Wild Teas

A Cup of Wilderness – A Survivalist’s Guide to Tea

By Hohenheim Allen Ross Mayo

This is what I hope to be the first installment in a line of informational pieces about the world of tea that can be found in the wild – wild teas. Many people around the world have fallen under the spell of tea, whether for their health benefits or for the smooth and relaxing taste. Many people like their tea so much, they take it with them on camping trips and day hikes.

But what kind of tea can you make out of the natural flora and fauna, and what health benefits would these ‘wild tea brews’ offer to those who might be camping in the mountains or in a true-to-life survival situation? As helpful as this article may be, it does not take the place of real survival training. Be sure to take to appropriate measures to stay safe out in the wild.

Our first nature solution is actually very common among regular campers and survivalists alike and is very abundant. Pine needles can be used in place of tea leaves to help make a pine tasting brew. Prepare the pine needles like you would tea, place the needles in a cup or bowel full of water and boil for 5 minutes.

I personally find the tea refreshing and unique, but the tea does have a tendency to be a little bitter. Most people, however, drink this tea for its health benefits. Pine needle tea is actually full of vitamin C, giving you immune system the boost it needs to stay healthy during your time in the wild. This mix is used for its health benefits, and it is not suggested that you drink too much in high concentrations.

(Editor’s Note: Pine needle tea can be used to fight off scurvy if you are in a real long term survival scenario due to its vitamin C content.)

Another useful tea that can be found in the wild has actually been used in the culinary arts all over the world for hundreds of years. Wild onions, like pine needles, help the internal body, as in keeping the body healthy. In fact, wild onions may do that job better compared to other wild flora.

The juice gathered from the bulb of the plant would be boiled to make the solution, and to be honest, its texture would be more like syrup compared to tea. But this concoction will do wonders for sore throats. Not to mention that wild onions helps fight against viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. If you find the tea hard to swallow, it will do great for cuts, insect bites, and burns.

Lots of things in nature can be made into unique tasting teas that are healthy for both the body and mind. I say ‘things’ because the creation of wild teas are not limited to shrubs and herbs.

Teas with health properties can also be made of tree bark, mosses, and other things that can be sound in nature that I don’t care to mention at the moment. (You would be surprised to learn what weird things would be good for you if you drink it.)

Through these articles I am hoping to share my loves of the wild, natural chemistry, and tea in a way that tea lovers will find informative and useful in their lives. As most of us know already, tea can do great things in this world.

(Editor’s Note – If a “tea” is not made with tea leaves, it is more properly called a tisane or just an herbal infusion. These days we call just about any kind of infusion a “tea” and so this set of articles will appear in a category called “Wild Teas”.)