Marshmallow Root Tea

This week we are loving marshmallow root tea, in fact we love having this tea every day! It’s a wonder tonic for the gut.

Marshmallow root, or Althaea officinalis, has been used for centuries in herbal medicine. We discovered it about a year ago when Grant was having quite severe gut issues, a cup of marshmallow root tea was instantly soothing on his gut; the mucilage from the root lines the stomach and aids digestion.

Marshmallow root tea is very easy to make. I put two teaspoons full of tea leaves into either a teapot with a strainer or an individual tea strainer, that goes into a mug.

Fill the teapot or mug with boiling water, leaving a little room to add cold water. Let it steep for a few minutes and then top with cold water so that it’s not too hot to serve.

I then put the teapot, with the marshmallow root still inside, into the fridge to use it again – I also do the same with the tea strainer. To re-use the leaves, simply re-add boiling water and start the process again. This amount will do a few cups easily and it will keep in the fridge for about three days.

Marshmallow root tea can be found at most organic or whole food stores, phone around to check if the one in your area stocks it. You can also find it online at iHerb.

If you’d like to grow this lovely flowering plant, seeds are available online at Shaman’s Garden, click here for the link.

Fun fact … did you know that marshmallow candy was originally made from marshmallow root mucilage, hence its name. Today marshmallows are typically made from sugar and gelatin, and there are vegan marshmallows made from agar agar and aquafaba. If you’d like to try making vegan marshmallows this recipe sounds fun to try.