Organic Greek Mountain Tea by Klio

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!

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.

VeganMoFo2016

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

700-logoDescription

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!

Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal Tea (Greek Mountain Tea)

Where to Buy: Klío™

Tea Description:

Greek Mountain tea (pronounced “Tsy-Too-VooNoo” in Greek, accent on the “voo”) is made from the dried flowers, leaves and stems of the native Sideritis plant which grows throughout the mountainous regions of Greece at very high elevations – typically over 3,000 feet. It is known for its high levels of antioxidants and contains large amounts of essential oils and more than 60 other compounds, including saponines, flavonoids and polyphenols. The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, hailed Greek Mountain Tea for its benefits to the immune system and the respiratory system. For thousands of years, Greek families have been drinking the tea because they believe it has an abundance of health benefits. Traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial, ancient wisdom says it has a positive effect on colds, respiratory problems, digestion, the immune system and mild anxiety. Modern science is now finding many of those stories to be true: recent studies indicate that it assists in the prevention of osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer and has a positive effect on a myriad of different ailments including colds, fevers, respiratory problems, digestion problems, and anxiety. Like all of our teas, Klio Greek Mountain Tea is a single varietal, whole leaf, organic tea, pure and unprocessed. Research has shown Greek Mountain Tea to be rich in antioxidants. The actual amounts vary by species and location. This offering of Greek Mountain Tea comes from Mount Othrys and we have tested it for antioxidants by Brunswick Labs, (www.brunswicklabs.com) the leader in antioxidant testing. One ten ounce serving of our Mount Othrys Greek Mountain Tea has an ORAC 5.0 antioxidant score of approximately 7,000 and approximately 120 mg of polyphenols.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™…I have been pondering this review for way too long but NOT because I didn’t enjoy it!  It’s just so very different from anything I have tried before and in a category of its own to say the least.  Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™ is a Tsai Tou VouNou Tea and made up of dried flowers, leaves, and stems of the native Sideritis plant which grows throughout the mountainous regions of Greece (hence the name Greek Mountain Tea).

I’ve read that Greek Mountain Tea is also known as Shepherd’s Tea, because Greek shepherds would use the herb to make tea while tending their flocks high in the mountains.  But the history of this tea is more than that.  The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) hailed Greek Mountain Tea for its benefits to the immune system and the respiratory system. For thousands of years, Greek families have been drinking the tea because they believe it has an abundance of health benefits. Traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial, ancient wisdom says it has a positive effect on colds, respiratory problems, digestion, the immune system and mild anxiety. Modern science is now finding many of those stories to be true: recent studies indicate that it assists in the prevention of osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer and has a positive effect on a myriad of different ailments including colds, fevers, and respiratory problems.

I figured since we are in the middle of cold and flu season I always like to be as preventative as possible and as natural as possible so I have been sipping on this herbal tisane as of late.

Going beyond the potential benefits of Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™ I also want to touch on the sight, smell, and taste of this herbal, too!

Dry Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™ smells like a combination of Chamomile, Eucalyptus, and/or Lemon Balm OR Lemon Verbena but it’s not identical to any one of those aromas specifically or individually.  Once the loose herbs are wet they smell more like Lemon Verbena with a hint of mint.

The loose herbs I am writing about here are what would make any tea or tisane fan do a double take!  I will try and do my best to describe them to you a bit more.  Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™ is made up of off-white fuzzy, furry, twigs, leaves, buds, blossoms, and flowers.  I enjoyed inspecting them, touching them, and appreciating them prior to infusing them.

Once infused this herbal cuppa is extremely comforting, pleasant, light, thirst-quenching, and hydrating.  It’s creamy and silky smooth.  The mid-sip on to the after-taste is reminiscent of lemon verbena, gentle yet sweet and subtle apple, and refreshing-mintiness.  It’s similar to a chamomile but quite different.  It’s not as floral as chamomile tends to be and doesn’t leave a lingering musty-floral after-taste like some chamomiles tend to do.

This is truly unique and I’m so thankful I was able to sample this and review it for you.  Greek Mountain Tea from Klío™ started a new sub category of tea and tisanes for those of us who enjoy the second most consumed beverage on the planet.