Have you ever wondered?

What is tea, what is not tea, what is an herbal infusion and what are our Sips & Treats? Don't' worry if it sounds confusing; it was confusing to me at first. However, here we break it down for you. :) 

A Tisane or Herbal Infusions

The word Tisane, a French word for the term herbal infusion,  usually consists of dry flowers, fruits, and herbs. Fruit teas or tisanes are caffeine-free blends containing a range of fruits, spices, and herbs. These medicinal drinks, at times, can be called detox teas or health elixirs. In fact,  there is evidence of their significance dating back to ancient China and Egypt. 

One of the first-ever recorded legends tells the story of Shen Nong or "Divine farmer." He is said to have lived during 2737-2697 BC and broadly recognized as the god of Chinese medicine. His passion for health and the medicinal qualities of herbs inspired him to teach the ancient Chinese of new practices of agriculture and herbal medicine. Texts from philosophical classics of from the Han Dynasty claim that Shen Nong transformed ancient people's diets from one based on meats and clams to one of based on grains and vegetables. 

Shen Nong is believed to have charted his thorough study of herbs, translated to English as The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor, which is the authoritative text for Chinese medical theory and acupuncture. 

Tisanes can be served hot or cold; they can be prepared either by an infusion or by decoction. Preparation by Infusion: By pouring boiling water over a plant matter, as we do in preparing tea.  Preparation by Decoction: By placing the plant matter in actively boiling water to release more essential oils and flavors. 

• Leaf tisanes: lemon balm, mint, lemongrass, and French verbena

• Flower tisanes: rose, chamomile, hibiscus, and lavender

• Bark tisanes: cinnamon, slippery elm, and black cherry bark

• Root tisanes: ginger, echinacea, and chicory

• Fruit/berry tisane: raspberry, elderberry, blueberry, peach, and apple

• Seed/spice tisanes: cardamom, caraway, and fennel

While there are lots of ways to enjoy the delicious and healthful benefits of herbs, fruits, flowers and spices the blending of Tisanes is truly an art. 

We will share an article on our process blending process later. However, if you have a delicious recipe to share, don’t be shy leave us a comment below. 

A Tea

A Tea must include the plant "Camellia Sinensis", famously called Tea plant.  In fact, this is such a strict definition that in many countries in Europe the term "Tea" is highly regulated. Teas fall into three categories, Green, Oolong and Black Tea. The principal difference between the three types of drinks is the length of time that the leaves undergo fermentation. 

When I started learning more about this plant, I was fascinated. Primarily I was captivated by the fact that even in the 18th century, and then well into the 20th-century tea was a source of economic interest. Tea often captivated the attention of many governments and lawmakers. 

Many have claimed that drinking tea is a ritual dating almost 5000 years. Purportedly, it was also discovered in 2737 BC by Chinese Shen-Nong,  referred to as "The Divine Farmer or Divine Healer."

While tea is often associated with Asian cultures, like India and China its interest and variety have managed to spread worldwide. There are records of tea as an essential drink in society that even date back to the Tang Dynasty 620-750AD with a beautiful publication by Lu Yu's The Classic of Tea, which facilitated the rapid spread of tea consumption into the Chinese countryside.  

When I read chapter four on utensils, I was astounded by the beautiful precision with which Lu Yu describes the 28 items used for brewing and drinking tea. The description made me think about how those ritualistic actions make the ordinary extraordinary. 

From there the Portuguese and Dutch explorers were among the first to write about tea and bring it all back to Europe. In this way, the popularity of "tea" spread to the social elite of France and eventually England in the 1650s. Soon, the British East India Company became the monopolist in its trade. 

While some of our Sips & Treats include the Camellia Sinensis our blends also include herbs, flowers, fruits, and spices, highlighting a whole new world of flavor. 

Sips & Treats

With our Sips & Treats, we marry tea, tisanes, and spiced fruit drinks to step up the game.  Our smart and beautiful drinks provide a delicious and refreshing play on flavors, colors, aromas, and wellness intentions. 

All of our Sips & Treats contain a delicate base of leaves, flowers, barks, roots, and/or spices. These carefully designed bases balance wellness intentions, textures, and delicious flavor profiles. The best part of our Sips & Treats is that they are both a  drink and a light dessert treat. Yes, the beverage is absolutely delicious and probably unlike anything that you have ever tasted, but the fruit pieces? Just wow! The organic whole slices in our Sips & Treats soak in all the flavors, and they are an absolutely delightful way to enjoy fruits. 

In my opinion, fishing for the fruits in my drink is my favorite part of the experience. I usually grab a small fork or spoon, and while I take small sips off my drink, I also accompany them with the pieces of fruit. The experience reminds me of the boba in a bubble, but in this case, the pieces burst with natural flavors and are full of fibers. Sometimes with Boba, I feel a bit bloated after drinking with all that sugar, but with Capuli I just feel fabulous every single time. Preparing our Sips & Treats is a little different than most Tisanes or Teas. Teas and Tisanes can usually steep for 2- 15 minutes just by infusing the tea component with the poured over boiling water. Our Sips & Treats are a little different. The water added to the cup needs to be as hot as possible, or boiling (100 C 212 F).

For best flavor, a surface or lid needs to be placed over the drink while it steeps, rehydrates and infuses. Covering the bottle allows for the fruits to fully rehydrate and reconstitute. Our blends need that longer cooking time because the large pieces of fruit need a slow coction period to rehydrate fully. If they were to be boiled, they would disintegrate in the process.  The Sips & Treats that do not contain the "tea" plant cannot oversteep.  In fact, for the Pitcher Packs, we recommend a steeping time of 30 minutes or longer.  If you are looking for a perfect pitcher for Capuli check ours out.  If you are not craving our Sips & Treats at this point, all we can say is give them a try!  

If you prepare them well, we are sure that you will not regret it and you will want to try them again. 

If you have any flavor suggestions or any other suggestions, please reach out with a comment below!  

We would love to hear from you! 

Warmly,