Steeping is the soaking of an organic solid, such as leaves, in a liquid (usually water) to extract flavours or to soften it. The specific process of teas being prepared for drinking by leaving the leaves in heated water to release the flavour and nutrients is known as steeping. Herbal teas may be prepared by decoction, infusion, or maceration. Some solids are soaked to remove an ingredient, such as salt, where the solute is not the desired product.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier
Decoction in the context of Herbal tea
Herbal teas or herb teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes, are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of any herbs, spices, or other plant material in water that is not derived from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Many herbs used in teas/tisanes are also used in herbal medicine and in folk medicine. Herbal teas are not technically teas because they are not brewed from the tea plant.
The term "herbal tea" is often used to distinguish these infusions from true teas (e.g., black, green, white, yellow, oolong), which are prepared from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) or, more rarely, its close relatives (such as Camellia taliensis). Beverages actually created from tea and combined with material from other plants are known as "blended teas", "scented teas", or "flavored teas". Examples include jasmine tea, genmaicha, and Earl Grey tea. Unlike true teas, most tisanes do not naturally contain caffeine (though tea can be decaffeinated, i.e., processed to remove caffeine).
Decoction in the context of Infusion
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An infusion is also the name for the resultant liquid. The process of infusion is distinct from both decoction—a method of extraction involving boiling the plant material—and percolation, in which water is passed through the material (as in a coffeemaker).
Decoction in the context of Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive decoction prepared from Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-containing plant, used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon and Orinoco basins as part of traditional medicine and shamanism. The word ayahuasca, originating from Quechuan languages spoken in the Andes, refers both to the B. caapi vine and the psychoactive brew made from it, with its name meaning 'spirit rope' or 'liana of the soul'.
The specific ritual use of ayahuasca was widespread among Indigenous groups by the 19th century, though its precise origin is uncertain. Ayahuasca is traditionally prepared by macerating and boiling B. caapi with other plants like Psychotria viridis during a ritualistic, multi-day process. Ayahuasca has been used in diverse South American cultures for spiritual, social, and medicinal purposes, often guided by shamans in ceremonial contexts involving specific dietary and ritual practices, with the Shipibo-Konibo people playing a significant historical and cultural role in its use. It spread widely by the mid-20th century through syncretic religions in Brazil. In the late 20th century, ayahuasca use expanded beyond South America to Europe, North America, and elsewhere, leading to legal cases, non-religious adaptations, and the development of ayahuasca analogues (i.e., variants) using local or synthetic ingredients.