How to prepare Ivan tea and when to do it. Withering - the initial stage

The first mention of Koporye tea- the traditional Russian drink dates back to the 12th century. Since ancient times in Rus', it has been prepared from a plant - narrow-leaved fireweed.

A more common name is Ivan-chai. It acquired another name from the town of Koporye near St. Petersburg, where it was harvested in large volumes and distributed throughout the district. It was used not only on the territory of our country, but also in Europe, where until the 17th century there was no tea in its modern quality.

Already in those days, Koporye tea deservedly enjoyed the fame of a healing drink.

Fireweed narrow-leaved in its composition contains various useful elements:

Flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol. These components have antispasmodic, choleretic and diuretic effects.
Tannins(up to 20%), they have anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and astringent properties.
Alkaloids. IN large doses- These are poisonous substances, but in small quantities they effectively improve blood circulation and metabolism, have an analgesic effect, and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
Chlorophyll- a green pigment of herbs that absorbs light energy. It promotes wound healing.
Carotene (provitamin A), vitamin C and other substances that have a positive effect on various diseases.
Its unique properties include the content in enough and in the available form of beta-sitosterol, a substance effectively used in the treatment of prostate adenoma.

In our time healing qualities Ivan-tea in the treatment of prostate diseases have been confirmed scientific research. But about a hundred years ago, the popularity of narrow-leaved fireweed tea dropped significantly. The famous healer from Austria, Maria Treben, announced a radical remedy for the treatment of the prostate - small-flowered fireweed.

Later, Austrian and German scientists published data that this type of plant cures prostatitis, actively promotes recovery from prostate adenoma. Gives positive effect during treatment cancerous tumor in this area and contributes to the restoration of health after the removal of the prostate gland.

Further scientific research has shown that the anti-inflammatory effect of the narrow-leaved fireweed is much stronger than that of the small-flowered. The method of instrumental analysis confirmed the effectiveness of prostate treatment with Ivan-tea.

But purveyors of medicinal raw materials, due to past misconceptions, prefer the competitor of narrow-leaved fireweed. It is also argued that effective medicinal plants cannot be mass-produced.

The range of useful properties of Ivan tea is very wide. It is efficient, not addictive a natural remedy for restful sleep for children and adults.

It systematically normalizes blood pressure, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, cleanses the organs in case of intoxication and alcohol poisoning. At regular use removes depressive states and improves performance.

Koporye tea has a beneficial effect on the endocrine and immune system. The trace elements contained in it improve the protective functions of the body, stimulate hematopoiesis. An important property of narrow-leaved fireweed is the inhibition of any inflammatory processes.

Unhealed wounds are sprinkled with crushed tea. For general tone, rub the body olive oil mixed with tea powder.

If you list all beneficial features Koporye tea, you can get an impressive list:

effectiveness in diseases of the urogenital area, prevention of prostatitis;
cancer prevention;
improvement of blood composition;
increased immunity to acute respiratory infections;
increased potency;
scarring of stomach and duodenal ulcers;
caries prevention;
elimination of intoxication of the body, treatment of food and alcohol poisoning;
recovery from exhaustion of the body;
strengthening hair roots;
headache treatment, normalization of blood pressure;

Tea from fireweed leaves is produced using a technology similar to the method of making black tea. You can make your own tea from freshly picked willow-tea leaves. The leaves must be thoroughly kneaded until the juice appears and put in a glass container with a wide neck (not in a metal bowl).

We put oppression on the green mass so that the grass starts up the juice. Her cells will begin to ferment, as in ensiling. Keep raw materials under oppression for no more than a day, so that fermentation does not begin.

Then we spread the resulting material on a baking sheet and put it in the oven on the smallest fire. During drying, the second fermentation will take place. Dried Koporye tea is difficult to distinguish from black large-leaf tea. But its taste is original. Cold tea tastes even better.

You can drink Koporye tea mixed with natural black tea. They complement each other in the formation of the smell of tea leaves and in creating the color of the drink. Four parts of Ivan tea are brewed for one part of black tea. But Koporye tea should be brewed for 10-15 minutes. It has a slight sedative, calming effect and partially neutralizes the effect of caffeine, which is contained in black tea.

Oct-12-2016

What is Kopor tea

Questions about what Kopor tea is, the benefits and harms to human health of this tea, and whether it has any medicinal properties are of great interest to those who care about their health and are interested in folk methods treatment. And this interest is understandable. Maybe this article, to some extent, will answer these questions.

Koporsky tea (koporka, Ivan-tea) is Russian herbal drink, obtained by brewing fermented leaves of narrow-leaved fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), a perennial herbaceous plant from the Cyprus family. The name of the drink comes from the village of Koporye not far from St. Petersburg, where herbal tea was traditionally produced from its leaves.

Most of this tea was harvested in the village of Koporye near St. Petersburg. Therefore, they began to call the drink, and later Ivan-tea itself, Koporsky tea. They drank such tea all over Russia. Later, it became the most important component in Russian exports. After special processing, "Ivan-chai" was sent by sea to England and other European countries, where it was also known as Persian carpets, Chinese silk, Damascus steel. Abroad "Ivan-chai" was called Russian tea.

After the appearance Chinese tea"Ivan-tea" began to be brewed in such a way that it resembled subtropical tea in taste and color. They made it like this: the leaves of the willow-herb were dried, scalded in a tub with boiling water, ground in a trough, then thrown onto baking sheets and dried in a Russian oven. After drying, the leaves were crushed again and the tea was ready.

Fireweed is a tall herb with long leaves and large dark pink flowers found on all continents in temperate climates. Fireweed prefers well-lit places: flat banks of rivers and streams, meadows, burnt areas and clearings.

The English name for fireweed is narrow-leaved, or willow-herb - Fireweed - means "weed of conflagrations." On the lands devastated by fire, this plant appears first, preparing the conditions for the settlement of other plants in the future.

Fireweed flowers consist of four sepals Pink colour, four free petals, eight stamens and a recurved pistil. All flowers are collected in a pointed brush, they open from six to seven in the morning. At the base of its rose petals, it is easy to detect drops of nectar, which are removed by winged workers - up to a thousand kilograms per hectare - then turn it into fragrant light honey. The leaves are lanceolate, alternate, very similar to willow leaves. Small seeds with white hairs. A hectare of fireweed sows up to four billion such seeds, they have excellent germination and germination energy.

