Armenian Tea History
For over 7000 years, the tradition of gathering and blending wild herbs and flowers has been an integral part of the daily lives of the Armenian people. Tea-making in Armenia was spiced up with traditions and science and is one of the antiquities of the nation.
By centuries even millennia herbs, plants and flowers, have given much pleasure to people of all the nations, because their pungent smells can bestir mood and fragrances used to made perfumes, foliage used for food and medicines and wonder wild bouquet bring merriment when someone is downhearted. One of the unique features of ancient tea-making are the following: collect, process and blend by hand. 3500 years ago, people living in the area of Historical Armenia used to combine wild crafted Quince, Blackberry, Zizifora and Mint leaves and used to mix with Wild Absent as a hot beverage. All these ingredients are historically recognized as Armenian Sacred Herbs and used to grow only in Armenia. According to the ancient manuscripts the ingredients of this blend have an immediate anti-stress and antispasmodic effect and good for blood purity and mind refreshing.
As a result of ethno-botanical research and ancient manuscript study about 68 specialty infusions of herbs and flowers were rehabilitated. It was revealed that herbs and flowers were used by Royal Families being in charge of Armenia since ancient time by the end of middle ages.
Most people are not aware of how much better the items taste when they are prepared with the freshest ingredients and made with love.
The ancient Armenians loved flowers as evidenced by murals portraying court ladies wearing Armenian Rose flowers or Longevity Tree (Pomegranate flowers and tree and funeral garlands.
About prehistoric tradition of plant and flower used in Armenian highland evidenced the cave paintings, rock crafting, petroglifs, khazagir tablets as well as in the first written story of Gilgamesh where Sumerian mentioned land of Ararat mountain.
The legend tells that Hayk the Great 2500 B. C. (the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation) healed his wounds with herbs after the war with Titan Bel.
In Armenia we used to call tea everything that can be infused and drunk.
Tea plucking is an extremely hard hand work. Both black and herbal tea leaves are so delicate that any tea plucking machine may spoil the taste and flavor of the future tea.
It is no secret that Armenia is a country where people are fond of drinking coffee, but nowadays one can get natural herbal tea smell from almost every house.
As Armenia is a mountainous country, the great part of the herbs growing on a hillside is frequently used to make tea. The tea producers even noticed a regularity: “the higher is the mountain the better the herbs are”.
Herbal teas in Armenia are known as wild-crafted since the harvesting, timing, technologies of plant harvesting have been passed on from generation to generation. All harvesters have the habit of singing traditional harvest folksongs which can be heard in the fields as they work. The harvesting of wild flowers begins in late April and continues until the end of August. Depending on the climate conditions, harvest season may stretch until late September and early October. The location of the Armenian highlands is in the mountainous region falling between the Black and Caspian Seas. This fact is already a proof to the fact that the wild herbs and herbal teas have been one of the main occupations of the inhabitants living in this area.
There are various types of herbs and berries in all the regions of Armenia. But the main sites for wild herb collection are Lori, Tavush, Vayots Dzor, Kotayq and Syunik regions.
Vayots Dzor region, which has the smallest population in Armenia, is situated in the north of the country surrounded by mountains. This is a unique geographic island with unprecedented nature and extraordinary climate. The region is historically the homeland of world wine-making, being also famous for its healing mineral waters and resorts.
There is a tradition here: child or an elderly, woman or man, regardless of social status, position or hobby, go up to the mountains during the herb collecting season with their families to collect thyme, mint, hypericum and other herbs. They bring what they have collected to their homes, dry them and make healing teas and infusions.
When the thyme leaves blossom residents of Syunik region villages begin to harvest the herb from the lofty meadows around Sisian, Kapan and Goris. The fragrance of the thyme is much more pronounced in these areas and the oil content of the herb is rich.
The Use of Herbs - Thanks to good climate and unique nature more than 3,200 herbs grow in Armenia of which 1,500 are medicinal plants and applicable to be used in food, tea preparation. Many such plants are only to be found in Armenia.
Mountainous herbs are not only used for good flavor but also in medical purposes. Our ancestors knew about it and used them both for making tea and in cooking. But herbs have to be used very carefully.
The pomegranate flower, for instance, is a good remedy for diabetes, as it is able to low blood glucose. Crushed flowers of pomegranate and hazel are the best natural cough remedies.
