Fireweed: a Little history

fireweed (epilobium angustifolium) is a perennial plant of one of willowherb family with lanceolate leaves, which reaches 1.5 m in height and has purple-red (rarely white or pale pink) flowers. The flowering of this plant lasts from mid-June until mid-August, and fruits of fireweed ripen somewhere in August or September. By the way, in the online store goodtraditions.ru you can buy a drink .

healthy, flavorful and delicious drink made from brewed dry epilobium angustifolium were very popular in Russia since the 12th century (at the time, its happy drinking as the poor peasants and the rich to know). And with article 13 of this traditionally Russian drink is often called “Koporye tea”. The name Ivan-tea (by the way, today it is 1 of the most common) comes from the name p. Koporye, located in St. Petersburg province. In this village, where on the sand dunes grew real thickets of epilobium angustifolium, of which in the 13 th century by the local monks first started producing “Koporye tea”. From the time when British sailors visited Koporie randomly tried willow-Tea, began to sell it in England and other European countries in a very broad scale. It should be noted that the UK, who owned the giant platinumi tea in Ceylon and in India, until the late 19th century show a preference for “Russian tea” of the fireweed herb popular in many States and famous taste of Indian tea.

But at the end of the 19 century fireweed formed a worthy competition to "fellow" of India and strongly undermining financial power East India Company (East India company) as a result of unseemly rumors and the intrigues of the competitors in the field of tea trade for a short time was expelled from the international tea market. And the revolution of 1917 and the 1st world war contributed to the gradual oblivion of fireweed also in Russian (domestic) market.

Today, most modern people even remember this native Russian beverage. But in the summer of nature, which abundantly adorns the meadows and fields of purple flowers of fireweed herb, invariably recalls the famous in the old days and undeservedly forgotten “Koporye tea”.

Translated by "Yandex.Translate": translate.yandex.ru.