The further north Ivan-tea grows, the more vitamin C it contains.

Ivan-chai has volatile seeds and quickly populates places with disturbed vegetation; the pink blaze of Ivan-tea flowers can be seen in wastelands, in gardens and villages, in clearings, on the edges of the forest.

On the territory of Russia, 17 types of fireweed grow, the most common of which is Ivan tea.

Flowers, leaves, less often willow-tea roots are used as medicinal raw materials.

The collection is carried out during flowering (usually leaves and unblown buds are harvested separately).

WITH therapeutic purpose fireweed leaves and flowers are harvested, dried in the shade, under a canopy, in attics, open verandas, in well-ventilated areas.

The roots are dug up in autumn, cleaned from the ground, dried in dryers, ovens, ovens at a temperature of 65–70 ° C.

Store raw materials in a dry, ventilated area, periodically monitoring. Shelf life of grass is 2 years, roots - 3 years.

Flowers and leaves of fireweed are a real treasure for extraction from it. useful components for the human body.

The unique composition determines the variety of healing properties of Ivan-tea. It is also a mild laxative, emollient, enveloping, wound healing, analgesic, anticonvulsant effect. In its anti-inflammatory properties, Ivan-tea surpasses all medicinal plants - it has been scientifically proven that it has the highest coefficient of anti-inflammatory action among plants! And in terms of its tranquilizing effect (calming, reducing the feeling of tension, anxiety, fear), it has no equal at all.

A detailed recipe for making Koporye tea

Withering: the leaves are scattered with a layer no thicker than 5 cm for a day or a day until they become lethargic, while they must be periodically stirred, not allowing the leaves of the upper layer and along the edges to dry out.

Twisting: the leaves are twisted between the palms of the hands into small spindle-shaped sausages until they darken from the juice that has come out.

Fermentation: rolled leaves are placed in a 5 cm layer in an enameled bowl or tray, covered with a wet cloth and placed in a warm place (24-27 ° C) for 6-12 hours to ripen. The higher the temperature, the faster the fermentation process, the end of the process is characterized by a change in the grassy smell to a rich floral-fruity one. Too high temperature and overexposure are dangerous - fireweed acquires the smell of low-grade boiled tea.

Drying: the fermented leaves are finely cut, spread on sieves or baking sheets lined with parchment, a layer of 1-1.5 centimeters and dried at a temperature of 100 ° C for about an hour, periodically checking readiness by touch. Well-dried tea has the color of black real tea, rich and stronger than its aroma, the tea leaves break when squeezed, but do not crumble into dust. When the bulk of the tea reaches this condition, the drying temperature is reduced, and the draft, which is moderate during the drying process, is sharply increased. When too high temperature and overexposure of tea in a dryer, an admixture of the smell of “dry paper” appears in the bouquet.

Storage: as real tea, Koporsky requires tight packaging during storage - best in glass jars with plastic lids. Commodity standard Koporye tea reaches after about a month of storage, and in the future, its properties, like real tea, improve even more. The dried flowers also make an excellent drink.

The recipe for Koporye tea from Dmitry Samusev:

The plant itself contains everything necessary for fermentation. These are its own juices and enzymes. If the leaf is crushed in the hands, then part of the cells will burst, the plant will release juice. In wet crumpled leaves will contain vitamins nutrients and intracellular enzymes. These enzymes, having left the vacuoles, begin to actively change biochemical composition plants. It's like self digestion. At the same time, the leaves darken somewhat, a different, pleasant smell appears. For this fermentation process, it is better to leave finely chopped, well-rumpled leaves in a non-metallic dish under oppression (with a decrease in contact with air and metal, vitamins are preserved) for 1–2 days at room temperature. If you keep it longer, the tea will ferment like cabbage.

IN agriculture something similar happens in the ensiling of hay, when the cut grass is collected in herds and it turns sour by the forces of its own enzymes. Lactic acid produced naturally preserves grass. Fermentation can be applied to any medicinal wild plants and, on the basis of this process, an infinite number of teas can be prepared. The taste and smell of freshly dried and fermented herbs are markedly different. You can add flower petals, dried berries, fruits to teas.

So, after fermentation, the sheet is laid out on cast iron pan and on a very slow fire "languishes" for about forty minutes. This heating to a hot state is necessary to accelerate fermentation, in which part of the insoluble non-extractable substances of plant tissue are converted into soluble and easily digestible. These are the substances that give the taste, smell and color of tea.

After forty minutes of languor, turn on medium fire and, constantly stirring with a wooden spatula, bring the sheet to a dry state. Carefully! Don't burn it. And then the tea will be burnt.

In appearance, it is an ordinary black large-leaf tea, but with a pleasant peculiar smell. When brewed, willow-tea gives a good color and a pleasant smell, and with an increase in the dosage, it acquires an intense color and astringency like the usual tea.

Interestingly, brewing Ivan tea does not stain tooth enamel, and in general, well-made Ivan tea is much tastier than Indian or Ceylon tea. By its properties, the Ivan-tea drink occupies, as it were, an intermediate position between black and green in terms of strength and healing properties. And if you add flowers to this tea, dried berries and fruits, then he will not be worth the price!

Simple tea recipe

So, we collect young shoots of willow-tea (you can also have flowers, but with flowers), finely chop the leaves, knead them well with your hands so that the green mass becomes slightly moist, put in a bowl under oppression for a day or two at room temperature.

Then heat under a lid in a frying pan over low heat for 40 minutes. And finally, dry the mass over medium heat with constant stirring.

Ivan-chai, aka Koporsky tea is ready!

Such tea should be brewed as follows: 1 teaspoon without a slide per glass of 200 ml. Let it brew for 15 minutes. Tea retains its healing and gustatory properties throughout the day. When brewed repeatedly, it resembles green tea.

Koporye tea is a gift native nature, an environmentally friendly fortified product made with your own hands to your own delight, and to your neighbors' surprise.