All the tea lovers know that thyme (“urts” in Armenian) is contraindicated in hypotension, because it lowers blood pressure, while mint (“nana” in Armenian) raises it. Thyme tea regulates the body’s metabolism, cleanses the body of the negative properties of alcohol and narcotics and stabilizes blood pressure. A cup of thyme tea is a helpful remedy to relieve headache. Thyme oils refresh and rejuvenate the skin. Joint pain can be eased when the affected areas are massaged with thyme essential oil. Just the aroma of the herb itself is sufficient to kill off certain bacteria.
Tea is being produced from the thyme’s flowers and oil from the stems. The rest of the herb is used to make seasonings for appetizers and cheese aged underground. For example, one gram of thyme essential oil can cure 100 kilos of meat. It neutralizes the meat’s odor and prolongs its shelf life.
There’s a trick that the consumer can use to insure that they’re buying pure thyme without any additives. The flowers of the herb open more fully when placed in hot water than cold. Also, a bag of thyme tea, once used, produces a more fragrant drink and a more brilliant color the second time around.
Thyme and Mint collection period is Mid May-October, dry and sunny days.
Melissa collection period is Mid May-August preferably, dry and sunny days in the morning.
Hawthorn syrup, for example, strengthens the contractions of the heart muscle and improves blood flow to the heart and brain as well as regulating heart rhythm. Blackthorn syrup contains anti-inflammatory properties and is known to regulate body metabolism.
These items are used to produce medicinal remedies as well since the herbs contain potassium, calcium and magnesium, among other elements.
Herbal tea is particularly healthy after a heavy meal.
Other herbs have a lot of helpful properties as well: mint is a perfect analgesic; marjoram is used to steady nerves.
All the tea lovers know that this aromatic drink not only keeps one warm, but also creates cozy and friendly atmosphere.
The culture of drinking tea is developing every year in Armenia. Since 2017, every year in the heart of the capital Yerevan, the Tea and Coffee Festival is being held, which is a great platform to present local products and find new markets. Within the framework of this festival, companies also have the opportunity to introduce local products to tourists, to present Armenian teas.
Guests also have the opportunity to take part in tea drinking ceremonies of different nations of the world (Vietnam, China, India, Korea), to get acquainted with the national customs of those countries to make tea and drink.
By centuries even millennia herbs, plants and flowers, have given much pleasure to people of all the nations, because their pungent smells can bestir mood and fragrances used to made perfumes, foliage used for food and medicines and wonder wild bouquet bring merriment when someone is downhearted. One of the unique features of ancient tea-making are the following: collect, process and blend by hand. 3500 years ago, people living in the area of Historical Armenia used to combine wild crafted Quince, Blackberry, Zizifora and Mint leaves and used to mix with Wild Absent as a hot beverage. All these ingredients are historically recognized as Armenian Sacred Herbs and used to grow only in Armenia. According to the ancient manuscripts the ingredients of this blend have an immediate anti-stress and antispasmodic effect and good for blood purity and mind refreshing.
As a result of ethno-botanical research and ancient manuscript study about 68 specialty infusions of herbs and flowers were rehabilitated. It was revealed that herbs and flowers were used by Royal Families being in charge of Armenia since ancient time by the end of middle ages.
Most people are not aware of how much better the items taste when they are prepared with the freshest ingredients and made with love.
The ancient Armenians loved flowers as evidenced by murals portraying court ladies wearing Armenian Rose flowers or Longevity Tree (Pomegranate flowers and tree and funeral garlands.
About prehistoric tradition of plant and flower used in Armenian highland evidenced the cave paintings, rock crafting, petroglifs, khazagir tablets as well as in the first written story of Gilgamesh where Sumerian mentioned land of Ararat mountain.
The legend tells that Hayk the Great 2500 B. C. (the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation) healed his wounds with herbs after the war with Titan Bel.
In Armenia we used to call tea everything that can be infused and drunk.
Tea plucking is an extremely hard hand work. Both black and herbal tea leaves are so delicate that any tea plucking machine may spoil the taste and flavor of the future tea.
It is no secret that Armenia is a country where people are fond of drinking coffee, but nowadays one can get natural herbal tea smell from almost every house.
As Armenia is a mountainous country, the great part of the herbs growing on a hillside is frequently used to make tea. The tea producers even noticed a regularity: “the higher is the mountain the better the herbs are”.
