|
A blend of Mountain Tea, Dittany, Lavender and Peppermint
|
|
This blend is the product of over a year of correspondence, plotting and planning with our Greek herbal sister, Evangelia Koutsovoulou, of Daphnis and Chloe. Early on, we were aware of Evangelia's special company with a commitment similar to our own: source superior herbs, seek heirloom varietals, inspire by upholding the simple and stunning beauty of medicinal plants. We're overjoyed that ten years later we have collaborated with her on a tea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Evangelia, tell us a bit about you and Daphnis & Chloe. What is your background and what was the inspiration to start your company?
|
|
I grew up in a small town in Central Greece in a family that loved the outdoors. I spent my childhood summers by the forest on Mount Oeta, playing outside and making toys out of tree branches. It took me decades to realize it, but this upbringing played a huge role in my relationship with nature later in life. Daphnis and Chloe is very much founded around my adoration towards the wild state of bounty. To a large extent, starting a herb company originated from the desire to share Greece's hidden flavors and aromas, the ones that I experienced growing up and that very few have savoured.
|
|
|
|
|
You work with small farms all over Greece. How did you go about finding these farms and what is your relationship with them?
|
|
We have producers in every corner of Greece, from the islands to the mountains. Some are more recent, but many have been with us since our early days. We’re growing side by side. Our primary guidance is the terroir. Since the beginning, we chose to source each herb exclusively from areas where they naturally prosper. Our herbs are cultivated, as it wouldn’t be sustainable to source on such a scale from the wild. However, we have great respect for the habitat of the plants because this influences their flavor. Many of our ingredients are cultivated on demand, and all are hand-processed according to our quality standards.
|
|
|
|
Can you share about the herbs in our collaborative blend, Pastoral Love, and the significance of these herbs in Greece?
|
|
Greek Mountain Tea is probably the most significant herb in our rich herbal heritage - a plant that grows spontaneously over 1,000 meters and makes a gorgeous infusion. Traditionally, the harvesting was done by the shepherds who spent the summer in high altitudes, feeding their flock. Rich in antioxidants and beneficial for the body in every sense, Mountain Tea is the herb you’ll find in every home in Greece. Dittany is another story. Little known and hard to source, it grows only on the island of Crete where the locals have given it a second name, Erondas, connected to the god of love - Eros. It is so difficult to harvest that, according to Cretans, one had to be madly in love to endure the process. It has a robust, botanical flavor that I find unique, and it took us a very long time to find producers who could cultivate it the way I wanted it to be.
|
|
|
|
Photos by Adrianna Glaviano.
|
|
|
|
|