It is recommended to drink Kopor tea with the whole family as a prophylactic, given its ability to increase defensive forces organism. And in terms of antioxidant properties, Ivan-tea is one of the leaders among medicinal plants.

There are not many contraindications to the use of Koporye tea. In case of use medicines according to exact recipes, only it is felt positive influence on the body. In case of an overdose, mild indigestion sometimes occurs. It is not recommended to use fireweed for young children and pregnant women. The shelf life of harvested and dried parts of the plant is not more than two years.

Based on the book by Yu. Konstantinov “Yarrow, fireweed. Natural Medicines.

In Rus', it was believed that Koporye tea could prevent or cure 90% of all known diseases of that time. The remaining 10% were treated with other plants, honey, tar, mushrooms and roots.

The constant intake of Koporye tea is the prevention of benign and malignant tumors, prostatitis; effective remedy with problems with the genitourinary system.
In addition, this tea is used to improve blood composition and reduce body intoxication; removal of food and alcohol poisoning; recovery from exhaustion.
Also, Koporye tea cicatrizes ulcers of the duodenum and stomach, increases immunity to various respiratory viral infections, strengthens hair roots, normalizes blood pressure, eliminates headaches and prevents early human aging.
Many healing effects of Ivan tea are similar to baking soda. And this is no coincidence. After all, fireweed mainly grows on the ashes of peat and forest fires, which is the same alkali as baking soda.
Koporye tea, drunk in the evening before going to bed, can slow down the pulse, reduce blood pressure and lower the temperature of the human body. Such a nocturnal "anabiosis" gives a chance to increase or extend the phase of the active life of the body, at least a quarter of its average duration, which you will agree is not so little ...

Koporye tea was exported from Russia to Europe - to huge number. But simply dried herb Ivan-chai is not Koporye tea. Koporye tea must be fermented before drying, that is, it is subjected to natural fermentation for 24-48 hours. The time of fermentation and the temperature at which it is carried out, just affect the color, taste and aroma of the final product.

Tea can be made green, yellow or even black. In terms of taste, Koporye black tea is unrivaled! There are several fermentation methods.

The easiest and most affordable way

Collect leaves and top flowers (without seeds) of Ivan-chai herb. You need to collect them after 10 am, when the morning dew dries. IN intense heat the collection of raw materials is carried out in the late afternoon. Otherwise, the leaves will "burn" in the basket.

Attention

You need to collect very carefully so as not to put a forest bug in the basket. Even one insect can ruin all our work. No wonder the Russian proverb says - a small bug, but a stinky one!

Lightly dry the collected leaves and flowers in the shade, knead thoroughly with your hands, rolling them in your palms, fill them with 3 liter jar as tight as possible.

Close with a damp cloth and place in a dark place at room temperature for 36 hours.

Then take out the fermented mass, loosen and dry at a temperature of about 95 - 110 degrees Celsius, in an electric or gas oven.

If desired, flat slab tea can be formed. For example round. In some places in Rus' they made slab tea in the form of a large layer, the size of a baking sheet for a Russian oven. This layer was somewhat reminiscent of modern chipboard, only black and brown. At the bazaar, such tea was sold by weight, chopping off the desired piece from the layer - with an ax.

In modern home conditions of a city apartment, it is problematic to make and dry a huge tile. But a small one, with a dry weight of 250 - 300 grams, is quite realistic to make. You can create it in any plastic container from raw herb Ivan-tea of a weak degree of fermentation under oppression.

During the molding, fermentation will be completed completely. You will have to dry the tiles in an electric oven, with upper and lower heating (preferably with infrared emitters), with the convection mode turned on. The drying time will depend on the initial moisture content of the tile (which depends on the time of day, the date of the last rainfall and the month in which the raw material was collected) and its third dimension, the thickness.

To save electricity, it is better to dry several tiles at the same time. When drying, it is necessary to regularly stir the drying tea or turn over the flat tiles.

At the same time, it will acquire the color we need. It can vary from light brown to almost black. Drying time for loose tea is determined "by eye", and for round tea - by weighing dry tiles. Ratio wet weight and finished dry tea should be 5:1.

How to store Koporye tea

It is better to store Koporye tea under a lid, in a glass or plastic container, in the absence of sunlight. Shelf life - at least three years.

Perfectly kept in gray paper bags tightly sealed to prevent moisture penetration. Storage conditions - room temperature, kitchen cabinets or shelves. Preferably closed.

The old way, the principle of the Russian oven

On a damp linen canvas or tablecloth, lay out a layer of Ivan-tea leaves up to 3 cm. roll into a “twist”, like a big roll, as tightly as possible. For a small amount of grass, it is better to take the canvas in a smaller size, while they also do not forget to slightly moisten it clean water from a household spray bottle. Otherwise, he will take a part valuable juice from leaves.

It is more convenient to do it together. Then we leave the twist alone and give the initial fermentation for 2 - 3 hours. Periodically check the temperature of the twist by touch. With a noticeable warm-up (more than 37 degrees), we finish the initial fermentation.

It turns out crumpled grass with pleasant smell fermented pear compote. Young apical (May) shoots are so tender that the destruction of their cellular structure occurs during laying in the container. At the same time, a characteristic crunch is heard while pressing the green mass with a hand.

We fold it, tamping it very tightly into plastic buckets or glass jars under the lid for complete fermentation. In order not to confuse them later, we will write the date of the bookmark on the lid.

We finish fermentation after 36-40 hours. Its duration can be increased if you put the raw materials in cool place. This will give the tea a more subtle taste.

For late tea (harvesting July - August) we do additional stage fermentation. To do this, the raw materials taken out of the bucket are thoroughly washed with our hands until the juice appears.

If there is no time or energy to perform this operation, then the mass can be passed through the auger of the meat grinder with the knives removed or a special electric grinder. But in this case, the taste and medicinal properties of tea will be weaker.

Then leave alone in the form of a small pile, covering it with a damp cloth, for 6 - 8 hours at room temperature. As soon as the tea acquires the properties of soft rubber to the touch, it must be dried quickly. To do this, put the future tea on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven at a temperature of ~ 100 degrees Celsius.

