Reader, do you ever wish you could enjoy black tea normally, without checking what time of day it is because it has caffeine in it?

I stumbled upon Ivan Chai when I was studying more about teas and herbs (you can find my reading suggestions here). Ivan chai is an infusion made of fireweed leaves (also known as willowherb) that have been turned black with the natural process of oxidizing and fermenting.

After the process, the flavour is similar to black tea, and (drum rolls) it is naturally caffeine-free. I was slightly spooked out by the fermentation process - how does it work, and will it just get moldy and why and and…

But I finally made it.

It also looks like black tea, right? And the process wasn’t actually that tricky. It takes a few days, but the hands-on work is quite simple.

With the same method, you can make sweeter floral-like “green tea” Ivan Chai that I have totally fallen in love with, or the traditional deeper-flavoured “black tea” Ivan Chai, by just continuing one step further.

How to make Ivan Chai from fireweed leaves

• Gather fresh fireweed stalks
• Let them wilt for 6-12 hours
• Take off the leaves and discard the stalks
• Roll the leaves between your hands until the cells of the leaves break; this is called bruising, and it turns into a darker green colour and releases some juices. You can see it best in this video, where I show the process steps.

The oxygen gets into the plant the same way as when you cut a slice of an apple, and it darkens. This is the oxidation part of the process.

If you want floral green tea flavours like Ivan Chai:

• Leave it in a bowl and cover with a clean tea towel to oxidise for about 1-3 days. Turn once in a while a day to avoid molding.

If you want deeper flavours like black tea, you can ferment the tea:

• Fill a glass jar tightly with bruised fireweed leaves.
• Close the jar airtight and leave into a warm place for 1-5 days.

Stop the process by drying them in the oven for 1-4 hours or in a wok pan until crisp and dry.

So, when you next time you walk by a field with fireweeds, this is the perfect time to try making some Ivan Chai.

Every day makes a difference ♡

Sonja

PS. If you want a more detailed recipe and to learn more about the story of Russian Ivan Chai, you can find it here.

Hi Sister, I'm Sonja

I’m a Nordic girl married to a Moroccan husband and mom to a curious little adventurer. After over a decade in fine dining, I left the busy restaurant life to embrace slower, more natural living. Now I help women simplify their routines with from-scratch recipes, natural wellness tips, and sustainable ways to create less waste and more contentment.

Let's connect ♡

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