This tea, which is really a tisane, has become a summer staple. I wish I could say I thunk it up, but no, I nicked the idea from, B, an English expat who lives in a beautiful little cottage at the edge of our village. Sage, apparently, has ache-soothing properties. I’ve found it to be just plain tasty and relaxing.
I love that I make this tea with leaves from the sage plant on our terrace. It’s a magnificent plant, but when I bought it from the village Friday market back in April I had no idea what a great score it was. At first I found it “wanting”. This variety didn’t have the whiz bang sharpness of the sage I was used to. I wondered if it was really sage. I even cursed its health and vigor, for the annuals I’d added to the pot for color were getting squozed.
Fast forward: the sage thrives; the annuals went bye-bye. But that’s turned out to be a good thing, because this sort of sage sports an abundance of big, fat, velvety leaves with a delicate, elegant aroma. I’ve been told that it’s probably an Italian sage. Whatever its pedigree, the steeped leaves produce a refined flavor and a very palatable brew.
While I haven’t road tested this tisane with a purple leafed variety of sage, that should work equally well as would the type that’s readily available in markets. You may have to adjust the brewing time, though, if the sage you buy really packs a punch.
The ingredients for this tea/tisane are simple:
- Either a nice sized sprig of fresh sage, or at least a few leaves. Washed and gently patted dry.
- Some good quality honey. (I happen to like the mountain or lavender varieties.)
- A squidge of fresh lemon.
To make this tisane, simply pour boiling water over the sage leaves and let them steep for about 10 minutes. (If you get antsy, and fudge on the time it’s understandable but the brew will potentially be less flavorful.) Remove the sage. Spoon in some honey and add lemon to taste.
Sip. Savor.
