Name: Olympus Mountain Tea (Tsai tou Vounou, Τσάι του Βουνού)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 cups
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 litre fresh water; 8g dried Sideritis scardica (tsai tou vounou), whole flowering stalks; 40g Greek thyme honey, optional; 1 lemon, cut into wedges or thin slices, optional

Question 1

How do you make Greek mountain tea with dried Sideritis scardica?

Accepted Answer

Make Greek mountain tea by bringing 1 litre fresh water to a full boil, removing it from the heat, waiting 30 seconds, and adding 8g whole dried Sideritis scardica flowering stalks. Press the stalks under the water, cover the pot, steep for 10 minutes, then strain.

Question 2

How long should Greek mountain tea steep?

Accepted Answer

Greek mountain tea should steep covered for 10 minutes off the boil. This timing extracts the clean herbal flavor from whole dried Sideritis scardica stalks without harshness. The finished tea should be pale gold, fragrant, and smooth at the back of the tongue.

Question 3

Why do you cover the pot when steeping Olympus mountain tea?

Accepted Answer

Cover the pot when steeping Olympus mountain tea to keep the mountain herb aroma in the cup instead of letting it escape into the kitchen. The covered, off-the-boil steep preserves the delicate scent of Sideritis scardica and gives the tea a clean, herbal finish.

Question 4

Can I use tea bags instead of whole Sideritis stalks?

Accepted Answer

Whole dried Sideritis scardica flowering stalks give better flavor than dusty tea bags. Good Sideritis should smell clean and herbal when opened. If the dried herb smells stale or cupboard-like, the finished Greek mountain tea will taste flat even with honey and lemon.

Question 5

Can I make a second pot from the same Sideritis stalks?

Accepted Answer

Yes, make a second, lighter pot from the same Sideritis scardica stalks within 1 hour. Add 750ml just-boiled water to the used stalks, cover the pot again, and steep for 12 minutes. The second infusion is gentler but still clean and herbal.

Question 6

How should I store dried Sideritis scardica for mountain tea?

Accepted Answer

Store dried Sideritis scardica for 6 to 12 months in a tin or paper bag away from light. Keep the whole flowering stalks dry and protected from strong kitchen smells. Once the herbal scent fades, the mountain tea will taste flat.

Culinary Explorer

Olympus Mountain Tea (Tsai tou Vounou, Τσάι του Βουνού)

Ingredients

fresh water

dried Sideritis scardica (tsai tou vounou)

Greek thyme honey (optional)

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
fresh water	1 litre
dried Sideritis scardica (tsai tou vounou)whole flowering stalks, lightly bent to fit the pot	8g
Greek thyme honey (optional)	40g