Rtanj tea: a story from the mountain
Rtanj is a mountain whose shape you cannot miss, a near-perfect pyramid above eastern Serbia. On its slopes grows the plant that gave its name to one of Serbia’s best-known teas.
TeaWelton Rtanj teaSee the tea →Rtanj rises above Sokobanja and Boljevac, and its Šiljak peak, at 1,565 metres, can be seen from far away. Legends surround the mountain, and hikers love it for the view from the top.
Rtanj tea is in fact savory (Satureja), a small aromatic plant with purple flowers that grows on dry, rocky slopes. People have long picked it and dried it for winter.
Its aroma is strong and slightly spicy, so it is best made simply: one tea bag, 200 ml of boiling water, cover and leave for 5 to 10 minutes.
With a teaspoon of honey it is milder, and many people love it plain, after a long walk or a winter trip.
If you ever climb Rtanj, take a thermos of Rtanj tea with you. It is hard to find a better place for that cup.
