Chamomile - Kamomila
Chamomile tea, hard to believe, was not something that was easily available in the states when my children were small. When my son was a baby I remember looking everywhere for it with no luck. I asked our family doctor about it and he suggested that I try the local pharmacy. I did. The pharmacist explained that he only had it loose and I would have to make the tea and then strain it. I said that was fine. I received my precious chamomile flowers in a brown bag that was filled in the back of the store by the pharmacist. The whole process felt as if I was getting something forbidden. The little white and yellow flowers did their trick though, and my children grew up with chamomile just like we did.
Chamomile a member of the daisy family, has small flowers that are used for many medicinal and beauty products, but we picked and dried it to use mainly as a tea. It grew naturally around us and it was nothing we ever had to buy. As children we were encouraged to go pick just a little more of the chamomile as our contribution to the family stash. The plants grew all over so there was enough to go around for everyone.
Harvesting started at the end of April and continued into the early summer. It was a lot of fun to pinch the fully open flowers just so, taking care not to disturb the rest of the plant. We would turn collecting into a game, competing to see who had collected more. We were taught it is very important to harvest when the dew has dried off, but before it gets too warm in the day. Even as children we were taught to be careful when we gathered plants.
We harvested the chamomile into the tightly woven baskets that our Nono made. This assured that we wouldn’t lose any flowers, but it allowed for any insects to escape before we made it home. We would periodically shake the baskets to get rid of unwanted guests. Once home, the flowers were laid out in thin layers for drying on a screen attached to a wooden frame. That screen allowed the flowers to dry perfectly. Then we poured the flowers into glass jars for storage.
Every family saved these precious flowers for the winter ahead. Living on the water our winters were mild but windy and chamomile was a staple during those months. Tea was brewed in different strengths depending on who it was for. For babies, it would be made very light and put in the baby bottle to help a tummy ache or to calm restlessness. Many babies slept well thanks to the light golden tea in the bottle. For adults it would be made stronger and honey would often be added to it. For just about everything, we made chamomile tea, drinking it and using it for compresses to reduce fever, clear infected eyes or to soothe any irritations of the skin.
“Our Nono wove each grandchild a basket with pretty wooden handles so that we could help with harvesting grapes, olives and herbs like chamomile. The age of the grandchild determined the size of the basket, and they were rotated amongst as we grew. ”
Fast forwarding into today, chamomile is no longer a secret. Chamomile, is now available in tea bags – most every tea company has its own type, and you can find it alone or in blends. I still prefer the loose flowers and make my own tea. The prepacked bags are fine in a pinch, but the flowers are not intact and for me, who used to carefully pick each flower, something is lost in the process of producing those bags. When I travel to Croatia, I always purchase the Kamilica Cvijet, which means the Chamomile Flower is intact like I like it. I try to get it where it has been grown, buying from locals if I can.
Chamomile continues to be a part of our culture today, and below are some tips for brewing your own traditional cup.
Use the best quality flowers you can find
Boil water in a pot and add one tablespoon of flowers for each cup of tea.
Steep the tea right in the pot
For children steep flowers for 3-5 minutes
For adults steep flowers for 5-10 minutes
Avoid steeping for too long, after 15 minutes the tea could become bitter
Add a teaspoon of honey or serve unsweetened. Enjoy!
