We all know the wonders of green tea don’t we. Well turns out there’s another plant leaf tea that boasts even more antioxidants. Olive leaf tea which I’d never previously heard of, has been a traditional herbal remedy in many ancient civilisations including for the Egyptians. I spotted Mirabilia organic olive leaf tea in a health food store recently (by the way i share new discoveries on Instagram that might not make it over here so do find me there) and the owners got in touch to tell me a little bit more.
Mirabilia has been set up by two British ex-pats, Bimbi and Kim, who have lived in Abruzzo for 10 years. Their aim is to capitalise on the local resources, provide employment in a rural area where work on the land is dying as youngsters head off to the cities and most importantly to safeguard the historic olive groves, culture and natural beauty of the region. Everything including the packaging and machinery used is locally sourced. So aside from the health benefits, the olive leaf tea is also doing wider good.
I’m a coffee drinker and on the tea front drink green, white tea or herb tea as I can’t stand the strong tannin taste or scum left behind by black tea. I’m not an olive fan either so wasn’t sure what to expect.
So what does olive tea taste like? There is absolutely not the slightest whiff of olive. The taste to me is like a cross between a light green tea and rooibos. There are no harsh edges and I like drinking it on its own. The longer you leave it to steep the deeper and more full bodied the flavour. And impressively there really is no scum. Look at my empty tea cup.
I have never heard of olive tea before and I’m a big tea fan! Definitely going to see if I can source some down here in Devon
I’m sure there will be somewhere that stocks it! Do let me know if you find some.