Herbal tea is one of the oldest and longest-used means of consuming herbal medicine. An infusion is made by placing the herbs to steep in freshly boiled water, and a decoction (usually used for harder herbal material such as barks, roots and seeds) is made by placing the herbs into boiling water for a period of time. In general, the brewing instructions for Hummingbird Herbals teas are a tablespoon of tea per cup of boiled water, steeped for at least ten minutes. The Essiac tea and Chai have special brewing instructions, which are included on the package.