Tea
When we think of tea we usually associate it with countries like China, Japan or India but Russia has it’s own rich history of tea drinking and ceremonies.
Whilst researching for this post, I discovered that one of my favourite pieces of kit, my Kelly Kettle* is a modern replica of a traditional Russian “teapot” called a Samovar. Roughly translated, Samovar means self-boiling.
The earliest known version of this energy conserving vessel was found during an archaeological dig in Azerbaijan in 1989 and was estimated to be around 3600 years old.
Ivan Chai
Ivan Chai is apparently a name coined by foreigners, Ivan being a typical Russian name and Chai sharing etymological roots with our English word, Tea.
Other names include Russian Chai, Fireweed Tea, Rosebay Willowherb Tea and Koporye (various spellings used), named after a historical village near St Petersburg where the tea was mass produced.
Many sources claim this tea was once Russia’s second largest export and more popular in Britain than the familiar black tea of today.
Rosebay Willowherb can be used to make a herbal tea simply by drying the leaves, Ivan Chai, however, is distinguished by a process of fermenting the leaves (but don’t worry, it’s not a complicated process).
Health Benefits
There are lots of health benefits associated with this traditional tea; unfortunately, modern science has a tendency to dissect the whole and examine it’s individual components. So although there are studies to confirm certain benefits of the plant and it’s compounds, I can offer nothing specific to the tea itself at this point.
Ivan Chai is caffeine free and said to promote relaxation, help with insomnia, digestive issues, improve mood and concentration and support the immune system.
Studies have confirmed many benefits of Chamerion angustifolium which contains 90% more vitamin A and 4% more vitamin C than oranges.
Compounds of the plant are found to be anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fungal, active against many bacterial infections including E. coli.
Many studies focus on the tannin oenothein B, shown to have immune modulating properties, antiviral and anti-tumour with potential against hormone-sensitive cancers in both men and women.
Making Ivan Chai
Making this tea is a very enjoyable Summer ritual. The first step is to gather the leaves, some recipes advise to gather them before the plant is in flower, others when the plant is already flowering but not yet forming seed pods. My own preference is to collect it when it is just beginning to flower but sometimes it is a matter of opportunity.
Here is a basic guide for the process. I cross referenced several recipes which I have listed below.
Step One
The first step is gathering your plants.
Make sure you have identified the plant correctly. You can collect the leaves from the plants or break off the tops of the stem (about 45cm). Rosebay Willowherb usually grows in large colonies but always harvest responsibly and don’t uproot the plants (doing so is illegal without landowners permission) unless you are planning to use the roots.
Step Two
The second step is wilting the leaves.
My first attempt at making Ivan Chai was not a success… I happened upon a glorious patch of flowers, which I’d spotted from about half a mile away, whilst on a very long walk on a very hot day. I arrived home, arms laden, exhausted and not relishing the prospect of processing my haul, so I was quite relieved when I read that they should be left overnight. Unfortunately, the walk home in the hot sun had wilted them quite adequately and by the next day they had turned dry and crispy so I was unable to continue with the fermentation. I did keep the dried leaves as a tea though, which was interesting to compare.
Step Three
The third step is rolling the leaves
Once you have stripped the leaves from the stems, take handfuls and roll them between your palms until they begin to darken in colour as the moisture is released.
Transfer the rolled leaves to a bowl or jar one handful at a time
Step Four
The fourth step is fermentation.
Once you have rolled all the leaves cover them with a tea towel or loose fitting lid (not air tight) and leave them somewhere warm for up to 24 hours. Keep checking them during this time and moving them around a little. The initial smell will be something like cut grass, once the smell changes to a sweeter smell they are ready for the next stage.
Some sources say to leave them for up to a few days or even longer (I think it depends on the temperature) but wait for the distinctive sweet aroma. It is a pleasant smell that will become very familiar.
Step Five
The fifth step is drying.
Traditional drying methods also include drying the leaves rapidly in a pan. The heat stops the fermentation process. It will be interesting to experiment with longer fermentation and different drying methods.
Allow the leaves to dry completely before storing in a jar, the flavour will improve with time. Whilst writing this, I brewed myself a cup from last years batch, it was very nice and still has the sweet aroma, I added milk and sugar. After drinking it I was overcome with sleepiness and had to stop writing for a while! Maybe I was just tired…
Thanks for reading!
Have a go at utilising this wonderful plant and let me know how you get on by leaving a comment. Or share your own experience, thoughts and advice.
Related Reading…
Rosebay Willowherb
Chamerion angustifolium Synonyms: Epilobium angustifolium, Chamaenerion angustifolium. Rosebay Willowherb is a striking plant, growing up to 5 feet tall and displaying a vibrant display of
Links/Sources:
https://permies.com/t/90741/willowherb-tea-Ivan-Chai-hands
https://ecominded.net/how-to-make-fermented-willowherb-tea-ivan-chai
https://medium.com/@ivansherbs/grandmothers-already-know-the-benefits-of-ivan-chai-cb26c6e22ada
Russia Beyond – 5 Wild Herbs Russians like to brew up to keep warm.
Ivan Chai – the tea that Hitler feared.
Fireweed – a treasured medicine of the boreal forest – Robert Rogers (click on PDF to view article)
This Post Has 6 Comments
I’ve been trying this lately and very much enjoy the tea with a little honey.
I often use it if I waken during the night, because it is caffeine free, but I might have some toast & tea just for something to do – then head back to bed and seem to get a good night’s sleep.
I’ve heard references to this tea as “Sleepy Ivan”.
I’ve noticed that if I take it over several nights it does make me sleep a lot, but then I kind of turn a corner and feel like the sleep I’ve had was something I needed and did me the power of good.
I’ve always put that down to perhaps it has magnesium or something and my body needed that to get me the right nutrients to get properly into the right depth of sleep to be healing and recuperative.
I just tried to make my own, but found the stalk I’d picked had aphids, so just did a few (aphid free) leaves as an experiment.
Hi Ian, that’s really interesting, thanks for sharing. I’d not heard that reference before. I definitely recommend having a look for some aphid-free leaves as it’s a lovely process to make the tea.
Hi Liza. Great blog post, very informative. I tried making this a few days ago but wonder if I didn’t get the leaves fermenting as much as they needed to. I rolled the leaves but rolled them from bottom to top, like little scrolls. Are you supposed to roll the leaves back and forth in your hands a few times to help bruise them? I want to try again as they smelled lovely but the taste isn’t very strong at all…
Thanks. Sam
Hi Sam,
Thank you! So glad you’ve found the post helpful. Yes, I definitely roll them quite vigorously back and forth so they are bruised and the colour changes to a darker green.
Though, the tea itself does not have a very strong flavour, it’s quite mellow and similar, I think, to the popular black tea. Of course adding more will make it stronger. Hope this is helpful.
Best wishes, Liza.
Is it good to put some of the flowers in?
Hi Andrea,
I don’t think the flowers are traditionally used but I have added them and it makes a nice aesthetic touch. I’m not sure if they would offer any additional health benefits but they do share some of the same properties as the leaves.