At the end of drying, the temperature can be slightly increased. This will allow you to “ignite” the tea leaves in the likeness coffee beans. Not only the color and aroma of tea will improve, but also its taste. Don't forget to stir often! Keep the oven door slightly open.

good advice

In order for the tea not to roast, it is advisable to put two red clay bricks or ceramic facing tiles on the bottom of the oven. They will stabilize the temperature and emit infrared rays of the desired spectrum, in the likeness of a Russian stove. The healing qualities of Koporye tea depend on this.

After 1.5 - 2 hours, Koporye tea is ready! With little experience, 300 - 400 grams of dry product can be dried per day.

For your information

The best idea for drying Koporye tea is a Russian oven. It "automatically" maintains all the parameters of tea drying.

It is better to store Koporye tea under the lid, in a dark place. Slab tea should be wrapped appropriately in thick paper.

The shelf life of loose tea is at least three years, and tiled tea is tens of years! The taste and aroma of tea only improves with time. Additional dry fermentation takes place.

Fermentation under oppression in own juice

The collected raw materials (tops of shoots and fireweed leaves) are divided approximately equally into two piles. From the first, with the help of a powerful press juicer, we get juice. The percentage of juice yield is small, even if you use the most modern juicer.

We put the remaining half of the leaves in a ceramic-metal pan and pour the fireweed juice. On top we put a wooden circle (or a slightly smaller lid) with a load-oppression. Its weight should be at least 20 kg (or rather, a two-pound weight in a plastic bag so that there is no direct contact with the “brine”).

After three days, the fermentation will end and the tea must be dried at a temperature of + 90 degrees Celsius. You will get Koporye tea plates.

How to drink Koporye tea

For one person, 5 grams of dry brewing of Koporye tea is enough for a day, of course, if it is not abused. This is about 4-5 cups of a rich drink. Re-welding is allowed. But its taste qualities will no longer be so pronounced. Taking into account the possible treats of guests with a “coporka”, 2 kg of dry tea is enough for one person for a year.

Water for Koporye tea

Most of all, the taste and aroma of Koporye tea depends on the quality of the water and the brew itself. It would be foolish to say that tap water You can make it "delicious" with filters. Who at least once drank tea with lake or melt water from the glaciers of the mountains will understand me.

Dry tea leaves should be uniform in color and size. Its smell is also important, similar to pear-apple dried fruit compote, stoving. From tea leaves, emitting a rotten smell of spoiled hay, good tea will not work.

How to brew Koporye tea

Crockery (teapot) can be different: glass, porcelain, rock crystal or brass samovar. In the last tea leaves are lowered in a container or a linen bag (based on: 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of volume). From modern materials - cermet.
poured boiling water. It is important to keep the brew time. It is at least 40 minutes. For an amateur, it can be increased to 4-6 hours. With a longer process, the drink begins to oxidize and loses its color and taste.
Drink hot or cold. When heating cooled tea, do not allow even the slightest boil of the drink. Subtle flavor will disappear immediately. Koporsky tea is drunk without dilution with boiling water.

The benefits of Kopor tea

The presence of iron, copper, manganese in the plant makes it possible to consider it a means that can improve the process of hematopoiesis, increase the protective functions of the body, and have a pronounced calming effect.
Ivan tea gently normalizes bowel activity.
Due to the rich content of tannins, mucus and vitamin C, Ivan-chai has good anti-inflammatory and enveloping properties when peptic ulcer stomach, gastritis, colitis. And also with enterocolitis, dysentery diarrhea, flatulence and anemia.
Drinking it regularly relieves migraines, helps with insomnia, anemia, delirium tremens, infections, colds and asthma.
In general, it raises immunity, being the most powerful natural purifier. In the old days, it was not for nothing that they said about him that he not only heals the body, but also enlightens the mind and uplifts the spirit. Anyone who drinks Koporye tea will never have problems with the prostate gland and sexual impotence. The name of the plant speaks for itself.
And one more of the remarkable advantages of Ivan-tea is that it alkalizes the blood and thereby restores strength in case of various kinds of exhaustion and after serious illnesses.

It's a shame that Ivan Chai, for which Russia was once famous and which was once an item of export income, is now undeservedly forgotten. It is not very easy to prepare Ivan Chai for your own needs. The most difficult stage is fermentation. This is worth the time and effort. The result is worth it, but it is best to cook it yourself.

From experience - buying Ivan Chai is risky. How to properly prepare Ivan tea, if they know, they are unlikely to use it in in full. Any mechanization kills the healing properties of Ivan tea and real Koporye tea does not work.

You need to try a little from different companies in order to choose a really fragrant Koporye tea, without the slightest sign of staleness or musty smell.

In the last century, there lived such a doctor, Pyotr Badmaev. He studied Tibetan medicine and treated not only high-ranking officials of the Russian Empire. but also foreigners from Europe. Elixirs based on Ivan-tea were used in his clinic. Badmaev himself was going to set a record for longevity thanks to Kopor tea. But a revolution came to Russia. At the age of 109, he was arrested by the Petrograd Cheka. After the torture, his health deteriorated and he died.

If you take that into account. that longevity is affected by heart rate (pulse), body temperature, pressure, the number of breaths per minute, then the action of fireweed just contributes to a decrease in the values of these indicators. That is, if you drink Koporye tea in the evening before going to bed, you can achieve an effect that resembles in action Indian yoga which ultimately prolongs the life of a person. And in the morning, a rested body becomes vigorous and strong.
We don't need caffeine traditional tea, alcohol and tobacco are not needed, drugs are not needed ... Ivan-chai will help restore the health of the nation, overcome adversity and return the joy of life!

Ivan-chai (fireweed, Koporsky tea) - very tasty, beautiful and the healthiest tea in everything the globe! By healing power it has no equal on our planet. Ivan-tea grows throughout Russia from south to north. They call it Koporsky. Along the village of Koporye, which is located not far from the Gulf of Finland, to the north-west of Izhora. Since ancient times, Ivan-tea has been used in Rus' as a healing drink and treated with it for various ailments and ailments.

In Rus', it was believed that Koporye tea could prevent or cure 90% of all known diseases of that time. The remaining 10% were treated with other plants, honey, tar, mushrooms and roots. The constant intake of Koporye tea is the prevention of benign and malignant formations, prostatitis; effective remedy for problems with the genitourinary system.

