How to Make Fireweed Tea (Ivan Chai)

Fireweed tea is a floral and caffeine-free drink that can be enjoyed warm or cold! Learn how to make Fireweed tea with the leaves and flowers of this commonly found wildflower.

Towards the end of summer, when its still pretty hot but you know fall is just around the corner, Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) starts to pop up in abundance. Also known as Rosebay Willowherb, Fireweed also has a tendency to be the first to reclaim areas destroyed by fire. A great symbol or metaphor for rebirth and another lesson brought to you by nature.

Fireweed tea is made very similarly to the way green, oolong and black tea from the Camellia sinensis plant is processed. The leaves are simply rolled, allowed to slightly oxidize, then dried.
Fireweed tea made this way has a long tradition in Russia, also known as Ivan Chai or Koporsky tea and is still a commonly prepared drink there.

Fireweed also blankets large areas in Alaska, where the magenta flowers are commonly made into jellies, syrups, and infused honey. A dried herbal tea is also a popular way to use the whole plant.
If you happen to have a large amount Fireweed growing in your area, a tea is a great way to appreciate this gorgeous wildflower at home. Just in time for the cold months ahead!

Foraging for Fireweed

Important foraging practices to keep in mind:
Fireweed is not endangered and grows in abundance in temperate areas throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but it is important to only harvest from these abundant areas and be sure to leave plenty behind. Remember to only harvest what you will use.

You will only need to cut the top parts of Fireweed paying attention to not pull the plant out by the roots. Fireweed can spread through their underground rhizome system as well as by seed.

FAQ

What does fireweed tea taste like?
Fireweed tea will remind you of an oolong tea. It is somewhat light, floral and has a nice “grassy” flavor. Depending on how dark the finished leaves are after oxidizing, it may taste closer to a black tea. This all depends.

Is fireweed tea good for you?
There has been scientific studies that show that Fireweed has possible medicinal effects! Please see Therapeutic Potential of Polyphenols from Epilobium angustifolium (Fireweed)
for more information.

Fireweed Tea Tips

• Try not to let the leaves dry too long. If you can not get to rolling it right away, or for a few days, put it in the refrigerator.
• If you do happen to let the leaves dry before rolling- that’s ok. You will not be able to oxidize them but you will just have a tea that is lighter in color.

Tools You May Need

Scissors – or knife. The stalk of fireweed can be quite tough so having both might be helpful.

Basket or bag– This does not require anything specialized. Just bring something that you can carry the fireweed in.

How To Make Fireweed Tea

Harvest plant aerial tops (meaning the parts that are above ground, including the stems, leaves, flowers, and flower buds), trying to avoid the lower leaves which tend to be a bit dryer and not great for rolling. Do not pull out the the roots -Fireweed can spread by seeds and by an underground rhizome system.

Either process immediately or let plants wilt for a few hours or overnight. Try not to let them dry too much or it will be difficult to move onto the next step

Start processing by cutting off each leaf and flowers from stem. I find using a pair of scissors is best for this.

Using your palms, roll each leaf in a ball, bruising a breaking the cell walls of the leaves.
You do not need to roll/bruise the flowers, leave them whole.

Set the rolled leaves and flowers aside to a separate bowl.

After rolling all the leaves/flowers, put the leaves and flowers into a jar with a lid. It does not have to be tight fitting.
Allow to oxidize and “ferment” for 2 to 3 days, shaking once or twice a day and opening and closing the jar.

After oxidizing, dry by allowing to sun dry, dehydrate, (very) low oven dry or air dry. I used an herb drying mat similar to this.
Store in a dry container with lid as you would any loose tea.

How to Prepare a cup of Fireweed Tea + Kombucha Flavoring

Fireweed tea can be prepared similarly to any herbal cup of tea.
Combine 1+tsp of Fireweed in a tea strainer to to 6-8oz cup of freshly boiled water. The tea does not get bitter the longer it is steeping. I tend to leave the tea ball in as I drink the tea. Play around with how long you like your steep.
Sweeten to taste

I love to use Fireweed tea as a second ferment kombucha flavoring!
Just use a 1tsp+ per cup to the second fermentation for Kombucha.

More Foraging Ideas

Interested in some other of my other foraging tutorials? Check out my wild edibles tab here.