Cota Tea (also known as Indian tea, Hopi Tea, Navajo Tea, Zuni Tea, and Greenthread) has been a favorite in our house for years. First discovered at our local farmers’ market, we were thrilled to find it growing wild on the property we currently care-take and have thoroughly enjoyed its abundant nature, gorgeous bright yellow flowers, and delicious offerings.
Cota Tea Background and Info
Cota Tea is an important part of life in much of New Mexico and is widely used throughout the state. It is a mild, pleasant-tasting beverage and has been used for centuries for a wide variety of medicinal purposes (mainly purported to aid in digestion).
It has also been used to dye baskets & textiles.
A perennial member of the Aster family, Cota is also called Greenthread because of its thread-like slender leaves. The flower heads are rayless and vary from 1/2 inch to 1 inch in size. While it grows wild in abundance here in northern New Mexico, it can be cultivated.
Cota is gathered when flowers open (in early summer and fall). If you cut the stem three inches from the ground it will regrow again, allowing you to reap a second harvest, before the weather cools. It can be found in dry or grassy areas in northern New Mexico and reaches a height of up to three feet tall.
Brewing Instructions
- Bring filtered or spring water to boiling.
- Add 1.5 tsp of tea leaves (or a small bundle) to an 8oz mug or a French Press.
- Pour boiling water over the tea leaves and let steep 5-7 minutes (longer steeping = a stronger tea. Experiment and see how strong you prefer it to be).
- Strain, sweeten with local honey (or sugar), and enjoy hot or chill to enjoy later on a hot day!
Tea (in all its varieties) brings me great comfort in the ritualistic (meditative?) and simple act of brewing a nice, steaming hot, cup of self-care. This is in direct contrast to my adopted and intentionally local focus which normally gives me a sense of comfort in knowing where/how the tea was grown and harvested. Ah, the balance of it all. Luckily, Cota fulfills both of these needs which is pretty much a best case scenario 😉
No matter your reasoning for brewing up a nice, hot cuppa I do hope you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a bit of Cota Tea at some point in the near future.
xoxo,
M
