The Aztecs were brilliant master herbalists. Most of their wisdom has not been written into books, but it has been passed along as an apprenticed profession to native peoples of Central America. While western herbalism schools have rediscovered a lot of knowledge about plant usage from the Americas, Aztec herbalism is not documented in the same degree of detail as Chinese herbalism.

This leaves many people wondering how to identify the herbal products that are most useful for their health concerns. While Aztec Herbals has provided the botanical names for the selection of tisanes available on the AztecHerbals.com web site, the useful description issue is complicated by federal regulations that prevent herbal companies from providing any obvious reference to health conditions or use as a specific remedy. Only FDA approved drugs can make health claims. It is not permitted to post botanical reference material that cites traditional uses of herbal products (although many companies ignore this restriction) whether from a well-known botanical reference book or Wikipedia or any other source.

We hope that by providing the botanical names on the Identi-tea page, you will be able to find resources online or in print that give you greater amounts of information on the history and health effects of specific Aztec Herbals teas.

FAQs:

Q: How are Aztec Herbals harvested?
A: Aztec Herbals are wild crafted, sustainably collected, and are free from pesticides and contaminants. As a result, supplies may be limited by seasonal availability and other limits.

Q: Are herbal teas safe to take with other medicines I'm taking?
A: It depends on the medication and the herb. You should ask your pharmacist to look-up any drug-herb interactions that may occur with any medications you may be taking before deciding to try an herbal tea.

Q: Are your measurements heaping tablespoons?
A: No. A level measure, not packed nor heaped, is how the brewing instructions have been written. If the instructions are written in ounces instead of spoons, you may refer to the front of the label to read the total weight of the herb in the container, and figure a fraction of the contents to measure that amount (if you do not have a food scale).

Q: Can I put the tea canister in the dishwasher?
A: No. Please hand wash and then completely dry the tea canister if you would like to reuse it. The steel coating will rust where it contacts the glass if you put it in the dishwasher.

Q: Why don't the contents of this canister look exactly like the last one I ordered?
A: Bulk herbs are a natural product. It is completely normal and expected to have variances in color, texture, and size of the cut herbs. Each harvested herb may come from a different field, be dried longer, or be cut by a different machine when preparing for packing. These differences do not mean the herb is less or more effective or that there is anything wrong with the batch.

Q: Why are my herbs changing color?
A: Exposure to air, moisture, light, and heat will all oxidize the loose herbs. This may cause the color to be lighter, darker, or the material to shrink. It is best to store at room temperature, in its sealed container, and away from light. A change in color does not mean it has spoiled, however a few herbs in which the aromatic oils are the desirable substance (such as Calm Rain) lose potency if not stored in a sealed container.

Q: Is this tea caffeinated?
A: Mostly no. Aztec Herbals are tisanes, not teas, meaning that there are no tea leaves from a tea plant in these products. A tisane (herbal tea) rarely has caffeine. Although there are some plants in which caffeine naturally occurs, most tisanes, even those with some caffeine, have nowhere near the amount as black or green tea leaves do.

Q: Can I resuse the herbs for a second cup?
A: You may, although the benefits will be significantly diminished on the second usage and would not generally count as another dose.

Q: This tea is too strong, can I brew it for less time?
A: No. Please always follow the brewing instructions for each tisane and do not make up your own brewing instructions. If you find the taste is too strong, you may dilute the brew with additional hot water, add lemon or sweetener (like agave syrup, stevia, or honey), but make your dosage measurements before diluting. Some teas may be unpleasant tasting and can be mixed with a large glass of fruit juice to improve flavor.

Q: Can I make this as iced tea?
A: If the brewing instructions say specifically to drink hot, then always drink hot and do not make as iced tea. If the instructions are non-specific, then it is your choice.

Q: I have so many beautiful blue containers already, can I order refills in a bag instead of another glass container?
A: If you have ordered the same product from Aztec Herbals before, yes. Please email us a note after placing your order requesting that your items just ordered be repackaged in coffee bags instead. Once they arrive, please promptly transfer them to one of your empty tea canisters with the same label as what you ordered for storage. Since the coffee bags do not provide a desirablely strong barrier against air and moisture please do not store teas in the paper bag. We will adjust the shipping charges on your order to the lower postage cost for packaging this way. If you have not ordered the product from us before, we will send your first shipment only in its proper container so it has an accurately matching label and a proper storage vessel. Remarkably, the cost for coffee bags is not significantly less expensive than than the properly sealed canisters we have created for Aztec Herbals, so ordering in bags will not alter the product price, only reduce the shipping cost by weight.

Identi-tea : START HERE for help in choosing the right herb tea(s)
Safe-tea : Concerned about correct usage of medicinal herb teas?

FAQs   |   Ask questions   |   Where to buy   |   Main Page