Forget the Tetley how about a cuppa juniper berry and mint tea?

Peggy Hogan and Michael Johnson of Gooseberry Cove have achieved what might be considered an unlikely culinary feat in the Southwest Arm area of Trinity Bay.

They have convinced a group of locals to put aside their orange pekoe tea bags and tuck into some mugs of locally foraged herbal tea.

"The kids and the men, that was so surprising," said Hogan.

They lined up, and they hung around all afternoon at the gazebo in Southport."

A healthy post-hike activity

Hogan is a member of the Traditional Paths Interest Group, which organizes hikes and healthy activities in the Southwest Arm area. Johnson is a seasonal staffer with the group.

Their guided hike and tea party turned out to be a surprise hit with local residents, and they're already planning next summer's hike and tea party.

"It was kind of unbelievable to them," said Johnson.

Dandelion root "coffee"

Johnson and Hogan, with help from amateur botanist Michel Savard, foraged enough plants along the paths and trails in the area to make ten different teas.

They came up with blends such as triple blueberry tea, wild strawberry leaf tea, and sweet gale and rose petal tea.

Hogan's favourite beverage is juniper berry and mint, while Johnson enjoys dandelion root "coffee."

"I dig up the dandelion roots, I cut them up very finely ...I bake them in the oven for three or four hours on about 300, and it smells just like coffee," said Johnson.

Research and experimenting

Hogan said it takes some experimenting to create and brew the best blends of locally foraged tea.

They did their research using the reference books Wildflowers and Ferns of Newfoundlandby Todd Boland, and Edible Plants of Newfoundland and Labrador by Peter J. Scott, both published by Boulder Publications.

Hogan added that Savard was a great help in making sure they were picking the correct plants and preventing them from using the wrong ones.

Johnson said that preparing locally sourced tea is about much more than taking a tea bag out of a box and throwing it into a mug.

"Not only do you get out and walk the trails and try to pick this stuff, you get the medicinal benefits of the tea," said Johnson.

"Like Labrador Tea, it's really high in Vitamin C."

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