Tea Time

Blue Zone Elixirs

Medicinal teas are a way of life at Refugio de Los Angeles thanks in great part to Betty Mora Altamirano, custodian of cure-all plant recipes that have been passed down to generations of Guanacastecos . Betty’s mother, Dona Clara, was the first midwife in the area and was admired by all for her healing wisdom. Whenever there was information needed about a local cure, all paths led to this
amazing woman.

Betty Mora Altamirano with her mom, Dona Clara.

A gifted cook who has spent most of her 56 years working on the land of the Pacific slope, Betty shares her knowledge of medicinal plants with all who visit the property. Not a day passes without generous samplings of teas and tinctures for any and every thing that ails us.
When friends arrive at Refugio their first stop is the kitchen table where shot glasses of medicinal blends are sampled.

Mother and child sample medicinal tea made with giant red turk's cap hibiscus.

Giant Red Turk’s Cap

A favorite tea is made with generous portions of Giant Red Turk’s Cap flowers that grace a large garden exclusively devoted to this popular medicinal.

A bush full of giant red turk's cap hibiscus blooms.
Close up of two giant red turk's cap hibiscus blooms.

When Betty introduced me to this concoction over 20 years ago,
I wasn’t a fan. The viscous texture of the tea was slimy and
reminiscent of okra. There was no discernable flavor to distract from the thick consistency. However, the benefits of Turk’s Cap tea aren’t insignificant: the gelatinous substance coats the digestive tract, helps eliminate inflammation and is high in calcium and vitamins A and C. These beneficial characteristics made it worthwhile to come up with some simple solutions to boost the taste experience.

The Giant Red Turk’s Cap flowers are gathered……
Bowl full of picked giant red turk's cap hibiscus.

The flower is removed from stem….
Close up of a giant red turk's cap with stem intact.Close up of giant red turk's cap with stem freshly removed.

The flowers are put in a large pot and covered with boiling water.
The flowers soak until liquid has cooled.

Prepped giant red turk's cap hibiscus being transferred from a strainer to a pot of boiling water.Pot full of giant red turk's cap hibiscus; the vibrant red is leaving the blooms and adding color to the water.

We add several bags of caffeine free tea to steep with the Turk’s Cap flowers. Once the flowers and tea bags are removed, the liquid is placed in pitchers and chilled. Honey from our productive bees can be added or the Turk’s Cap mixture can be mixed with lemonade made from lemons grown all over the property.

A large glass of giant red turk's cap hibiscus medicinal tea.

The Giant Red Turk’s Cap is just one of the many medicinal teas prepared at Refugio de Los Angeles. More to come soon….