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Sweetgrass Sweet Tea

Sweetgrass is a traditional plant that has many uses.

This tasty sweetgrass tea can be served hot or cold

Aicha Smith-Belghaba · CBC Radio ·
Two pretty glasses of cold tea with oranges and sweetgrass braids.
Sweetgrass blades are picked, braided and dried to use for smudging. But these braids can also be used to make aromatic tea. (Sinisa Jolic/CBC)

Sweetgrass is a traditional plant that has many uses and this tasty sweetgrass tea can be served hot or cold. With notes of lavender, fresh orange and sweetened with honey (use agave syrup to make the recipe vegan) this drink is healthy, refreshing and soothing.

Ingredients:

4-6 l water 

2 braids of dried sweetgrass

1 tbsp dried lavender

1 cup honey 

3-4 fresh oranges 

Put the water into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add the sweetgrass. Let the pot simmer for 15 minutes until the water has changed colour and smells fragrant. Turn off the heat. 

Cut the oranges in half. Squeeze their juice into the pot, then add the oranges as well, saving one half of an orange for later. Add the lavender.

Let the brew steep for about 10 minutes, then strain out the sweetgrass, oranges and lavender. Add the juice from the remaining orange. 

Serve and enjoy either hot or cold. This tea can be kept in the fridge for four to five days. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aicha Smith-Belghaba

Associate producer

Aicha Smith-Belghaba is Mohawk Wolf clan and Algerian from Six Nations. She is an associate producer working with CBC Hamilton as part of the first cohort of CBC's Indigenous Pathways to Journalism program. She is also the owner of Esha’s Eats, and passionate about content creation, community and food sovereignty.

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