Sit at the bustling Kardeşler (Siblings) cafe late at night on a warm summer evening, with the spritz of the twinkling bosphorus on the air, sip this incredible tea, and let the day melt away. Like the country it’s from, it’s complicated and full of story. Yet, despite the fact that it might be the most complicated sage you’ll ever meet: with the Greeks arguing it’s called Faskomilo and the Turks saying it’s Ada Çay (Island Tea), and even the scientific community divided on its Latin name - known as both Salvia Triloba and Salvia Fruticosa -  it somehow manages to melt your own complications away - it’s something truly extraordinary. 
 
Familiar yet foreign, this steamy herbal tea comes all the way from Turkey where it’s wild harvested from rocky Mediterranean mountainscapes along turquoise coastlines. The same coastlines that were the grounds of ancient civilizations dating back nearly 8,000 years! From those soils and those minerals, and those stories comes this plant to your doorstep: Ada Çay (ah-duh chai). 
 
Ada Çay, though spectacular on its own, is not in my opinion complete without a squeeze of lemon. When those two flavors marry, they seem to clean the whole day from your body, to uplift and to impart some whisper of ancient Mediterranean wisdom amidst the sipping. 
 
Brew for a minimum of 5 minutes
Use 8-12 leaves of tea per 8 ounces of 212°F water with lemon!
 
Everything you put in your body has an effect on you. Folk Tea suggests that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional before using herbal products, particularly if you take other medications, or if you are nursing, pregnant, or expecting to become pregnant.  
 
This information is for education purposes, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration