Organic Cretan Herbs
Tea Blend

On the Cretan farm, dictamos is harvested twice a year, once in June and once in September. Our dictamos comes from the first harvest of the year, as this is superior to the second in terms of quality and aroma.

The plants are picked only by hand, as the rough, mountainous terroir makes the use of harvesting machines impossible. Moreover, hand-harvesting ensures high quality and an absence of weeds.

Harvesting takes place between 9 and 12 o'clock in the morning. The early morning is bypassed so that the residual moisture in the herbs is evaporated by the time they are picked. In order to avoid the intense heat of the day, which puts strain on the farmers as well as the plants themselves, harvesting also does not take place in the afternoon. Following harvest, the herbs are immediately transferred to a shaded area where they are gently dried.

The plants are treated exclusively with natural pesticides such as garlic extract, and only natural fertiliser in the form of manure is used. The seeds used for the herbs in this tea were taken from plants growing wildly in the immediate vicinity of the farm.

Organic Certification

Brewing Guide

2-3 heaped tsp per 200-300ml (100°C) water. Steep for 3-5 minutes.

Packaging

Flavour protective, food safe, BPA-free standing zipper-pouch.

Recommended Teapot

The ideal teapot for our Cretan tea is a spacious one made of glass or porcelain, with an integrated strainer.

Recommended Storage

Ideally store in an airtight, double-coated metal tin.

The island of Crete is the largest of the Greek islands in the south of the Aegean Sea and is widely known for its natural beauty and scenic diversity. According to ancient Greek mythology, Zeus was born here on the legendary mountain Dikti, which is also the patron saint of the plant herb Diktamos, endemic to Crete. Crete was inhabited by people as early as the Paleolithic Age. In the more recent period from 2700 BC, it was the Minoans, Europe's first advanced civilization, who were the first people to dominate the island. This was followed by other hegemonies of the Mycans, Romans, Byzantine Empire, Andalusia Arabia, Republic of Venice and Ottoman Empire. After a brief period of independence, Crete officially became part of Greece in 1913.

Crete is situated between the Mediterranean and North African climatic zones with a slight tendency towards the former. Depending on its proximity to the sea, the island's climate can be quite humid. Some of the mountain peaks are snow-covered for most of the year, although temperatures can rise to over 40°C in summer. The geography is largely wild and mountainous. In the interior of the island are the ""White Mountains"", which reach into the western part of the island, where they rise to heights of over 2000 m, with Mount Ida at the top.
Although tourism is now the island's main economic activity, agriculture has long played an important role, making Crete one of the few Greek islands that is completely self-sufficient. As in many other regions of Greece, there are numerous vineyards and olive groves, but oranges, lemons and avocados are also grown.

Since ancient times, Crete has been known for the quality and richness of its aromatic plants and herbs. More than 1000 different species are native here, from the common sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano to the rarer Cretan diktamos and Sideritis syriaca (also known as aconite or malotira). The island is also rich in wildflowers and is home to more than 200 different species of wild orchids. The palm beach of Vai is the largest natural palm forest in Europe and is part of a series of nature reserves with diverse plant and animal life.

We find it very important that our teas are pure and produced in a way that respects the environment. For this reason, each one of our teas is tested for pesticide residues by an independent laboratory, the results of which can be found here. Some of our teas are also tested for specific nutritional compounds, in which case the test results are also published here.

Confirmation of analysis

See tests