Herbal teas in Armenia are known as wild-crafted since the harvesting, timing, technologies of plant harvesting have been passed on from generation to generation. All harvesters have the habit of singing traditional harvest folksongs which can be heard in the fields as they work. The harvesting of wild flowers begins in late April and continues until the end of August. Depending on the climate conditions, harvest season may stretch until late September and early October. The location of the Armenian highlands is in the mountainous region falling between the Black and Caspian Seas. This fact is already a proof to the fact that the wild herbs and herbal teas have been one of the main occupations of the inhabitants living in this area.
There are various types of herbs and berries in all the regions of Armenia. But the main sites for wild herb collection are Lori, Tavush, Vayots Dzor, Kotayq and Syunik regions.
Vayots Dzor region, which has the smallest population in Armenia, is situated in the north of the country surrounded by mountains. This is a unique geographic island with unprecedented nature and extraordinary climate. The region is historically the homeland of world wine-making, being also famous for its healing mineral waters and resorts.
There is a tradition here: child or an elderly, woman or man, regardless of social status, position or hobby, go up to the mountains during the herb collecting season with their families to collect thyme, mint, hypericum and other herbs. They bring what they have collected to their homes, dry them and make healing teas and infusions.
When the thyme leaves blossom residents of Syunik region villages begin to harvest the herb from the lofty meadows around Sisian, Kapan and Goris. The fragrance of the thyme is much more pronounced in these areas and the oil content of the herb is rich.
The Use of Herbs - Thanks to good climate and unique nature more than 3,200 herbs grow in Armenia of which 1,500 are medicinal plants and applicable to be used in food, tea preparation. Many such plants are only to be found in Armenia.
Mountainous herbs are not only used for good flavor but also in medical purposes. Our ancestors knew about it and used them both for making tea and in cooking. But herbs have to be used very carefully.
The pomegranate flower, for instance, is a good remedy for diabetes, as it is able to low blood glucose. Crushed flowers of pomegranate and hazel are the best natural cough remedies.
All the tea lovers know that thyme (“urts” in Armenian) is contraindicated in hypotension, because it lowers blood pressure, while mint (“nana” in Armenian) raises it. Thyme tea regulates the body’s metabolism, cleanses the body of the negative properties of alcohol and narcotics and stabilizes blood pressure. A cup of thyme tea is a helpful remedy to relieve headache. Thyme oils refresh and rejuvenate the skin. Joint pain can be eased when the affected areas are massaged with thyme essential oil. Just the aroma of the herb itself is sufficient to kill off certain bacteria.
Tea is being produced from the thyme’s flowers and oil from the stems. The rest of the herb is used to make seasonings for appetizers and cheese aged underground. For example, one gram of thyme essential oil can cure 100 kilos of meat. It neutralizes the meat’s odor and prolongs its shelf life.
There’s a trick that the consumer can use to insure that they’re buying pure thyme without any additives. The flowers of the herb open more fully when placed in hot water than cold. Also, a bag of thyme tea, once used, produces a more fragrant drink and a more brilliant color the second time around.
Thyme and Mint collection period is Mid May-October, dry and sunny days.
Melissa collection period is Mid May-August preferably, dry and sunny days in the morning.
Hawthorn syrup, for example, strengthens the contractions of the heart muscle and improves blood flow to the heart and brain as well as regulating heart rhythm. Blackthorn syrup contains anti-inflammatory properties and is known to regulate body metabolism.
These items are used to produce medicinal remedies as well since the herbs contain potassium, calcium and magnesium, among other elements.
Herbal tea is particularly healthy after a heavy meal.
Other herbs have a lot of helpful properties as well: mint is a perfect analgesic; marjoram is used to steady nerves.
All the tea lovers know that this aromatic drink not only keeps one warm, but also creates cozy and friendly atmosphere.
The culture of drinking tea is developing every year in Armenia. Since 2017, every year in the heart of the capital Yerevan, the Tea and Coffee Festival is being held, which is a great platform to present local products and find new markets. Within the framework of this festival, companies also have the opportunity to introduce local products to tourists, to present Armenian teas.
Guests also have the opportunity to take part in tea drinking ceremonies of different nations of the world (Vietnam, China, India, Korea), to get acquainted with the national customs of those countries to make tea and drink.