Greek mountain tea (sidertis scardica)

Due to its antioxidant properties, some people say that Greek mountain tea is the new green tea! Also known as “shepherd’s tea”, in Greece it is referred to as tsai tou vounou, translating directly to “tea of the mountain.” Naturally caffeine free, mild and smooth, this delicious herbal infusion would certainly be a beneficial addition to a healthy lifestyle.

What is Greek mountain tea?

Greek mountain tea (Sidertis Scardica) is actually a herb. It comes from the cultivar sidertis scardica, a plant that has long stems and lots of abundant flowers. Valuable essential oils which give the tea its aroma, flavour and beneficial properties are mostly concentrated in the flowers, which along with the stems, can be used to make a delicious and healthy herbal infusion. Just like tea from the tea plant, the best Greek mountain tea is grown at high altitudes and looked after by people who care about nature.

The health benefits of Greek mountain tea

Any Greek grandmother will tell you that Greek mountain tea offers a multitude of important health benefits and that it can cure almost anything! While we wouldn’t like to go that far, studies show that the flowers contain potent antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant qualities. Also interesting is conference paper presented in 2021 by neurologist Professor Jens Pahnke suggesting that a regular intake of Greek mountain tea could help in the fight against Alzheimers Disease.

Organic Greek mountain tea (sidertis scardica) from people we know

The Greek mountain tea we offer in The English Tearoom comes from a small organic farm, located at 900 meters above sea level on Mount Taygetos in the Peloponnese. It comes from young plants that were cultivated just a few years ago by organic pioneer Michalis Bastakos. Having studied agriculture at university and now working as an inspector for an organic certifying agency, Michalis had the idea to use some land belonging to his family to plant mountain tea, oregano and peppermint. The tea is harvested using a hand-held sickle by Michalis, his mother and other members of the family in June, when the plants are at their peak of flowering.

Ideal growing conditions for sidertis scardica

Conditions are hard on the mountain. The soil is of poor quality, the winds are fierce, and the sun can be scorching. For this reason, the land had never before been cultivated and was therefore completely pure and free of chemical residues. As Greek mountain tea flourishes in the sun and can tolerate almost arid temperatures, it doesn’t need a rich soil, much water, or care to survive.

Although conditions are hard, having initially planted 20,000 seedlings, the plants are now established and Michalis and his family can gradually take new seedlings and cuttings to reproduce more plants of the same quality. They have also introduced a system to keep the plants the young plants moist.

Fresh is best!

When we first saw this particular tea, we were surprised at how green the blooms were – quite unlike any Greek mountain tea we had seen in the past. This is because after harvesting, the cuttings are carefully tied up in bunches and hung up to dry in a small, airy, dark room for about seven days and are kept in the dark until they reach the customer. Although the tea is dried and in theory can be kept for years, it will always taste best when it is freshly dried. The harvest is in June, and we bring the tea to our customers in September so that it can be enjoyed as fresh as possible.

How to brew Greek Mountain Tea

1. Quick and easy: Place three stems of flowers and stalk (break up the stalks) in a large teapot and pour about 250 ml of water heated to 90° over it. Leave to infuse for 3 – 5 minutes.
2. To get the maximum health benefits: Use a similar amount of tea (remember, it is the flowers that make the tea healthy), bring to the boil then simmer for one to three minutes, depending on potency you require. Then, turn off the heat and let the tea continue to infuse for at least of two minutes. It’s vital that the lid is kept on during the entire brewing process to minimise the evaporation of essential oils. Basically, the hotter and longer you brew the tea the more essential oils and flavonoids will be released into the tea.
3. To enjoy cold: Steep in cold water in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. This method will give you a much more subtle infusion with very fine herbal notes. Alternatively after brewing according to step one or two, pour the hot tea over ice-cubes and chill.
4. Optional additions to Greek Mountain Tea: While we think it tastes great pure, a generous squeeze of lemon would help your body absorb the iron in the tea, and adding a sprig of mint, sage or some lavender before you brew the tea would certainly mix things up a bit!