Mountain tea also known as iron, malotira and kokomithia, It is an herbaceous plant with a wonderful aroma. The height of the plant ranges from 10 to 50 cm and has round branches and fluffy leaves. In Greece we find it in mountainous areas.

Planting is recommended in two seasons, from October to November and from February to March (in the northern hemisphere) and harvesting in July, when it is in full bloom. The plant is typically dried before use.

Mountain tea is an herb known since antiquity. Specifically, Hippocrates recommended it as a tonic and had recognized its benefits for the human immune and respiratory systems . Dioskourides used it to clean and heal wounds. Ο Π. Gennadios writes that sideritis was so named by Dioscorides, due to its ability to heal wounds from iron objects. Another version, which is the most widely accepted, claims that Dioscorides gave this name to the plant, due to the high content of iron in the infusion.

It is important to mention that its excellent properties are not due to its individual components, but mainly to the interaction of these components. Let’s look at the most important of these:

Components:

• Phenols
• Essences
• Flavonoids
• Dipterpenia
• Phenylpropane
• Monoterpenes
• Iridoids
• Tannins
• Vitamin C
• Micronutrients such as iron, copper, zinc, cobalt and selenium
• Macronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium

Therapeutic properties:

Beverage

Boil water and then pour 2 kg of mountain tea, cover it and leave it for about 10 minutes. Then strain it and drink it.

You can add honey, lemon or cinnamon. You can also drink it cold.

To enhance its relaxing properties, you can also add linden.

While to make a tonic breakfast drink, you can add 2-3 warps of Kozani yolk.

Mountain tea, unlike the rest, has no stimulating effect and can be consumed comfortably the night before bed.

There are no reported side effects.