In addition, this tea is used to improve blood composition and reduce body intoxication; removal of food and alcohol poisoning; recovery from exhaustion. Also, Koporye tea cicatrizes ulcers of the duodenum and stomach, increases immunity to various respiratory viral infections, strengthens hair roots, normalizes blood pressure, eliminates headaches and prevents early human aging.
Koporye tea was exported from Russia to Europe - in huge quantities. Ivan tea contains up to 20% tannins, flavonoids, mucus, pectin substances and B vitamins. Vitamin "C" in Ivan-tea is 6.5 times more than in lemon. In addition, Ivan-tea contains a lot of protein, which is easily absorbed by the body, which allows you to quickly and easily get saturated with energy. The spectrum of trace elements is unique. In 100 gr. green mass of Ivan-tea contains: iron -2.3 mg; nickel - 1.3 mg; copper - 2.3 mg; manganese - 16 mg; titanium - 1.3 mg; molybdenum - 0.44 mg; boron - 6 mg and a significant amount - potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, etc. But simply dried herb Ivan-tea is not Koporye tea. Here is a direct analogy between black and green tea. Koporye tea must be fermented before drying, that is, it is subjected to natural fermentation for 24-48 hours. The time of fermentation and the temperature at which it is carried out, just affect the color, taste and aroma of the final product. Tea can be made green, yellow or even black.

Koporye tea was exported from Russia to Europe - in huge quantities. Ivan-tea contains up to 20% tannins, flavonoids, mucus, pectin and B vitamins.

Vitamin "C" in Ivan-tea is 6.5 times more than in lemon.

In addition, Ivan-tea contains a lot of protein, which is easily absorbed by the body, which allows you to quickly and easily get saturated with energy.

The spectrum of trace elements is unique. In 100 gr. green mass of Ivan-tea contains:

iron -2.3 mg;

nickel - 1.3 mg;

copper - 2.3 mg;

manganese - 16 mg;

titanium - 1.3 mg;

molybdenum - 0.44 mg;

boron - 6 mg and in a significant amount - potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, etc.

But simply dried herb Ivan-chai is not Koporye tea. Here is a direct analogy between black and green tea.

Koporye tea must be fermented before drying, that is, it is subjected to natural fermentation for 24-48 hours.

Simply dried green leaves of Ivan tea can be used as a base in the manufacture of soothing herbal teas. An example of such tea is the Forest Aroma drink.

KOPORSKY TEA from A to Z

1. Methods of fermentation.

There are several fermentation methods. I know of six of them. And all six work great! Let's consider in detail a couple of the most simple, taking into account all the nuances ...

You need to start with the fact that it’s not easy to make good and high-quality Koporye tea ...

It was tea, and not its pathetic likeness!

Making excellent Koporye tea is an art and an experience. Compare with baked goods homemade bread or cutting glass. It would seem that in the age of technological progress - there is simply no impossible. But this is good for anything, but not for Kopor tea. Although it grows in Russia on its own, without much human participation and in huge quantities.

Everything is important in its production: manual collection of leaves, destruction of their cellular structure, fine fermentation technology and drying with specified parameters.

Let's start in order with the collection of leaves.

Moment one.

Collect them immediately after drying. morning dew until noon. Of course, in wet weather or immediately after rain, this cannot be done. When collecting, be sure to monitor the quality of the leaves. We do not take yellowed, sick with late blight or eaten by insect larvae. It is important that the insects themselves, their larvae and caterpillars do not get into the basket. Especially forest bugs. The stinky smell of even one individual can ruin the entire batch.

Second moment.

There is such a thing in nuclear physics as critical mass. It can be fully compared with the collection of Koporye tea. It is worth exceeding the mass of the collected leaves in the basket for 5-6 kg, as their spontaneous heating begins. In this case, the leaves will lose all their nutritional and medicinal value, become an incomprehensible gray color, and will emit a bad smell. Therefore, the collected leaves must be constantly mixed in the basket, and the collected leaves should be stored for no more than two hours, hidden in the shade or coolness. From time to time and it is desirable to "slow down" them.

If possible, the collected leaves can be immediately dried (withered) in the shade of trees or under a canopy. But here the "squiggle" appears again - insects can get on them! In another case, these leaves must be delivered to the room, where they will have to be slightly withered before the main fermentation.

Moment three.

The beginning of fermentation can be considered the destruction of the cellular structure of Ivan-tea leaves. We choose any method: manual, mechanical, ultrasonic or cryodestruction (quick freezing). The best of them is the manual twisting of the leaves until the secreted juice appears. The remaining methods are slightly worse, because they destroy the leaf and its fibers along with the cells, and slow freezing and subsequent thawing changes the structure of proteins.

Otherwise, self-heating of the mass may occur again, which will make the raw material unsuitable for further processing. The optimal volume of the jar is 3-4 liters. In the old days, a layer of leaves was rolled up on wet linen canvas, which made it possible to obtain a small mass per unit volume.

The fermented leaves should become sticky, brownish brown, and smell like fermented fruit juice.

Moment four.

Drying is carried out at an initial temperature of about 100 degrees. according to C. It is important to quickly stop the further fermentation of raw materials, otherwise the taste of tea will be close to dry broken hay ... Ideally, a cooling Russian red brick oven is suitable for this, in which Koporsky tea was dried.
The process can be simulated in convection dryers with the addition of ceramic or film IR heaters.

Moment five.

Dried tea should be packed in a sealed food container without foreign odors (linen bags were used in the old days) and allowed to age for at least a month at room temperature without access to light and moist air. During this time, the tea will undergo additional dry fermentation and will be ready for packaging and use for brewing.
The shelf life of dry tea is at least 3 years. Negative temperatures during storage, this period is increased and the taste of tea is not affected.

1. Easy way.

Collect leaves and top flowers (without seeds) of Ivan-chai herb.

Carefully knead the collected leaves and flowers with your hands, rolling them in your palms, fill them with a 3-liter jar as tightly as possible. Close with a damp cloth and place in a dark place at room temperature for 36 hours.

Then take out the fermented mass, loosen and dry at a temperature of about 95 - 110 degrees Celsius, in an electric or gas oven.

