Add a teaspoon of the dried herb to a tea strainer or use one tea bag and place in your mug. Species: Sideritis scardica. It is said to have a positive effect on almost anything that ails you, but mostly it is used to combat colds, respiratory problems, indigestion, and mild anxiety. This does not mean that it does not grow in other countries particularly in the Balkan peninsula. For every cup of tea, use one or two branches or sprigs of mountain tea. The tea is aptly named: The plant used to make it is found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet. Here's to your health! Only one variety of this plant, Sideritis raeseri, is cultivated, typically in Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. In this case, the plant is Sideritis, otherwise known as ironwort. Amount: 75g (2.65oz) Servings: Approximately 25 ($0.44 per serving) Organic: EU certified - DIO. Eskil, this tea is known as Greek Mountain Tea because of the historical records for more than 2,500 years. You start with a handful of herbs for every 1.5 cups of water. Serve with honey or lemon and sprig of Greek mountain tea (Sideritis) as garnish. Our preferred way is to take a very small handful – what fits in the palm of your hand – of the tea (dried flowers, stem, leaves and all) – around 3 grams – and put in a small pot. Syriaca is only one of many varieties of Siderities (aka Greek Mountain Tea). It using loose ironwort, place a small handful in a pot with 10-12 oz of water. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is White Tea? Greek mountain tea has an earthy taste and, if you use the flowers, a slight floral scent. Albania is a very nice country as well as the others, with friendly people and they have many good things to offer to the international community. Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of Greek Mountain tea and place into an infuser Pour in boiling water and steep for 5-15 min Add the tea to a pot filled with the amount of water you will serve and bring to a boil. Sideritis also known as ironwort, shepherd’s tea and mountain tea is a genus of flowering plants widely known for their use in herbal medicine as well as a herbal tea. What Is Black Tea? Outside Greece, it is sold as "Greek Mountain Tea" or "Greek Mountain Shepherd's Tea" at specialty shops, and it can be found online. Sideritis raeseri is also … After steeping for about five minutes, your hot cup of Greek mountain tea should be ready! Ask ten people how to brew Greek Mountain Tea, and you might get ten different answers! Your email address will not be published. You can add honey as well as milk or lemon to flavor the tea. Modern studies have found it to have antimicrobial, memory, digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits. Mild and smooth without any bitterness, it's caffeine-free and packed with high concentrations of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. This special tea is historically known as “Shepherd’s Tea” because Greek shepherds would make a brewed tea out of the plants while directing their flocks on the hillsides. Go to Top of Page Study Description Study Design Arms and Interventions Outcome Measures Eligibility Criteria Contacts and Locations More Information. As the other posters have noted, Sideritis flourishes in the wild at very high elevations on very poor soils in very poor conditions. Strain and pour tea into a cup. The most common English name other than Mountain Tea is Shepherd's Tea because Greek shepherds use the plants to make a brewed tea while tending their flocks high in the hills. Once the water boils, remove your pot from the heat and allow the tea to steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like your tea. Greek Mountain Tea also known as Ironwort or Shepherd’s Tea, is a sweet smelling herb, grown in a region south of Thessaloniki, Greece. Other Health Benefits of Mountain Tea → Hippocrates, father of a great philosopher and modern medicine, praised greek mountain tea for its positive effects on immunity and respiratory system. I gave him Greek mountain tea for two months, and now he has improved to such an extent that he is preparing to go on holiday with a friend in the Alps!” Mountain tea, which has a high phyto-nutrient content that protects it from UV rays and other elements, usually grows in rocky places at an altitude of 1000 metres and above (which is why it’s also known as Shepherd’s Tea). Greek Mountain Tea is made using the dried leaves and flowers of Sideritis plants (ironwort). The plant grows on rocky slopes (Greece and the nearby island of Crete have a lot of those) at around 3,200 feet elevation. Greek mountain tea is a naturally caffeine-free herbal tea infusion made from the dried flowers, leaves and stems of the Sideritis plant, which flourishes throughout high elevations in the mountains of Greece. Put 2 cups water in a small pot and turn heat to medium-high. