Wild & Organic Ivan Chai Tea with Flowers

Ivan Chai is the old fermented tea of Russia, made not from the tea bush but from fireweed, the Rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium) that turns whole hillsides bright pink in late summer.

Ours is wild-harvested in a remote part of the Altai Mountains, where the high altitude, clean air and untouched meadows give a pure source of willowherb. It is picked when the plants are in flower.

What sets Ivan Chai apart from an ordinary herbal tea is the way it is made. After picking, the leaves are bruised to release their juices, then left to ferment. It is the same oxidation that gives black tea its depth, but here with no caffeine at all.

Fermentation gives Ivan Chai a smooth, rounded, malty character, closer to a black tea than to a green or herbal one, yet soft and easy to drink, with none of the bitterness.

It is naturally caffeine-free, and free of the oxalic and uric acid found in regular tea, so it is as welcome late in the evening as it is first thing. A comforting, everyday alternative to black tea.

Ingredients

100% Naturally Fermented Rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium)

• Wild-harvested in the Altai Mountains
• Picked when in flower
• Bruised and left to ferment, the traditional way
• Naturally caffeine-free

No added fillers or preservatives. Product carefully sourced from the Altai Mountains, Russia. Click here for info on our sourcing policy.

Add a good pinch to hot water, around 80°C, not quite boiling, and steep for a few minutes. A little goes a long way.

The leaves are generous and can be re-steeped several times.