eli5: what makes tea, tea? like what’s different than me plucking leaves off a random tree or finding dry ones off the ground and essentially making flavoured water?

Question

eli5: what makes tea, tea? like what’s different than me plucking leaves off a random tree or finding dry ones off the ground and essentially making flavoured water?

In: 20

Answer 1

Tea is a beverage made by brewing leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (and possibly additional ingredients).

Herbal infusions, often (somewhat incorrectly) called herbal teas, are made from other plants and herbs and do not contain the Camellia sinensis leaves.