Day 11: Sage Tea - Faskomilo - March 28, 2013

Picture taken from the website HerbFacts.co.uk (Source: http://www.herbfacts.co.uk/pages/herb-file/sage.php)

Sage is an herb that is commonly remembered around Thanksgiving.  We use sage to season stuffing and dressings, maybe to flavour the turkey, too.  But, Greeks have used sage in a different way for ages.  We make tea with it.  Sage tea is a common beverage in many families, and is used as medicine.  If you have an upset stomach, a fever, or a mouth sore, sage tea can cure your ailment.  There are other cultures that also use sage in medicinal ways, but the best medicine we know came from our parents and grandparents.  They were the ones who have used sage tea for whatever we thought was wrong with us.  Sage is being studied as helpful in treating hot flashes, cholesterol, and weight loss.

According to about.com, (source: http://greekfood.about.com/od/herbsspices/p/sage.htm)

"Ancient Greek physicians, such as Dioscurides and Hippocrates, were familiar with the medicinal and therapeutic qualities and applications of sage. Hippocrates (4th century BCE) prescribed sage as a remedy for lung diseases and gynecological disorders. Dioscurides (1st centry AD) used sage as a diuretic, to stop external bleeding, and to promote menstrual discharge."

So, where do you find sage tea?

Well, first, it is important to know that there are so many varieties of sage.  Faskomilo is the Greek word, and refers to the Salvia officinalis plant, which is a perennial shrub and related to the mint family.  It flowers in May and June, so it is good to collect what you grow and dry it so you have it all year.  All over Greece, faskomilo can be seen on the mountains.  Here, in Canada, you can find it as you walk through your neighbourhood!  If you find fresh sage, just hang it upside down to dry, so the oils drip into the leaf instead of out of the cut or broken stem.  Once it is dry, store it in an air tight container in a cool, dark place.

Two brands of sage available to us in the stores.

Today, we bought the package of sage tea.  You can make tea using the fresh leaves and stems directly out of the garden, washed well, or from the dried herb.  We do grow sage in the garden, and it comes back every year, so we are waiting until June or July to harvest our own fresh sage for drying.  In the meantime, we bought some from a grocery store that sells Greek food items.  It is very inexpensive at about $1.99 per package, but we have seen it for as much as $2.49 per package.  It is available at most  Greek, Italian and Mediterranean markets.

Dried sage stems and leaves.

Making sage tea is not difficult, nor is it time consuming.  The trick is that it is not like Tsai tou vounou where you boil the leaves and stems.   Sage tea is a little more sensitive to heat than some other herbal teas.  So, the trick to make the perfect pot is to boil the water separately from the sage and just pour it over the herb to let the tea steep.  Make sure to cover the pot while the tea steeps.  The entire house will smell beautiful.  Let the tea steep for 7 to 10 minutes to get the full benefit of the sage.  If you steep longer than ten minutes, it will cool too much and you will likely need to reheat it.

Put the leaves and the stems into the teapot.

Boil the water separately from the herb.

Pour boiling water over the herb in the teapot.

Make sure to cover the sage tea while it steeps.

Steep for 7 to 10 minutes. (We started at 7 minutes)

Sage steeping in the teapot.

You can change the strength of the tea by adjusting how many leaves or sprigs you put in the teapot to steep.  If you add more leaves and stems, you will get a deeper golden colour of tea.  Some people add honey to their tea to sweeten the spicy, peppery nature that brewed sage has.  Or, you could add a squeeze of lemon, if you like.  

Sage Tea ready to drink, served with lemon and honey on the side

Proverbs 17: "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it."

Source: English Standard Version (ESV)