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Tsai tou vounou
Mountain tea with honey and lemon
Tsai tou vounou: Greek mountain tea (sideritis) brewed with honey and lemon
Bunches of dried sideritis, the woolly-leaved herb Greeks call mountain tea, hang in village kitchens from Mount Olympus to Taygetos, and a pot is brewed at the first sniffle of winter or after a long walk. The tea is pale gold with a gentle lemony, earthy, slightly floral taste, and it is drunk with honey, a slice of lemon and sometimes a cinnamon stick. Common mistake: brewing it like black tea with boiling water for a minute; it needs a gentle simmer to draw out flavour. Chef's tip: break the dried stems into the pot along with the flowers; the flower heads hold most of the aroma, the stems add body.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 litre water
- ¼ oz dried Greek mountain tea (sideritis)3–4 sprigs, broken up
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 4 tsp thyme honeyor to taste
- 4 slices lemon
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Bring 1 litre water to the boil in a small pan with 1 cinnamon stick if using.
Step 2: Add ¼ oz dried Greek mountain tea (sideritis), lower the heat and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, until the water turns clear gold and smells herbal.
5 minStep 3: Take off the heat, cover and leave for 2 minutes, then strain into glasses. Stir in 4 tsp thyme honey and add 4 slices lemon. It is also good chilled in summer.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 25 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tsai tou vounou take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of thyme honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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