Greek Mountain Tea

(Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr.)

 

 

Cooking

The most common use of Greek tea is to make a wonderful beverage. This is frequently combined with honey, cinnamon or lemon but we can also use apple, orange and other fruits. The main difference with the common tea is that it has no caffeine so it is not a stimulant and we can even drink it before going to sleep. Apart from beverages, Greek tea can be either poured over, or be used in a marinade for various dishes such as fish or potatoes.

 

Traditional Properties

Traditionally we drink Greek tea mainly during the winter months to fight the common cold, gastrointestinal disorders and inflammations of the upper respiratory system. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties. It can improve the heart and circulatory system due to the flavonoid substances that it contains. Finally, recent studies in Greece and Germany have shown that it might be able to rejuvenate brain cells, preemptively helping against Alzheimer’s disease.