How to Make Labrador Tea Infusion?
How to prepare Labrador tea or any other Nordic infusion?
Also known as “velvet tea” or “Hudson Bay tea,” the leaves of this shrub are highly valued for the herbal decoction made from them. Its flavor is a mixture of delicate floral expression and light fir notes.
Long before the arrival of imported tea in America, Labrador tea was used by the First Nations in their medicine, they consumed it as a remedy. But how to prepare Labrador tea?
- Warm up your cup
- Use quality water
- Heat the water to between 90 and 95°C
- Add 2 teaspoons of your favorite Labrador tea blend
- Set the timer to 10 minutes and let the herbal tea steep.
By doing these steps you get better flavor and create a unique ritual for your tasting. Sometimes there is as much pleasure in preparing things as in eating them!
How to brew Labrador tea the right way?
It is true that you can simply boil water and add Labrador tea leaves to make an herbal tea. However, if you want to bring out the best in the plant and have an exceptional taste experience, there are small details to adjust that can make a big difference.
What type of water to choose for Labrador tea?
It is best to use filtered or well water for infusions so that it is pure. In fact, running tap water is often treated with chlorine, which greatly alters the flavor. The taste of running water varies from municipality to municipality, so some towns have better water than others.
What is the water temperature for this infusion?
We recommend that you do not reach boiling point when preparing Labrador tea. If possible, bring the water temperature to between 90 and 95 degrees Celsius, just before bubbles appear. If the water boils by mistake, don't panic, just let it sit for a few minutes before pouring it into the cup or teapot. Too much heat slightly degrades the leaf, which weakens the aromas and reduces the health properties.
How much to brew?
As a general rule, add 2 teaspoons or a few whole leaves per cup of water (250 ml). Adjust if you like your brew weaker or stronger. There is no right or wrong amount, once you have had a few cups you will begin to know how you enjoy it most and tailor the brew to your taste buds.
What is the infusion time?
Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum) is a different species from the well-known tea, harvested from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). They have to be prepared differently! For example, black tea should only steep for 2 to 3 minutes, because if left longer, the decoction becomes bitter. Conversely, Labrador tea requires more time to release its subtle flavor and would taste weak after just 3 minutes. We advise you to let it macerate for around 10 minutes, or up to around twenty minutes if you like a more robust infusion.
Quality of ingredients
To keep ingredients fresh, store your Labrador tea blends in a dry place, away from light and avoid exposure to heat. It is also essential to pour the products into airtight containers if they are in bulk, for example in glass or metal jars, such as Mason jars. Otherwise, our PilKi boxes already have aluminum foil built into the container to prevent the flavor from escaping.
Try our Labrador tea blends
If you've never tried Labrador tea , now is a good time to start! All our infusions are based on this wonderful plant that we harvest in Quebec, a real gem for health. Its followers quickly fall under its spell and don't want to do without it. Be careful… we have warned you!
13 comments
J’ai reçu ma boîte de 10 sachets. C’est comme un petit coffre aux trésors rempli des merveilles de la nature 💚 C’est une surprise dans chaque sachet de découvrir ses arômes et toutes ses textures. Du pur bonheur de mère nature 💚 Merci Floem et à nos belles forêts 💚
{c’est ce qu’ils devraient enseigner à nos enfants à l’école + de connexion avec la nature et ses merveilles}
. . Merci 🌲🌿
Joy
Merci beaucoup, j’ apprécie chacun de vos thés.
Josée Séguin
Merci pour ces infos. Mon paquet doit être arrivé maintenant mais je suis en vadrouille. J’aurai le plaisir de le trouver à mon retour! Bonne fin d’année à vous!
Véro
Je viens de recevoir ma commande et j’ai commencé la dégustation. Je ne regrette pas mes achats!
Dominique Ryffranck
Merci pour l’information, c’est très apprécié.
Huguette Blais
Je ne bois pas de thé personnellement mais je suis plus café , mais toutes les infusions tisanes ou autres ne peuvent que soigner votre corps , la nature nous offre ses cadeaux de la terre Pourquoi ne pas en profiter
Des milliers d années ce sont écoulées et nos plantes vertueuses ont toujours été des plus positives.Je n ai eu la chance d avoir visité le Québec mais la famille de chez Floem vous offre vraiment ce qu il y a de mieux
Arnault
Breton
Je ne bois pas de thé personnellement mais je suis plus café , mais toutes les infusions tisanes ou autres ne peuvent que soigner votre corps , la nature nous offre ses cadeaux de la terre Pourquoi ne pas en profiter
Des milliers d années ce sont écoulées et nos plantes vertueuses ont toujours été des plus positives.Je n ai eu la chance d avoir visité le Québec mais la famille de chez Floem vous offre vraiment ce qu il y a de mieux
Arnault
Breton
mon fils l,a cueilli lui même à Yellowknife ,et m,en a fait cadeau délicieux.j’ai lu que c’était bien de frotter les feuilles dans les mains pour plus de saveur
louise legault
Heureux d’avoir dégusté vos produits. Camomille, menthe ou verveine, on s’en lasse à la longue. Vraiment un beau produit de chez nous en plus que je recommande à tous.
Daniel
Just enjoyed my first cup of your tea. Thank you. Lovely.
In the meantime, I stumbled upon different Labrador tea brewing instructions, like boiling the leaves twice, and wonder if there’s something particular about your harvest that makes it unnecessary to do so?
Helen
Très intéressant…Beau rituel que je vais faire, histoire d’impressionner les amies!😊
Sonia
Thank you for the very useful tips on how to prepare Labrador Tea.
I rushed making my first cup, but will carefully follow your valuable advice for my next one.
Even though I rushed making it the first time, it was delicious. I’m sure the following cups will be much better now that I know the proper way to make it.
Cheers
John Smythe
ganadeau@videotron.ca
J’ai récolté ce thé au Mont Vallin. Il était même abondant.
En passant, au même endroit, j’ai observé pendant quelques minutes un carcajou.
Ça console d’une chasse infructueuse.
Bonne journée
Nadeau
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