Bring Back this Orchid Tea!
July 24th, 2010
Orchid flowers are among the natural world’s most wonderful creations. For many of us, they create happiness merely by gracing our living spaces or our greenhouses. Nonetheless it must be admitted that other than their beauty, orchids possess little practical value for people, with the single exception of that estimable orchid that produces our vanilla flavoring.
If you had lived some 80 to a hundred years ago, though, you may have enjoyed the opportunity to savor a wonderful tea produced from the leaves of a rare orchid. This drink, commonly called Faham tea, achieved some celebrity among the French populace in the early years of the 20th century. To be specific, it was made from the sweet smelling leaves of the Angraecum fragrans orchid (also recorded as the Jumella fragrans).
The unusual orchid was a native to the Isle de Reunion off the coast of Africa. An epiphytal type known to local folks as “faham,” its usage as tea is credited to Reunion’s indigenous people, who are reported to have been the first to discover how delicious it was.
An essay in a horticultual journal of 1924 said that so-called Faham tea had been introduced into France, where some people were sipping it as a substitute for “Chinese” (i.e., regular) tea. “Every work on botany of any importance similarly places it in the foremost rank of the beneficial productions of this favored clime (Reunion),” the author says. “One of our most illustrious writers George Sand eulogizes it in the midst of the fine description of the Island of Bourbon.” Bourbon was the previous name for Reunion, by the way.
The orchid involved was known to grow high on the mountain slopes of Reunion, in the midst of almost unreachable forests. The difficulties inherent in gathering a sufficient supply of this plant meant that Faham tea, as a commercially viable product, was practically doomed to failure. Despite general concurrence in the tea’s tastiness, it was completely forgotten by mid- 20th century.
Most of us won’t ever have the pleasure of knowing what Faham tea tastes like. But, if you happen to be lucky enough to be growing a specimen or two of the necessary orchid, you could sacrifice a handful of leaves and actually make some yourself. To brew the tea, you first bring water to a boil in a tea kettle. Then you put in some dried orchid leaves (roughly as much per cup as you would regular tea) to the water, turning off the heat and allowing it to steep for three or four minutes.
A flyer from the 1920s advertising Faham tea states:
It can be used as a substitute for tea on all occasions, as it combines its tonic and digestive qualities free from the sleepless effect. It possesses an aroma of great delicacy capable of being rendered more or less pungent according to the quantity used and it gives forth a most agreeable perfume. After being drank, it leaves a lasting fragrance in the mouth and in a closed room the odor of it can be recognized long after.
This beverage has the further advantage over tea which requires to be drank at the time of making, in that it can be reserved for a future occasion if requisite and may either be taken cold or made hot again. Milk or spirits in small quantities, especially rum, serve to develope its aroma and lending it additional delicacy or greater strength render it a delicious drink. Lastly this valuable plant is made use of to flavor custards and ices, to which it communicates its delicate fragrance.
Sounds delicious. Faham tea, anyone?
Now, if you think you would like to try your hand at growing orchids, rare or otherwise, you will need accurate information.
Nowadays, of course, we have an abundance of excellent information on the correct way to grow orchids. The most thorough guide to expert orchid cultivation, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard’s guide is a complete education in itself, practical for neophytes as well as the more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing database of information on all facets of orchid cultivation.
