Greek Mountain Tea (Sideritis). The beverage which is rich in iron is aromatic and it is considered to be digestible, stimulating, perspirative, expectorant and generally it is the ideal choice for the strengthening of the immune system.

Lately, studies have shown that the mountain tea helps in the Alzheimer’s disease. Besides, it does not stimulate the neurological system and for this reason it is of an advantage to the common tea, because it does not cause insomnia.

It acts as an anti-inflammation, bacteriostatic, antioxidant, antibacterial, digestible, perspirative, anti-stimulating, antianemic as well as brain stimulator fighting osteoporosis. It helps digesting and fights colds. It is thermal, stimulating, diuretic and detoxicating. It is used for the colds and the respiratory diseases and for the urine system due to its diuretic quality.

If we add to the beverage cinnamon sticks and honey we have an excellent cough softening and an antiseptic. It is finally believed that it is stimulating for the heart blood vessels.

Oregano (Origanon in common, Origanum Vulgare) comes from the words ‘’Ορος ’ and ‘γάγνυμαι’, which means ‘I am glad’. Due to the root capability to prevent the wash of the soil by the rain water , it was named ‘Mountain Joy’. It belongs to the Lip-Flower family and in the Origanum gender. In this gender the sub kinds of the Greek soil, vulgare and hirtum, are included.

Its special smell is spread in the nature during the summer months when it is the harvest time. It gives its more intense taste, rich in oil when it comes from a sunny place.

Due to the special smell the oregano holds, its cultivation has been tried in a lot of countries in the planet without getting the desirable results since there are no similar conditions nowhere for its growth but only in Greece where traditionally is self-grown. Its gathering takes place in the bloom period and then it is left to dry. In this way it keeps mere intense its smell and the rest of its characteristics. The flower of the plant is the best oregano quality.

In ancient times, Hippocrates used oregano for respiratory diseases treatment while it is very stimulating and diuretic. Also, Aristotle observed that tortoises after snake swallowing, they ate oregano. It led to the conclusion that it protected the organism from the poison.

Nowadays, oregano is used mainly in cooking making it tastier, traditional dishes in Mediterranean diet, ( essential in Greek and Italian cuisine), but its qualities are more important in homeopathy disease treatment and in food production.

The therapeutic qualities exist due to the essential oil, which consists of karvakroli and thymoly, known as antioxidant substances. Also, it holds a great amount of vitamin C, fibre, iron and B- Carotonin. Oregano fights microorganisms, mainly bacteria and it has antioxidant, kyttarotoxic and pesticide action.