What defines an infusion in herbal preparation?

• A. Steeping an herb in boiling water (tea bags)
• B. Boiling the herb in oil
• C. Fermenting the herb in sugar syrup
• D. Blending herbs with cold water

Answer: (A)

Infusion in herbal preparation means drawing out the soluble components of the plant with hot water by letting it steep. This heat-assisted steeping pulls flavors, aromas, and medicinal constituents into the liquid, which is why steeping an herb in boiling water (as with tea bags) is the classic example. The other methods use different solvents or processes: boiling in oil creates an oil infusion to extract fat-soluble components; fermenting in sugar syrup is a fermentation process rather than simply extracting with water; and blending with cold water is a cold infusion, which isn’t the standard hot-water extraction being defined here. So the defining action is steeping in hot water to extract soluble constituents into the infusion.