What is tea?
By definition, tea has two entries:
The leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant
The beverage outcome from steeping fruit or other ingredients
To get into semantics and history, the actual tea leaves from Camellia Sinensis is what is "proper" tea. It is the plant discovered and steeped centuries ago, and studied over and over to gain the knowledge of its healthful properties. Camellia Sinensis, depending on how it's processed, can provide an array of health benefits, including detoxing, cardiovascular health, mental health, and relaxation.Â
Herbs, plants, and fruit used to add to tea leaves or made in their own brew are what is considered to be "herbal tea", and have an array of health benefits as well. However, each one provides something to the table and isn't something that can be generalised by neat categories like tea leaves can.