If desired, flat slab tea can be formed. For example, round, like Chinese "Puer".

In some places in Rus' they made slab tea in the form of a large layer, the size of a baking sheet for a Russian oven. This layer was somewhat reminiscent of modern chipboard, only black-brown in color .. At the bazaar, such tea was sold by weight, chopping off the right piece from the layer - with an ax!

In modern home conditions of a city apartment, it is problematic to make and dry a huge tile. But a small one, with a dry weight of 250 - 300 grams, is quite realistic to make.

It can be formed in any plastic container from raw willow-tea grass with a low degree of fermentation under oppression.

The drying time will depend on the initial moisture content of the tile (which depends on the time of day, the date of the last rainfall and the month in which the raw material was collected) and its third dimension, the thickness.

To save electricity, it is better to dry several tiles at the same time. Roughly like this.

When drying, it is necessary to regularly stir the drying tea or turn over the flat tiles. At the same time, it will acquire the color we need. It can vary from light brown to almost black.

Drying time for loose tea is determined "by eye", and for round tea - by weighing dry tiles. The ratio of raw mass and finished dry tea should be 5:1.

It is better to store Koporye tea under a lid, in a glass or plastic container, in the absence of sunlight.

Shelf life - at least three years.

2. Forgotten way.

On a damp linen canvas or tablecloth, lay out a layer of Ivan-tea leaves up to 3 cm. roll into a "twist", like a big roll, as tightly as possible.

For a small amount of grass, it is better to take the canvas in a smaller size, while it is also not forgotten to slightly moisten it with clean water from a household spray bottle. Otherwise, he will take some of the valuable juice from the leaves.

We tighten the twist with a rope or a rubber band and carefully knead it with our hands, bending and unbending it in different directions for 20-30 minutes, thereby destroying the cellular structure (vacuoles) of Ivan-tea leaves. It is more convenient to do it together. Then we leave the twist alone and give the initial fermentation for 2 - 3 hours. Periodically check the temperature of the twist by touch. With a noticeable warm-up (more than 37 degrees), we finish the initial fermentation.

It turns out such crumpled grass with a pleasant smell of fermented pear compote.

We fold it, tamping it very tightly into plastic buckets or glass jars under the lid for complete fermentation. In order not to confuse them later, we will write the date of the bookmark on the lid. We finish fermentation after 36-40 hours. Its duration can be increased by putting the raw material in a cool place. This will give the tea a more subtle taste.

Then we put the future tea on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven at a temperature of ~ 100 degrees Celsius.

Don't forget to stir often! You can sprinkle some water with honey for flavor. Keep the oven door slightly open. In order for the tea not to roast, it is advisable to put two bricks of red clay on the bottom of the oven. They will stabilize the temperature and emit infrared rays of the desired spectrum, in the likeness of a Russian stove. The healing qualities of Koporye tea depend on this.

After 1.5 - 2 hours, Koporye tea is ready! With little experience, 300 - 400 grams of dry product can be dried per day. It is better to store it under the lid, in a dark place. Shelf life is at least 3 years. The taste and aroma of tea only improves with time. Additional dry fermentation takes place.

2. Welding.

Most of all, the taste and aroma of Koporye tea depends on the quality of the water and the brew itself.
It would be foolish to say that tap water can be made "tasty" with the help of filters. Who at least once drank tea with lake or melt water from the glaciers of the mountains will understand me.
Dry tea leaves should be uniform in color and size. Its smell is also important, similar to honey with pear-apple dried fruit compote. From tea leaves, emitting a rotten smell of spoiled hay, good tea will not work.
Crockery (teapot) can be different: glass, porcelain, rock crystal or brass samovar. In the last tea leaves are lowered in a container or a linen bag (based on: 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of volume). From modern materials - cermet.
It is important to keep the brew time. It is at least 40 minutes. For an amateur, it can be increased to 4-6 hours. With a longer process, the drink begins to oxidize and loses its color and taste. Drink hot, warm and cold. When heating cooled tea, do not allow even the slightest boil of the drink. The subtle aroma will disappear immediately.
Usually Koporye tea is drunk without dilution with boiling water.

Drink with dried apricots, raisins, figs, dates, honey or jam.
But it is possible without everything. The taste is very pleasant too!
Cold Koporye tea is also used to take alcohol tinctures. For example, you can drip tincture of birch buds, propolis or red fly agaric into it.

3. The benefits of Kopor tea.

Let's start with the fact that this plant is a strong oxidant. It contains tannins and mucus. Ivan-tea has a complete set of trace elements. In terms of vitamins, this plant is not inferior to citrus fruits. The nutritional value plants are one of the highest. Thanks to this, Ivan-tea belongs to the category of "Food of the Gods".
Fireweed angustifolia (Ivan tea) official medicine recognized as medicinal. It is used for many diseases and ailments, both internal and external.
Koporye tea, made from fireweed leaves, allows a person to control his nervous system, not get sick and saves male power to a ripe old age.

Kopor tea is useful for the female body no less than for the male.

Delicious homemade bread yeast-free sourdough with the addition of bran prepared from autumn dried Ivan-tea or flour from its roots - completely restores the intestinal microflora and makes the whole gastrointestinal tract like clockwork.

The leaves of Ivan-tea contain everything necessary for the development and growth of a living organism. Caterpillars, forest bugs, bugs, snails feed on this grass ...

The presence of iron, copper, manganese in the plant makes it possible to consider it a means that can improve the process of hematopoiesis, increase the protective functions of the body, and have a pronounced calming effect. Ivan tea gently normalizes bowel activity. Due to the rich content of tannins, mucus and vitamin C, Ivan-tea has good anti-inflammatory and enveloping properties for gastric ulcers, gastritis, colitis.

And also with enterocolitis, dysentery diarrhea, flatulence and anemia. Drinking it regularly relieves migraines, helps with insomnia, anemia, delirium tremens, infections, colds and asthma.

In general, it raises immunity, being the most powerful natural purifier. In the old days, it was not for nothing that they said about him that he not only heals the body, but also enlightens the mind and uplifts the spirit.

