Latvian Caraway Tea

I hope everyone is taking it easy. Mom paid me an impromptu visit and we’re being pretty chill- sitting around, taking a few leisurely strolls and not putting forth any effort to make big elaborate meals, which is why this tea is pretty much perfect for what should be the laziest day of the year. Caraway tea from Latvia. Yup, sounds pretty weird.

Caraway is not a taste I’m all that familiar with on its own. Sure, I’ve had it in sausage, mixed in with sauerkraut, and plays pretty prominently in rye bread. But, as tea? I was skeptical to say the least.

This recipe comes from a source I found thoroughly describing Latvian cuisine. Like Lithuania and Estonia, the foods of their ancestors were primarily rye, barley, millet and other grains and heavy meats of the game variety. Spices that I’ve come to know and love through my culinary travels out East are almost never used, and seasoning came from mustard, garlic, salt and caraway seeds.

After some prompting from Mom, I looked up the health benefits of caraway seeds and found they are high in soluble fiber, provide many digestive benefits, are a potent antioxidant and an excellent source of minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Good news all around.

This took less than fifteen minutes to prep and I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet, earthy taste. Served hot or cold, with milk or without, it may be the perfect mix-up for your next tea party.