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A few months ago, with great joy and appreciation, we received an invitation from Allegra, asking us to share our knowledge and insights about Greek herbology and incorporate our Herbal Tea Masterclass to the Art of Senses retreat, taking place in Mèlisses, Andros.

Long time partners, it was now time to join forces and create a unique, herb inspired retreat where a small group of people had the chance to enjoy and explore Melisses’ surroundings, and naturally gather around the table for herbal and cooking classes, beautiful conversations and flavourful meals.

A truly enchanting land, Andros, due to the abundance of natural springs and small rivers is a remarkably green island where spontaneous herbs and wildflowers grow generously, perfuming the surroundings while passing through. That said, it was unquestionable that we had to delve into the island’s rich endemic flora and botanical treasure through a hike where we identified and picked edible and aromatic plants like watercress, mallow, wild mustard, and fennel incorporating them into the seasonal menu.

Herbal enthusiasts to the bits, our guests learned about Greek herbs and their unique flavour and properties and became professionals when it comes to preparing properly a cup of herbal tea. As serious connoisseurs, they examined, tasted, and evaluated 5 different rhoeco products among them blends, monovarietals and cacao husks. Finally, we guided them on the process of making their own herbal tea blends taking a little bit of Greece back home and travel here through the delicate odours our herbs release in hot water.

A cup or rose tea after dinner, agros cold brew during breakfast, orange cake infused with calendula, rosemary gelato, fried sage leaves and beautiful purple mallow flowers decorating leeks confi were only few of the highlights of an experience praise to the magical world of herbs!

xx
rhoeco

PS: Allegra P., Allegra D., Barbara, Hayley, Aina, Victoria, Nikos, and of course Artu, it was an absolute pleasure spending time with you. Until we meet again!

Our Valentine's Day edition of an easy-to-make, light dessert that's impossible to mess up and will definitely put you into the V-mood. Our heart desired some romance, so we enhanced the flavour of the mousse with powdered rose petals and topped it with whole pinkish ones.

ingredients 

- 300g dark chocolate [we used 70% cacao] finely chopped
- 150ml milk 1.5%
- 400g Greek yogurt 2%
- 1tsp powdered rhoeco rose petals [use a grinder or a mortar]
- rhoeco rose petals [whole or powdered] and sea salt for the topping

instructions

Place the chopped chocolate pieces into a medium bowl. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes and then stir with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth mixture. Add the teaspoon of powdered rose petals and the yogurt to the chocolate mixture and fold with a spatula until fully incorporated.

Divide into 6 cups and chill for at least 1-2 hours. Serve cold, topped with rhoeco organic rose petals and sea salt.

notes

The absence of raw eggs makes this alternative mousse recipe pregnancy-safe while allowing the rose-flavoured dark chocolate to stand out and tickle your taste buds.

chamomile tea basics

Chamomile is one of the most renowned and loved herbs worldwide.

Its name comes from the Greek word χαμαίμηλον (khamaimēlon), which means "earth apple" describing its growth close to earth and the apple-like fragrance of the flowers which are very attractive to the lovely bees. Noble only in its name, it holds many beneficial properties, with Chamomile traditional medicinals dating back in ancient times, used extensively in Greece, Egypt, and by Romans and has been one of the most popular medicinal herbs ever since!

This daisy-like flowering chamomile plant belongs to the Asteraceae family which also includes the famous for its immune boost, echinacea and highly antioxidant calendula. The most common types of chamomile are the German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) and the Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). It is generally considered that German chamomile tea holds more beneficial components for health treatments due to its chemical composition compared to the Roman and Egyptian chamomile tea, and it is an indigenous species of Greece and the one you find at rhoeco products.

Nowadays, it is grown in many different countries around the world where the different microclimate gives interesting variations in the plant species composition. Greece with its special climatic conditions offers a delicate chamomile with a mild taste, rich fruity aroma and high percentage of essential oils.

health benefits of organic chamomile tea

It is mainly the dried chamomile flowers that carry numerous terpenoids, flavonoids, and antioxidants including apigenin, chamazulene, bisabolol and luteolin which contribute to the medicinal character and general benefits of chamomile tea. Health benefits of chamomile include anti-inflammatory properties, a highly soothing effect in menstrual disorders, and it has also been reported to lower blood sugar levels, stress and anxiety and of minor stomach discomfort. Combined with other herbs like licorice and hibiscus, chamomile tea can provide a highly antioxidant tisane.

Despite the many different preparations of chamomile having been developed over the years including essential oils, creams, ointments, and poultices, the most popular is in the form of herbal tea consumed widely. Organic chamomile tea is also considered safe to be consumed by children. In very rare occasions, comforting chamomile tea has been reported to have side effects to people who are allergic to the daisy family and especially to ragweed and chrysanthemum, belonging to this plant family.

Chamomile tea unlike black tea or even green tea, is naturally caffeine free, and holds important calming properties helping to a better sleep so it is the perfect before bedtime tea. It also reduces anxiety and stress levels so try drinking chamomile tea daily for a few weeks and delve into the lasting effect on the level of anxiety feeling. 

For tea drinkers who are into more intense flavours, to enhance the calmative effect, you can drink chamomile tea adding to your whole chamomile flowers a few whole leaves of organic peppermint, lemongrass, lemon balm and lavender.

You can also find our organic chamomile as one of the main ingredients in SEA organic herbal tea blend along with lavender, lemon balm and tilia, making a tisane of exceptional calming effect and relaxing properties.

