Tea & Thee
I grew up drinking tea; I was never much of a soda-pop kid. Tea was simply part of the rhythm of daily life. These days, as a gardener, that relationship has deepened. I grow many of my own herbs for both tea and seasoning, tending them with the same care I bring to the cup itself. Recently, a new friend introduced me to an ancient brew— one my body seems to recognize and genuinely enjoy.
Shepherd’s Tea— also known as Greek Mountain Tea— shares some common ground with traditional green tea, yet each offers its own distinctive gifts. Mountain tea is prized for supporting immunity, digestion, mood, and the nervous system, while green tea shines in its antioxidant power, boosting brain function, metabolism, and heart health. Both are rich in beneficial plant compounds, including flavonoids and polyphenols, long celebrated for their restorative effects.
Researchers are now taking a closer look at mountain tea’s potential role in protecting the mind. Emerging studies suggest that extracts from the sideritis plant may help prevent or slow cognitive decline. According to research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, regular consumption of mountain tea shows promise in supporting mental clarity and existing cognitive conditions—a hopeful development rooted in an ancient tradition.
Mountain tea comes from the Sideritis plant, while green tea is derived from Camellia sinensis. In Greece, it’s affectionately called “tea of the mountain.” Brewed from the dried flowers, leaves, and stems of the plant, sideritis grows wild in the rocky, sun-washed mountain regions of Greece, as well as parts of Albania, Bulgaria, and Macedonia. Greece remains its largest consumer. Today, mountain tea is easy to find online, often sold in dried bunches that include the full plant— stems, leaves, and flowers intact.
The name sideritis comes from the Greek word sideros, meaning iron. In ancient times, the herb was used to heal wounds inflicted by iron weapons in battle. A flowering perennial, mountain tea offers a gentle, floral, earthy flavor—mildly sweet and soothing. Many describe its taste as a delicate blend of mint, chamomile, and a hint of citrus.
Unlike most teas, which arrive neatly packaged in bags, mountain tea is traditionally enjoyed loose. This is part of its charm—and its potency. Brew it slowly in a small pan on the stove, or steep it by the cup using a tea infuser. Go loose, not bagged. Let the plant fully unfurl and share its essence.
Because sideritis grows on rugged mountain cliffs, it has always been harvested in small quantities. For centuries, Greek shepherds brewed this tea while tending their flocks high in the hills, earning it the enduring name “Greek Shepherd’s Tea.”
As William Ewart Gladstone so beautifully observed:“If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited, it will calm you.”
Some remedies don’t shout. They whisper—leaf by leaf, cup by cup—inviting us to slow down, sip, and remember what the body already knows.
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Tea & Thee
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