Blueberry Leaf Tea
Many tea makers listed on this website produce "blueberry leaf tea", a tisane which may be unfamiliar to many international tea drinkers. What exactly is blueberry leaf tea?
The word მოცვი (motsvi) in Georgian can refer to several kinds of fruits of the Vaccinium genus. In the context of blueberry leaf tea, it specifically refers to the Eurasian bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) or the Caucasian whortleberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos). Some tea makers refer to these as "mtis motsvi" (mountain blueberry) and "tq'is motsvi" (forest blueberry) respectively. Both of these occur in vast numbers across the highlands of western Georgia, forming massive patches of bushes and thickets in alpine meadows and subalpine woods.
Vaccinium myrtillus leaves and bushes in the alpine meadows of the highland pastures on the mountains between Adjara and Guria.
It's unknown when the practice of making herbal brews from the leaves of these plants began, but the villagers and shepherds of western Georgia speak of it being a tradition in their families for as long as anyone can remember. The local tradition of blueberry leaf tea preparation is distinguished for following a fermentation process exactly analogous to the four-step process used to create black tea: withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. Again, it's unknown if this tradition was influenced by the introduction of Chinese tea bushes and production techniques to western Georgia in the mid-19th century or if it was already known by local highlanders before that.
Historical details aside, today blueberry leaf tea is produced on a small scale by thousands of families across western Georgia, and the tradition is especially well preserved by the itinerant families who travel to high mountain pastures with their flocks and herds every summer. Although its properties are not well studied, local tradition holds it to be an elixir of good health, and many families will keep a full pot on a constant low boil on the wood stoves of their summer shepherding cottages. Similarly to Camellia sinensis, the leaves are plucked in the springtime while they are young and tender, allowing for an optimal fermentation process to take place. Usually, only one plucking a year is made, although the bushes do bear a small amount of new leaves in the autumn and a small second plucking can be made at that time.
A Vaccinium arctostaphlyos bush in a high subalpine forest in Lechkhumi. This photograph was taken in late autumn and these leaves are no longer suitable for making tea. (Photo by Timothy Merkel)
Our tea makers use local teams of villagers with intimate knowledge of their local wild regions to travel the forests and mountains and pluck blueberry leaves at the perfect time each spring, heading up to higher and higher elevations week by week. The finished product resembles black tea and typically has a rich, dark, full-bodied flavor with hints of citric acidity. Blueberry leaf tea is a naturally caffeine free beverage and is pleasantly drinkable; it is neither overly stimulating nor excessively relaxing, making it perfect for afternoons or early evenings, while its strong, distinctive palate can also make it an all-day choice for those who wish to avoid caffeine but miss the heartiness of black teas. Blueberry leaf tea also makes an excellent cold infusion and is wonderfully refreshing out of the refrigerator on a hot summer's day.
To find out more about Georgian tea makers who are producing blueberry leaf tea, visit the Tea Directory.
Prepared blueberry leaf tea by Teni Tea.
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