Steeping time 4 minutes, 1/2 cup boiling water, 2 g of tea leaves and stems.
I have always been an avid herb gardener (although not, alas, always a successful one) and today I noticed what exactly it is about this type of tea that I found familiar. The leaves are similar in appearance (silvery and fuzzy) and even similar in shape to Lamb’s Ear, and I think the fragrance may be similar as well, although Lamb’s Ear is not actually well-known for its smell. (Plus, I can never manage to keep it alive so I don’t actually have a Lamb’s Ear plant to compare right now). When I looked it up, I discovered that the two plants are in the same family, i.e. the Mint family . . . but then so are hundreds and thousands of other plants, so that doesn’t mean they’re actually closely related. I guess it’s just the type of family resemblance that sometimes shows up unexpectedly between distant cousins.
The other thing that the leaves remind me of is licorice, or at least those licorice-flavored herbal teas that you drink when you’re sick with a cold. (Actually I may be thinking of the combination of licorice and slippery elm flavors? But I’m not positive.) It’s not an unpleasant fragrance, and I can imagine this tea being pleasant to drink.
As I steep the tea, the fragrance emerges more, but not at overpowering levels. The tea liquid itself does not appear to change color greatly, and after steeping appears slightly yellowish but not extremely so. The fragrance hasn’t gotten much stronger in the last couple of minutes.
The first sip is not quite as flavorful as the fragrance, but it does support my impression of this tea as being similar to an herbal tea used to treat colds. It tastes slightly sweet in the back of the mouth. It doesn’t seem all that viscous, but it’s probably giving my throat a nice protective coating as I drink it. It doesn’t need sugar, which is a good thing because if you’re going to drink it every day for your health then you wouldn’t want to add sugar or you’d counteract the health benefits, right? It definitely tastes healthy, but in a good, gentle way, not in a bitter-green-smoothie type of way.
I’m not going to say that I want to replace my regularly scheduled tea breaks with this herbal tea, but since it’s caffeine free I bet it would be a great nightcap. Plus, it does have quite a soothing and calming effect, so add that to its other benefits (such as its health benefits) and it turns out to be quite a valuable beverage!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Klio Greek Tea
Description
This variety, Sideritis Scardica, comes from the legendary Mount Olympus, in the Balkans, situated between Thessaly and Macedonia.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Greek Mountain Tea by Sparta Natura. . . .
Steeping specs: about 3 g in about 8 ounces of water at about 212° for about four minutes
The first thing I noticed when steeping this tea or trying to rather is that it’s kind of hard to fit all of the leaves and stems into the amount of water I have available.
The tea turned out tasting pretty good though, so I don’t think I used more leaves than I’m supposed to. I guess I could be wrong about that.
It has a distinctly herbal fragrance even while steeping that’s almost a little bit like licorice or anise. The water turns yellowish while steeping, almost like a yellow tea.
After steeping, the fragrance is still licorice -like. The first sip: I noticed a pleasant flavor, not nasty tasting like some medicinal herbs, and yet a flavor that’s uniquely different than anything I’ve tried.
It’s not a whole new flavor family though. The flavor does have some sweetness and is not bitter or even astringent really, although maybe a tiny bit of citrusy just at the end of the sip. It doesn’t taste quite as licoricey as it smells, but it’s still a fairly pleasant flavor. (I know the emphasis is really on the health benefits of this tea rather than on its flavor, but still I think the flavor is important.)
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Sparta Natura
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Greek Mountain Tea from Klio. . . .
Trying to figure out what to do with Greek Mountain tea is a research adventure from the get-go. It’s not your average “tea” where you take your tea scoop, grab some, and toss it into a steeper for however long. There’s a process. You have to get, basically, a handful, boil it a bit, then let it steep. There are videos online that will help you figure out the amount.
Think of yourself as Indiana Jones, discovering new territory and learning about history.
The tea looks a little sketchy to carry around in a Ziploc bag.
There are flowers and leaves inside, and it’ll look like this in your gravity steeper.
The end color is a light amber. The taste is a vegetal lemon/mint taste with floral and earth elements, which stands to reason.
It’s actually all right, which surprised me, because I’d put this aside in fear for about a month before actually steeping it up. (I was a picky child who grew up into a fussy adult.) It’s not really my favorite thing of all time, but that’s because I love a rich black tea. If you’re feeling up to an herbal-flavored adventure, though, you should totally try this out.
