French Word of the Day: Tisane
From the quasi-medical to the tasty afternoon tea, tisanes crop up frequently in France.
Why do I need to know tisane?
Because you might want to expand your café repertoire, or need help sleeping.
What does it mean?
Tisane - roughly pronounced tea-zahn - is the French term for herbal or fruit teas, which are non-caffeinated.
It is distinct from thé, which typically refers to caffeinated teas, such as black tea.
It's widely served in cafés around France if you're looking for a non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated drink - common flavours include verveine (verbena), chamomille (chamomile) or fruits rouges (red berries).
Tisane is also used as a non-alcoholic digestif after meals, similar to décaf (decaffeinated coffee).
You might also hear people refer to tisane if they are feeling sick or if they need help falling asleep - most French pharmacies carry a wide range of tisanes that promise help with everything from insomnia to anxiety or digestive problems.
Use it like this
J'aime prendre une tisane avant de me coucher, cela m'aide à dormir. - I like to have herbal tea before bedtime, it helps me sleep.
Je ne supporte pas la caféine, donc pas de thé pour moi. Juste une tisane, s'il vous plaît. - Oh I can't handle caffeine, so no tea for me. Just herbal tea please.
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Why do I need to know tisane?
Because you might want to expand your café repertoire, or need help sleeping.
What does it mean?
Tisane - roughly pronounced tea-zahn - is the French term for herbal or fruit teas, which are non-caffeinated.
It is distinct from thé, which typically refers to caffeinated teas, such as black tea.
It's widely served in cafés around France if you're looking for a non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated drink - common flavours include verveine (verbena), chamomille (chamomile) or fruits rouges (red berries).
Tisane is also used as a non-alcoholic digestif after meals, similar to décaf (decaffeinated coffee).
You might also hear people refer to tisane if they are feeling sick or if they need help falling asleep - most French pharmacies carry a wide range of tisanes that promise help with everything from insomnia to anxiety or digestive problems.
Use it like this
J'aime prendre une tisane avant de me coucher, cela m'aide à dormir. - I like to have herbal tea before bedtime, it helps me sleep.
Je ne supporte pas la caféine, donc pas de thé pour moi. Juste une tisane, s'il vous plaît. - Oh I can't handle caffeine, so no tea for me. Just herbal tea please.
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