Anyone who drinks Koporye tea will never have problems with the prostate gland and sexual impotence. The name of the plant speaks for itself. And one more of the remarkable advantages of Ivan-tea is that it alkalizes the blood and thereby restores strength in case of various kinds of exhaustion and after serious illnesses.

4. Bread from Ivan-chai grass.

Unleavened bread, with a small addition of dry fireweed leaves or Koporye tea leaves, crushed into flour, becomes much tastier and healthier. In autumn, in September, when the Indian summer comes, you can collect dry light brown leaves and stems of Ivan-tea in any quantity. Grind them into a large fraction in a meat grinder and use instead of bran when baking homemade bread. Such bran is very useful to add to the feed. poultry and cattle.

5. Koporye tea for overweight and double chin.

There is a recipe for drinking Kopor tea with a pinch of salt. They drink it at 150 gr. before meals 30 minutes. This allows you to reset excess weight and get rid of double chin. The reason for its appearance is the malfunction of the salivary glands. The salivary glands feel the lack of salt and are forced to increase the production of saliva to provide enough moisture for the process of chewing and swallowing. Increased blood flow to the salivary glands blood vessels begin to "leak" to give the glands enough water to produce saliva. Sweating in this way, the lymphoid fluid spreads beyond the borders of the glands, accumulating under the skin of the chin, cheeks and neck.

When drinking salted tea, this process stops and the second chin gradually disappears. In general, salted Koporye tea is close in composition to sea kale. Therefore, steamed tea leaves can not be thrown away, but simply eaten as a side dish for meat or fish. Additionally, Bolotov B.V. advises putting a grain on the tongue sea salt coarse grinding 40 minutes after eating. So did the ancient Greeks, who were not inferior to us in learning ...

6. Koporye tea for alcohol addiction.

To reduce cravings for alcohol and rid the patient of a hangover psychosis, Koporye tea is mixed with dry herb thyme (thyme) in a ratio of 5:1 by weight.

Brewed and drunk with honey in cases of strong desire to drink alcohol. It is recommended to drink up to 5-7 cups of this tea per day.

7. Koporye tea in the fight against smoking.

After quitting cigarettes, a former smoker becomes irritable and suffers from insomnia. But this is no reason to return to a deadly habit. Prepare an infusion that will help relieve nervous tension.

Mix a dessert spoon each of Koporye tea and peppermint. Add 0.5 liters of boiling water and keep for 15 minutes in a water bath. Cool, strain and take 100 grams five times a day. The medicine will speed up the removal of toxins from the body, help to improve sleep and have a calming effect on the nervous system. Within 2-3 weeks, all negative phenomena will pass.

8. Koporye tea for the treatment of chronic bronchitis.

Mix the brew of Koporye tea with powdered dry mandarin peels in a ratio of 5:1 by volume.

Brew and drink - as usual. Better with honey. In addition, such tea, due to its phytoncidal and antiseptic properties, will have an antimicrobial and antiviral effect, which means that it can be used to prevent acute respiratory infections and influenza.

9. Koporye tea for adenoma and prostatitis.

With these diseases, Koporye tea helps very well by itself. But the effect of the drink can be enhanced by mixing Koporye tea with crushed dry leaves of hazel (hazelnut).

The ratio of walnut leaves and Koporye tea is 1:3 by weight. Tea is drunk without sugar and honey. It is recommended to add a few grains of sea salt to the drink.

10. Koporye tea for diseases of the joints and spine.

In autumn, collect and dry about 300 yellow maple leaves. Grind the leaves with your hands or in a meat grinder and mix with 500 gr. Koporsky tea.

Brew a tablespoon of the mixture in a half-liter thermos overnight. Drink 150 gr. at the reception 15 minutes before meals, 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 30 days. There are three such courses in total, with a break of 10 days between them. The recipe allows you to permanently get rid of pain in the joints of various origins.

11. Koporsky tea with weakening of vision.

Grind the dried herb of eyebright officinalis and mix with Koporye tea in a ratio of 1:2.

It is better to brew this tea in the evening in a thermos with a volume of 0.5 l ( daily dose). Drink during the day 150 gr. Preferably one hour after eating. Maybe with a teaspoon of honey.

12. Growing Ivan-chai tea in the garden.

Ivan tea, as a plant, is found quite often in nature. And yet, in many regions of Russia, it does not grow. The fact is that Ivan-chai prefers to settle in places where the soil has a strong mineralization and the absence of a fertile layer (for example, after forest or peat fires, mechanized deforestation). In such places, he most of all "likes" to settle. I had occasion to observe quite strong specimens of plants that grew on the roof of an abandoned factory, in the wall of an old brickwork of a peat boiler house.
How does the natural sowing of Ivan-tea seeds take place? The fact is that the achene of this wonderful plant is very small and each is attached to a fluff-parachute. We can say that it has almost no weight! sow this plant in the usual way will never work out. You have to resort to some tricks when planting this "fluff".

After maturation, such a fluff on a hot day, leaving the parent bush, rises into the air in an ascending warm stream and can fly tens to hundreds. kilometers. From one plant, about 10 - 30 thousand of these seeds are obtained!

Having taken root, the plant begins to multiply not only by seeds, but also by roots. In this case, kilometer-long fields of Ivan-tea tea can be formed. This may take 5-10 years. Then, due to the dead upper parts of Ivan-tea, a fertile layer of soil begins to form. Other species settle on it and begin to "force out" the first settler.

It would be logical to assume that the entire planet Earth should be buried in Ivan-tea. But this does not come through. Plants of the first year grow from seed so weak that they cannot stand the slightest competition from other species. In addition, Ivan-chai is demanding of light. These two factors must be taken into account when breeding Ivan-tea in your dacha or garden.

The main growing conditions are strong mineralized soil and maximum sunlight during the day.

But first, we prepare the seeds for planting. Sow with ordinary in the usual way they won't work. They will simply scatter in space and land in a completely different place, perhaps hundreds of meters or even kilometers from our "field". Therefore, we do so. We cut from a newspaper (preferably from a roll of toilet paper) strips 1 - 2 cm wide. Their length may vary from the length of the desktop. The strip should be put on the table and applied to it, every 8-10 cm, droplets of flour or starch paste. Cut off the corner from the bag of seeds and carefully remove with tweezers or hair tweezers a small amount of fluff with seeds. We stick each portion of the seeds to our drop of glue. Let it dry completely and roll it up like a serpentine. Attach with rubber or glue. The more rolls you get, the better. This work can be done in advance, for example - in winter.