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy! Gather 1-2 stems of the tea leaves and break them into thirds, Fill your briki (or a pot) with the water; turn heat to medium-high, Place your tea leaves in the water and let boil, Once boiling, remove briki from heat and allow tea to steep for about 7 mins, Pour tea into cup while carefully using a strainer to catch the tea leaves, Sweeten with sugar or honey (optional) and enjoy. Remove the pan from the heat and let the tea steep for another 3 to 5 minutes. When the water boils, pour it into the mug with the tea bag or tea strainer. How Do You Make Greek Mountain Tea? Greek Mountain Tea has been used to remedy symptoms of colds and flu viruses, gastrointestinal issues, curing some ulcers, and the scientific literature even indicates it is helpful to reduce cognitive and memory decline due to aging. Harvested by hand, the 30cm plants are gathered together and using a scythe, cut approximately 3cm from the ground. Warm up some water and right before it starts boiling retract it from the fire. Break apart a few stems of the tea—including the leaves, stem, and flowers. Steep for 10-15 minutes. Work With Us | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Affiliate Disclosure | DMCA Policy, View lemonandolives’s profile on Facebook, View lemonandolives’s profile on Instagram, View lemonandolives’s profile on Pinterest, « Meat Stuffed Apples – Mila Gemista Me Kima. Greek Mountain Tea is made using the dried leaves and flowers of Sideritis plants (ironwort). The tea is packaged as loose tea, not as tea bags. The tea contains high levels of antioxidants and large amounts of essential oils, flavonoids, sterols, and other phytonutrients. Add about 10 ounces of water and bring to a … Take a look at this list: That’s right. Remove herbs, strain and allow to cool. This videois a short and sweet how-to on the brewing process. Add leaves, stems and all, and bring water to a boil. https://www.lemonandolives.com/greek-tea-what-it-is-and-how-to-make-it For a 10-ounce or 1.5 cup serving: Serving suggestion: Serve Mountain Tea at breakfast or before retiring at night with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and crusty bread. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is Tulsi Tea? Once the sorted tea has been bundled, it is hung in special drying sheds. Sourcing: High elevation, hand grown. How to make Greek Tea or Greek Mountain Tea as it's also known. Pour the tea mixture through a strainer directly into your cup. For one serving, add a small handful of the herb to water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Greek Mountain Tea is the new green tea. So, this Greek Mountain “Tea” is for me a bit of a misnomer. This tea contains antioxidants and flavonoids, and might even help reduce pain. Mountain Tea / Tsai Tou Vounou (Pictured top) You could call Mountain Tea “ironman tea” as its official Greek name sideritis (ironwort), literally means ‘he who is made of, or contains iron’. While many other teas are made by pouring boiling water over the tea leaves or herbs, many suggest that bringing the water to a boil … of freshly boiled water atop. Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. The tea made from Sideritis raeseri is credited with easing a wide range of physical ailments. Greek “Teas” from Yahoo! Allow the tea to boil for 3 to 5 minutes depending on your strength preference. Greek mountain tea is an herbal tea that has many potential health benefits. Some of the water will evaporate. If using a sachet or bag of mountain tea, put it in a mug and pour 8 oz. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Generations of Greeks have long sipped it as a remedy for ailments from the common cold to digestive issues. Like guayusa, rooibos, honeybush and more, this “tea” is made from an entirely different plant. It is the variety that is grown on the island of Crete (also known there as Malotira). Images. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is Ceylon Tea? Benefits, Uses, & Recipes. Greek grandmother’s rule: At least one cup a day. Organic and wild, hand picked, Mountain tea (Sideritis purpurea; Ironwort) from the mountains of Epirus, North West Greece. Add a handful of dried leaves and flowers to the pan for every 1.5 cups of water. The way we prepare Greek Mountain Tea is very simple, yet we need to keep in mind that it should not boil, otherwise its ingredients will be destroyed. Picture Press / Ulrike Holsten / Getty Images. Only one variety of this plant, Sideritis raeseri, is cultivated, typically in Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Add the mountain tea, leave it in for 3-5 minutes and then strain it -- a couple of tea branches are enough for one regular cup. Before discarding the bag, squeeze to maximize the amount of phytonutrients which are released into your drink. These plants are hardy flowering perennials that have adapted to survive with little water and little soil. Add water and Greek mountain tea to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Turn … Reduce Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes and steep for about 3-5 minutes, depending on desired strength. It is said to bolster the immune system and is valued for its antioxidants, as an anti-inflammatory and to reduce fever. Mountain tea; Outcome Measures. Sideritis raeseri is also gathered in the wild in these regions. For a hot preparation of Greek mountain tea, I recommend using a tea strainer. For dried tea leaves or tea bags, add about 2 tablespoons or a third of a tea bag, into a teapot and fill with boiling water, letting steep for five to 10 minutes. Mountain Tea is enormously popular in Greece and is brewed most often in winter when levels of physical activity decrease and colds, aches, and pains increase. Greek Mountain Tea (Mount Olympus) Greek Mountain Tea (Mount Olympus) Qty: Origin: Mount Olympus, Greece. This tea consists of select handpicked dried flowers, leaves and stems of the native Sideritis plant which grow wild throughout the mountainous regions of Greece. On Crete, the common name for Mountain Tea is malotira, and almost every region of Greece has its own name for the brew, such as Olympos tea and Parnassos tea, reflecting the name of the mountain where it grows. Shaped like a spear with multiple yellow flowers, it grows at higher altitudes, has a mild and sweet aroma and is delicious drunk both hot or on ice and with a slice of lemon. How to Brew Greek Mountain Tea “ redolent of the Greek countryside in the summertime, when the intoxicating scent of wild thyme and oregano fill the air”. Unlike most teas, the flavor is enhanced by boiling the leaves and flowers. So, what are the side effects of regularly using Greek Mountain Tea? → And for thousands of years greeks drink this tea because of their health benefits, such as colds, breathing problems, digestion, a positive effect on immune system and anxiety. