried roots, and my wife makes some tea with dried mushrooms.

      Maybe those are more like infusions to be honest, but the Japanese word to describe those drinks is “cha” which is basically tea.