In spring or autumn, we choose a place for planting on the site. It should be well lit, not too dry, but not damp. Perfect option- an exhausted piece of land where potatoes were planted for several years. On a dry day, we lay a fire on the ground. The material can be an old fence, branches and branches of trees, a container board, etc. We burn all this "garbage" and level the hot coals with a rake. It is advisable to immediately pour dry peat, moss or sawdust on them. When burned, they will give an additional layer of ash. In addition, the seeds and roots of other plants will die. Young shoots of Ivan-tea should not have competitors for at least the first year. In windy weather, do not make a fire! The next day, on the burnt ground, make shallow grooves 2-3 cm deep, at a distance of 8-10 cm from each other, put paper strips with seeds in them (preferably on edge), cover them with ash and sand in a ratio of 1: 1 to volume and pour abundantly several times with rain or melt water. It is important! Therefore, stock up on such water in advance. That's it, you don't need to do anything else. Nature will do the rest.
Another method of sowing is possible. Before planting, wet the seeds so that they do not fly away and mix with dry sand. Sow like a carrot. We prepare the soil for Ivan tea in the same way as with the first method of planting.

If planting was carried out at the end of April, then by mid-May smooth, tender shoots of Ivan-tea will appear. Ivan-tea will give root offspring and gain a foothold in the area allotted to it for about 5-7 years. The colony will then slowly "die". But during this time it will be possible to pick up a new place for the plant. Attention! Before collecting the leaves and flowers of Ivan-tea, be sure to water the plant abundantly a day before. Of course, if natural precipitation coincides with this event, nothing needs to be watered. In cloudy and rainy weather, Ivan-tea is not harvested. Optimal time collection - after morning dew, before lunch.

13. One of the ways to brew Koporye tea (see video)

Our ancestors used all the surrounding gifts of nature for their own personal purposes. They used them in food, prepared medicines, drinks and body care products based on them. Much knowledge about such medicinal plants has come down to us. So many years ago, the most delicious and healthy Ivan-tea, which is also known as Koporsky tea, was popular. Let's talk about how to make Koporye tea at home, what benefits and harms can be from its use, and how such a product is fermented.

Koporye tea is surprisingly tasty and healthy drink which became popular in Russia in the 12th century. It has a lot of medicinal qualities, and now you can cook it on your own at home.

For the preparation of willow-tea, leaves of the fireweed are used, which grows in many parts of our country. Plant materials are harvested during the preparation of the plant for flowering - until June.

How to prepare Koporye tea for brewing (fermentation)

In order to prepare a really tasty and healthy Ivan-tea, you need to ferment the collected vegetable raw materials. Inspect fresh leaves and remove damaged ones. You should not wash them, because this way you wash away the most beneficial microorganisms that take part in the fermentation processes.

After that, place the leaves on a cotton or linen cloth in a thin layer (from three to five centimeters). It is necessary to control the process, from time to time to stir up the leaves so that they dry well and evenly. Try not to let the sun's rays fall on the green mass, because otherwise it will dry and not wither. There is no need to dry Ivan tea on the street, because the sun and wind will lead to its rapid drying, complicate processing and cause a deterioration in the quality of future tea.

On average, the duration of the fermentation period is twelve hours. In sunny and dry weather, this process occurs a little faster, and in rain, as well as in cool weather, it takes longer. best temperature for withering, it is customary to consider twenty to twenty-four degrees, as well as a relative humidity of more than seventy percent. To determine if a sheet is ready, pinch it in half. In the event that the addition is accompanied by a crunch, it means that the withering processes have not yet been completed.

Next, get ready for fermentation. First of all, twist the leaves by hand, take seven to ten leaves, turn them between your palms until they darken. So you should form rolls, whose length is about five to ten centimeters, and the thickness is one and a half centimeters. Fold the prepared raw materials into a plastic container, press down with oppression, and cover with a damp cloth on top. From time to time the fabric needs to be moistened. The duration of the fermentation period can be from three to thirty-six hours. The finished raw material should change color to green-brown, and the smell to a pleasant intense floral-fruity. It is extremely important not to overexpose the willow tea, otherwise it may become moldy.

After the leaves need to be cut and sent to the oven to dry. Spread the raw material on a baking sheet with a thin layer (about a centimeter) and soak for one and a half to two hours at a temperature of one hundred degrees.

Dry the tea in a cloth bag, shaking occasionally.

How to brew Koporye tea (preparation)

To prepare Koporye tea, you need to brew one or two teaspoons of dried tea leaves with a glass of boiling water. Let stand for ten minutes, then pour into cups. The tea leaves can be immediately brewed a second time, the second portion of tea will be even tastier and more aromatic.

What is Koporye tea valued for, what are the benefits of it?

With systematic consumption, Koporye tea is able to improve blood composition by an order of magnitude, improve metabolic processes. Such a drink has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal qualities, helps to cope with various infectious and inflammatory ailments. Ivan tea has a positive effect on the condition of the prostate gland and other organs of the genitourinary system, increases potency and improves erectile function.

Also, such a drink perfectly restores blood pressure indicators, helps to reduce excessive excitability. nervous system, treats insomnia, headaches and the effects of stress. Koporye tea helps to cope with constipation, envelops and protects the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract from lesions, contributing to a speedy recovery from ulcerative lesions.

Such a drink has choleretic qualities, helps to cope with allergies, improve the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, such a tool accelerates the regeneration of affected skin areas, reduces pain. Ivan-tea is advised to be taken to enhance lactation, to cleanse the body of various kinds of toxins and toxins. It helps to optimize the activity of the endocrine system, reduces the likelihood of developing cancer and contributes to the correction of many dermatological ailments.

Is Koporye tea dangerous, is there any harm from it?

Koporye tea should be used in moderation, with overconsumption he, theoretically, can cause harm to the body. Do not get carried away with Ivan tea during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In addition, it should be borne in mind that such a drink is extremely rare, but can provoke allergic reactions.