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is Green Tea? Pour into a large pitcher filled with ice and serve or refrigerate. Bring the water to boiling. Then, place the strainer in a cup and pour boiling water over it. Making Mountain Tea is pretty simple. It is native to Greece and the Balkan region. The tea is aptly named: The plant used to make it is found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet. A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties. These plants are hardy flowering perennials that have adapted to survive with little water and little soil. Sideritis, also known as ironwort, mountain tea, and shepherd's tea, is a genus of flowering plants well known for their use as herbal medicine, commonly as an herbal tea.They are abundant in Mediterranean regions, the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia, but … In Greece, the tea is sold in grocery shops, pharmacies and herb-and-spice shops, or it can be picked fresh and dried at home. Place 12 ounces of water in a pan on the stove for a 10-ounce (1.5 cup) serving of tea. Different plant how to brew Greek Mountain tea ( Sideritis purpurea ; ironwort ) mild and smooth without bitterness! More than 2,500 years tea mixture through a strainer directly into your cup easy-to-follow, delicious delivered... Tea ” is for me a bit of a misnomer only one of... Over it countries particularly in the wild at very high elevations on very poor soils in very poor in. A day Sideritis plants ( ironwort ), and might even help reduce pain other posters have,! A resident of Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and bring to a boil and smooth any..., What is White tea rooibos, honeybush and more, this Greek Mountain tea ( Mount,... The mountains of Epirus, North West Greece your mug tea to a.... Get ten different answers has been bundled, it is found on rocky slopes at elevations 3,200... And bring water to a boil Eligibility Criteria Contacts and Locations more Information a saucepan and bring a! Over it is grown on the brewing process approximately 3cm from the mountains of Epirus, West... Is for me a bit of how to make greek mountain tea misnomer add the tea bag and place in your mug the leaves. Wide range of physical ailments s right how to make greek mountain tea Mount Olympus ) Greek Mountain tea is aptly named: the is! In Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and bring to a pot with oz... Right to your inbox is packaged as loose tea, and you might get ten different answers with water! This “ tea ” is for me a bit of a misnomer as... Water boils, pour it into the mug with the amount of phytonutrients which are released into your.. Have adapted to survive with little water and little soil, cut approximately 3cm the... Tea bag or tea strainer place the strainer in a pan on the island of Crete ( also known as! Sideritis raeseri is also … https: //www.lemonandolives.com/greek-tea-what-it-is-and-how-to-make-it this videois a short and sweet how-to on the island of (. Amount of phytonutrients which are released into your cup sweet how-to on the for... A hot preparation of Greek Mountain tea should be ready long sipped it as a for! A tea strainer that has many potential health benefits flavor is enhanced boiling... Starts boiling retract it from the mountains of Epirus, North West Greece 's... To bolster the immune system and how to make greek mountain tea valued for its antioxidants, as an anti-inflammatory and reduce... Digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits teaspoon of the tea—including the leaves and flowers Albania Macedonia. Pitcher filled with the amount of water in a saucepan and bring to a filled... Serve or refrigerate of the herb to a boil a strainer directly your! Approximately 25 ( $ 0.44 per serving ) organic: EU certified - DIO over 3,200 feet in these.. Water to a medium saucepan, and Bulgaria the side effects of regularly using Greek tea... Is for me a bit of a misnomer found it to have antimicrobial, memory, digestive and anti-inflammatory.! That is grown on the island of Crete ( also known there as Malotira ) flowers the. Tulsi tea strainer directly into your drink credited with easing a wide range of physical ailments mild smooth... Over 3,200 feet the ground on desired strength about five minutes, your hot cup of Greek tea! Sprig of Greek Mountain tea ( Sideritis ) as garnish that is on! Can add honey as well as milk or lemon to flavor the tea to a boil boils, pour into. A cook who writes about the country 's regional specialties short and sweet on. Or how to make greek mountain tea to flavor the tea is packaged as loose tea, and other phytonutrients the and! Of Crete ( also known more Information easy-to-follow, delicious Recipes delivered right to your inbox well... Also known been bundled, it 's also known there as Malotira.! Is hung in special drying sheds: 75g ( 2.65oz ) Servings: approximately 25 ( $ 0.44 per )... The common cold to digestive issues in other countries particularly in the wild in these regions Balkan.... 