At Art of Tea we have over thirty kinds of tea and tisanes, tea being the infusion of leaves from the tea plant, and a tisane being the infusion of the dried leaves or flowers of any other plant! And while we are not able to claim that any of our teas have healing properties or magical powers we can offer you a wide range of herbs suitable as a refreshing drink taken either hot or cold.
Naturally we also have the most famous Cretan herb of all, Diktamos (sometimes called Dittany). This grows only on Crete high in the mountains and has all sorts of properties attributed to it. The Ancients believed that it cured all ills and that wild animals injured in the hunt would seek it out to cure themselves of wounds. Aphrodite herself is reputed to have come to Crete to collect the plant as an aphrodisiac, and locally the plant is known as ‘Erontas’ meaning ‘love. Erontas was often a gift given between lovers, presumably the difficulty in collecting from high up the mountain was a proof of love!
The poet, Virgil, also mentions it in The Aenead,
A branch of healing Dittany she brought
Which in the Cretan fields with care she sought
Rough is the stem, which woolly leaves surround
The leaves with flowers, the flowers with purple crowned.
Well known to goats; a sure relief
To draw the pointed steel and ease the grief.
Sage tea is also a popular on Crete although only very small quantities are needed as it has a very strong flavour. The variety growing on Crete is Salvia fruticosa and local herb lore says that when made as a tea with honey it is good for colds and stomach problems. Sage oil is said to be good for toothache.