If nothing else, this tea might be good for you. The site boasts that: “A range of biological effects has been attributed to Sideritis extracts and infusions in multiple research studies, such as antioxidant, oxidative stress reduction, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities. In ethnobotanical practices, Greek mountain tea has been used to alleviate gastrointestinal problems, inflammation, as well as common cold and cough symptoms. A recent study shows that Greek mountain tea is as potent as Green tea at inducing cellular antioxidant defense and preventing oxidative stress.”
I’ll let you know if my cold goes away!
Happy adventuring, Indiana Jones fans!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Klio Tea
Description
This offering of Greek Mountain Tea comes from Mount Othrys in the Magnesia region of Central Greece. It is the variety known as Sideritis Raeseri.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sparta Natura. . A Greek Mountain Tea. . . .
One of the aspects of tea that I just love is the never ending learning process that involves all things about tea. There is always a new tea just around the corner that I haven’t tried or even knew about.
Greek Mountain Tea falls into these categories. Greek Mountain Tea is made from the dried flowers, leaves, and steams of the Sideritis plant that is located in the mountainous regions of Greece. The look of this tea reminds me of something you would find growing wild in an overgrown field, really unique and pretty in its own way.
I wasn’t sure how to brew this tea up and the instructions weren’t incredibly specific on the packaging (.18 oz of dried tea and brew it hot water for 4-5 minutes- just wasn’t sure how hot the water needed to be) so I went with boiling water for 5 minutes. When brewing this tea, you use the flowers, leaves and stems, which is great. There is no waste.
While the tea was steeping there was a really love floral herbal note that I could definitely pick up. I was really hoping that smell would translate into a lovely floral flavor.
And this tea did just that. Sip after sip I am greeted with a lovely herbal yet floral note that makes this tea easy to keep drinking. There is also an underlying sweetness throughout. All in all simple yet full of flavor and one that can be enjoyed as a sweet afternoon treat or even that final cuppa to enjoy after a stressful day.
Great alternative to my nightly chamomile cuppa for sure and a tea I could drink any time of the day. I’m quite excited to try this tea as a cold brew.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Sparta Natura
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea #VeganMoFo2016
Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea is our featured tea of the moment and also a Vegan MoFo tie-in for the day! Today’s Vegan MoFo Daily Prompt is “How To Make Friends” and/or “What’s Your Go-To Meal”. I would say that Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea is one of those go-to teas to share with friends! Here at SororiTea Sisters we have tea friends from all over the world and celebrate each country and region for their teas, ingredients, culture, and/or LOVE for tea and tisanes!
What’s REALLY interesting with Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea are the ingredients it contains. Not only does this have a green tea base Balcony has blended it with Greek Mountain Tea – as well as – Juniper Berries, Wild Thyme, Apple Pieces, Olive Leaves, and Calendula Petals. Therefore, this tea is – your guessed it – VEGAN.
I really LOVE that Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea is a Mediterranean Inspired Teas and those are the teas that Balcony specializes in! All of the ingredients are extremely fresh and flavorful! The Chinese Green Tea is delicate and light. It’s NOT heavily floral or vegetal but still has a nice flavor. The Greek Mountain Tea is gently herbal. The Juniper Berry gives it a slight pine aroma and flavor. The Thyme contributes to the wildness and herbal notes for sure. The apple pieces and flavor kick it up a notch but don’t make it overly fruity…it’s ‘just enough’. The olive leaves and Calendula petals are more visual that anything but overall makes this a remarkable cuppa!
Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea offers wonderful notes of herbal, vegetal, fruit, sweet, and pine. The ingredient and flavor ratio works out perfectly. It all meshes well and not one ingredient over-powers the others. A lot of thought and love went into this cup and I think it would WOW friends and family. It would be a great tea to share with old (and new) friends, too!
Oh! I should also mention that Mountain Bliss Green Tea from Balcony Tea was noted “Great Taste 2015” by the World Tea Expo!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
This blend is inspired by flavours and aromas that bring back childhood memories of walks through Mediterranean valleys. An invigorating blend of green tea, sweet apple and mountain herbs.
Ingredients:
Chinese Green tea – Delicate and light. Greek Mountain Tea– The best-kept Mediterranean secret. Juniper Berries – For a light pine aroma. Wild Thyme – Our thyme is wild-harvested in the Mediterranean to ensure its intense aroma and taste. Apple Pieces & Flavour – Fruity goodness. Olive Leaves – A Mediterranean treasure used in traditional Mediterranean medicine. Calendula petals – A beautiful splash of sunshine yellow.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
