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Urts tea (wild thyme tea)
Ուրցի թեյ: a pale golden infusion of sun-dried Armenian mountain thyme, fragrant, warm and gently peppery
Urts, the wild thyme that carpets the summer meadows around Aragats and Lake Sevan, is picked in June and July when it flowers purple, then tied in bunches and hung to dry. Every Armenian market sells it, and it is the tea served in village homes after a heavy khorovats lunch, in the evening before bed, or with a plate of dried fruit and gata on a winter visit. It brews to a pale gold, smells of summer hillsides and tastes softly peppery and herbal, a little like oregano and lemon. The common mistake is boiling the herb: it turns harsh and medicinal and loses its sweet, floral notes. Pour on water just off the boil and cover the pot so the aromatic oils stay in the tea. It is ready after 5–7 minutes, when the colour is light gold and it smells of thyme the moment you lift the lid. Outside Armenia, use dried wild thyme or a mild garden thyme with flowers, about two-thirds the amount. It is traditionally drunk for a tired stomach or a cough; drink it in normal amounts and check with a doctor if you are pregnant or on medication. Chef's tip: add a few dried mint leaves or a sprig of dried rose petals for a village blend.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried Armenian wild thyme (urts), with flowersabout 4 g; substitute 1½ tbsp dried garden thyme
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)served on the side; honey is also common but not vegan
- 1 tsp dried mint leaves (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring the 2 cups water to the boil, then let it stand off the heat for 1 minute.
3 minStep 2: Rinse a teapot with hot water, add 2 tbsp dried Armenian wild thyme (urts), with flowers and 1 tsp dried mint leaves, pour in the water and cover at once.
1 minStep 3: Steep for 5–7 minutes until the tea is pale gold and smells strongly of thyme.
6 minStep 4: Strain into glasses and serve hot with 2 tsp sugar on the side.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 5 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does urts tea (wild thyme tea) take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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