If you are into experimenting, try making a chamomile latte which is the ultimate soothing beverage to choose!

why rhoeco organic chamomile?

Here at rhoeco, specialising in herbal teas, we source this golden treasure, from small holder organic farms in Greece sampling each season the new harvest. At our certified facilities, we make a meticulous hand sorting ensuring that we only pack the finest and most fragrant and pure organic  chamomile flowers offering you the chance to create the most balanced and flavourfoul tisane with a natural sweetness.

We insist on the highest quality and vote for whole parts that allow herbs unfurl and release their best aromas and taste. In most cases, a tea company like Twinings, Bigelow, or Yogi tea use chamomile teabags which include tea in the form of powder. Our loose leaf chamomile is of very high quality, non GMO, certified organic (EU & USDA standards), gluten free, with no preservatives or artificial flavours making rhoeco one of the best chamomile tea brands in the market.

testimonials about our pure chamomile tea [via The Future Kept beloved stockist of conscious items]

Rachel P. - "The loose chamomile tea is the best I’ve found."

Charlotte P. - "Great flavour."

Erica C. - "Real dried chamomile heads just as it should be. Bought it for my girl as evening before bedtime drink."

how to make chamomile tea

The best way to prepare your chamomile tisane is the infusion. For 1 cup [170ml] put 2tsp/1g into a utensil. Add hot water [95ºC], cover it with a lid and let it rest for 7'. Strain and serve.

Our monovarietal chamomile comes in a 40g pouch giving you the chance to prepare and enjoy 40 cups of tea.

what does chamomile tea taste like?

Rhoeco chamomile herbal tea, a best seller from our monovarietal range, is a brew from fine organic chamomile flowers, giving a floral taste tisane with jasmine aromas characterised by mild sweet and herbal notes and a velvet and creamy mouth, leaving a sense of relaxation.

Maybe the first that comes in mind when one hears chamomile is a hot alleviating tisane, but chamomile is also delicious when prepared as iced tea. Follow our cold brew instructions and enjoy a naturally sweet and mellow refreshing beverage during the hot summer days. It is also an excellent condiment for your sweet and savoury plates with chamomile pudding to have stolen our hearts and have become our new comfort delicacy already!

miscellaneous

• Chamomile organic seeds are also included in the seed mix found on our 'drink it, plant it' packages giving you the chance to discover and explore the majesty of growing on your own this beautiful herb. 
• Chamomile is an excellent companion plant! Grow it with cabbage family, beans, onions and mint and it will make them most tasty and robust.
• Beneficial insects and pollinators are very attracted to the flowers of chamomile so make sure you add a few plants to your garden to increase biodiversity.
• Grow chamomile in full sun to help it thrive.
• In the famous tale of Peter Rabbit, the young rabbit suffers indigestion after eating the yummy vegetables of Mr. MacGregor’s garden. To cure the indigestion, his experienced mother treats Peter with a cup of chamomile tea before putting him to bed.
• Chamomile is also mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry IV For though the camomile, the more it is trodden on, the faster it grows, so youth, the more it is wasted, the sooner it wears.

~

rhoeco cooks | chamomile pudding

Having practised immensely our tasting palates with numerous herbs and spices, we all three love to create recipes including our favourite ones. Chamomile could not be missing as its mellow, yet distinctive aroma and taste bring a sense of cosiness to our hearts.

This pudding, difficult to resist, can be consumed straight from the pan or, for those who can wait, freeze it for a few hours to get a light and refreshing dessert. Either way, you cannot go wrong, trust us!

ingredients

• 400ml almond milk
• 80g brown sugar
• 4 organic eggs
• 30g corn starch
• 2 tbs rhoeco organic chamomile
• chamomile buds and toasted sesame seeds for decorating

instructions

Steep the 2 tbs of rhoeco organic chamomile into the almond milk overnight. The next day sieve and put half the almond milk into a pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and simmer. In a different bowl, beat the rest of the milk, the eggs and the corn-starch. Just before the milk on the stove boils, add the mixture and stir until it gets thick over medium heat. Serve in small bowls adding toasted sesame seeds and chamomile buds on top. You can indulge right away or let the pudding cool in the fridge for a few hours.

Christmas is all about spending time with our beloved ones feeling cozy and cherised in a magical and unique way! It is also another opportunity to express our gratitude to the treasured somebodies for their presence in our lives. And this is exactly why, every year we are in quest of the perfect present.

The most precious gifts though, are not the objects themselves. The true essence lies in the moments they create.

Year after year, there is a growing interest in the origin and methods of the purchased goods. We become more conscious consumers, making thoughtful choices upon realisation of what is that matters the most in the end. We recognise our personal responsibility towards the environmental protection and the ecological footprint caused by the reckless purchase of goods. In most cases, goods that we do not even need - a sad reality found to its highest extent during the festive season.

It is that time of the year now that we have the chance to reconsider our habits and start making mindful choices.

With that in mind, this Christmas we embrace the “it matters” concept and motivate you to choose consciously your gifts. Because it matters how your gifts are made and what they give back - to you, your beloved ones and the environment.

With the purchase of every rhoeco, seek and get for free our festive postcards. Express your warmest wishes and create memorable moments around a teapot filled with delightfully smelling rhoeco tisane, because such moments is what matters.

Happy & conscious holidays,

rhoeco team
xx