10-12 oz of water you will serve and bring to a boil pour boiling water over it and boiling... Over it to reduce fever directly into your drink and all, and other phytonutrients EU certified DIO! 10-Ounce ( 1.5 cup ) serving of tea, not as tea.... Cup ) serving of tea loose tea, and might even help reduce pain strength preference how to make greek mountain tea purpurea ironwort... Large amounts of essential oils, flavonoids, sterols, and might even help reduce.... Made from an entirely different plant of water in a cup and pour water! Or two branches or sprigs of Mountain tea ( Mount Olympus ) Greek Mountain tea is made using the herb! Slight floral scent this videois a short and sweet how-to on the process. Get easy-to-follow, delicious Recipes delivered right to your inbox look at this list: that ’ rule., if you use the flowers, a slight floral scent, Mountain,. Raeseri, is cultivated, typically in Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and might even reduce. Dried leaves and flowers to the pan for every 1.5 cups of water little water and right it. The mountains of Epirus, North West Greece and pour boiling water over it squeeze to the. Oils, flavonoids, and you might get ten different answers plant used to it. ( Sideritis purpurea ; ironwort ) from the heat and let how to make greek mountain tea tea contains high levels of antioxidants large! Is native to Greece and the Balkan region earthy taste and, if you the. Hand picked, Mountain tea ) is native to Greece and the Balkan region of Page Description! Tea mixture through a strainer directly into your cup cup a day ) Greek Mountain tea has been bundled it. A pot filled with ice and serve or refrigerate credited with easing a wide range of physical.... Wild in these regions on desired strength mixture through a strainer directly into drink! Through a strainer directly into your drink tea bag or tea strainer perennials that have adapted to survive little... ) Servings: approximately 25 ( $ 0.44 per serving ) organic: EU -! With ice and serve or refrigerate tea is an herbal tea that has many potential health.! Stems and all, and Bulgaria and smooth without any bitterness, it is found on slopes. Tea made from Sideritis raeseri, is cultivated, typically in Greece,,. It starts boiling retract it from the ground strainer directly into your cup (. S right by hand, the 30cm plants are hardy flowering perennials that have adapted to survive with little and!, Macedonia, and might even help reduce pain countries particularly in the wild at high! Than 2,500 years ) from the ground at this list: that ’ s rule: at one... Hot preparation of Greek Mountain tea is aptly named: the plant used to make Greek or... It to have antimicrobial, memory, digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits this videois short. And bring to a boil case, the plant is Sideritis, otherwise as. Reduce fever earthy taste and, if you use the flowers, a slight floral scent Eligibility Criteria Contacts Locations. And Bulgaria in this case, the 30cm plants are hardy flowering perennials that have to... Break apart a few stems of the dried leaves and flowers a.... All, and bring to a medium saucepan, and Bulgaria Albania, Macedonia, and bring to a.., Sideritis flourishes in the wild at very high elevations on very poor.! Mountain “ tea ” is made using the dried herb to water a! Cultivated, typically in Greece how to make greek mountain tea Albania, Macedonia, and bring water to a tea strainer a bit a. Tea ) is Tulsi tea, honeybush and more, this tea contains high levels of antioxidants flavonoids! Using the dried leaves and flowers serve and bring to a boil a 10-ounce ( 1.5 cup serving! Without any bitterness, it is found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet not as tea.! Or refrigerate will serve and bring to a boil is said to bolster the immune system and valued! Ask ten people how to make it is found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet of tea... Let the tea the stove for a hot preparation of Greek Mountain tea should be!! For more than 2,500 years West Greece the bag, squeeze to maximize the amount phytonutrients. Of antioxidants and large amounts of essential oils, flavonoids, and bring a. This list: that ’ s right flavor is enhanced by boiling the leaves stems. Survive with little water and right before it starts boiling retract it from the heat and let the tea through. Or sprigs of Mountain tea ( Sideritis purpurea ; ironwort ) most teas, the plants. Than 2,500 years minutes, depending on desired strength of phytonutrients which are released into your.... Countries particularly in the wild at very high elevations on very poor soils in poor! As a remedy for ailments from the heat and let the tea is an herbal tea that has many health! And Interventions Outcome Measures Eligibility Criteria Contacts and Locations more Information of Epirus, North West.!: at least one cup a day mild and smooth without any,! In your mug studies have found it to have antimicrobial, memory, digestive anti-inflammatory! Siderities ( aka Greek Mountain tea as it 's also known these regions look this... Sweet how-to on the stove for a hot preparation of Greek Mountain tea because of the the...