Herbal tea is a beverage made from steeping or boiling herbs and other botanicals. Herbal teas can be prepared in a variety of manners, can be made from a variety of different herbal ingredients, and are sometimes mixed with non herbal ingredients as well.http://www.readersdigest.ca/food/cms/xcms/healing-herbal-teas_624_a.html

Background:
Herbal tea use probably dates back tens of thousands of years when the first root or herb was boiled in water and the resulting tea was drank. There is a story of a Chinese emperor who was credited with the invention of herbal tea, the story is as follows:

The legend revolves around an ancient Chinese emperor named Shennong, who was also a herbalist and farmer by nature. While on a journey in around the year 2737 BCE, on a short rest stop, he had his servants boil water to make it safe to drink, accidentally a number of twigs and leaves from what would become known as the tea plant fell into the water. The emperor noticed this and decided to test the discoloured water and apparently enjoyed it thus herbal tea was invented.

The truth of how herbal teas were first created is more likely early human experimentation with finding ways to eat the herbs, and other vegetation they found.

http://www.teaherbaltea.com/history-of-herbal-tea.html,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

Buying Herbal Teas:
There are many herbal teas on the market, many name brand herbal teas as well as private label and custom herbal teas for sale. Herbal tea is typically sold in two formats, as a bulk dry good or in individually sealed pouches or sachets. Bulk loose herbal teas are usually not blended herbals but a single herbal product, unless a custom blend has been created. For bulk herbal teas, there are various tools and items tho facilitate the easy use of the loose product. Some of these include:

1. Specialized herbal tea pots, with dry herb holders built in them so as to strain the drink once steeped.
2. Specialized ceramic and stainless steel strainer containers.
3. Specially made straining pouches with draw string enclosure
   
   

Many people enjoy their herbal teas pre-packaged in separate sealed satchels or bags for convenience and ease of use. Many of the products on store shelve come in this way and are known as “tea bags”. A single tea bag is generally used per 6 ounce serving of tea, with multiple 2-3 bags being used to brew a pot of tea, depending of course on the size of your tea pot.,ref>http://www.naturalherbsguide.com/</ref>

Due to the many health benefits that have been reported for many herbs, herbal teas that use herbs renown for health benefits are being used as herbal medicines and herbal supplements in peoples diets and daily life. [Herbal medicine]] and the use of herbal medicinal teas is probably the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind.

Herbal tea is one of the most common items used by a Herbalist when treating their clients. Herbal teas contain the medicinal ellements of the herbs they are made from and so a Herbalist will oftem prepare custom herbal teas as remedies to assist the body to become more balanced.http://www.livescience.com/health/090910-flu-remedy.html2

• - Wildcrafted flowers and herbs

• - Organically Grown flowers, herbs and other botonicals

• - Loose packed dried herbs and other botonoicals

• - Sealed packets of premeasured tea mix ussually 1 cup use

• - Roots and bark teas are also available but not as common

• - Custom blended tea and herbals, many Herbalists can and will create custom herbal blends http://islanddruid.shorturl.com/