Tisane is a French word which means an infusion of herbs, flowers, or leaves. In other words, a kind of tea. In early times, they were seen as cures for many ailments. Nowadays, people drink them because they taste good. They’re usually made with dried herbs, although I prefer tisanes made with fresh ingredients. Tisanes can also be made with chamomile flowers, lemon balm, marjoram, sage, thyme, and orange blossoms.–Elsa Petersen-Schepelern
LC A Traditional Tisaniere Note
A tisaniere, as author Elsa Petersen-Schepelern explains, is simply a tall, lidded cup with a strainer inside to hold herbs. You can sometimes happen upon them in antique shops, flea markets, and the online like, though they’re not at all essential for making tisane. A French press or a tea pot works quite well, thank you.
Rosemary Tisane Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 sprigs of rosemary, or 6 tablespoons orange pekoe tea leaves in a diffuser
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, at room temperature
Directions
- 1. Place the rosemary and honey in a French press or teapot, cover with boiling water, and let the mixture infuse for about 5 minutes.
- 2. Plunge or strain the rosemary infused tea and sip it warm or at room temperature.
Thirsty for more? Sip on these:
- Honey Lemon Balm Spritzer from She Wears Many Hats
- Italian Greyhound with Rosemary Sugar from Family Style Food
- Lillet Apertif from Leite's Culinaria
- Rosemary Lemon Drop from Leite's Culinaria
Rosemary Tisane Recipe © 1992 Elsa Petersen-Schepelern. Photo © 2010 Ryland Peters & Small. All rights reserved.
[Karen Depp] So easy and perfect! This tisane has the gentle whisper of rosemary and honey that’s just perfect on a super-hot day. It’s great poured over crushed ice, and if you want to perk it up a bit, a sprig of fresh rosemary does the trick. I used my French press and it was the way to go. I’m so excited about this process that I’m trying basil today to see what I can conjure.
This sounds so good – simple and delicious. I love rosemary (and have lots of it growing in my apartment) and so I’m definitely going to be making this. Thanks for the great idea!
Just about anything scented, garnished, or otherwise sexed-up with rosemary has my name on it! Thanks so much for linking to my Italian Greyhound.
Our pleasure, Karen!