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Writer's pictureDorota

ALPINE DOTTEA. HOW I GOT TO MAKING TEA

Updated: Dec 19, 2022


Foraging in high alpine pastures
Dot forages like most of us visit supermarkets

As consumers we are now more aware about our environment and our life/health choices. Let's make a positive change together.


Welcome to my blog. I would like to invite you to join to my journey of healthy, organic and balanced living, I would like to share with you my mum's knowledge passed down through generations. Also science supported information about plants, herbs and tea. All this to improve your better way of living.


Eating organic isn't a trend, it's a return to tradition

I will be posting interesting posts about plants, herbs and teas. Their health and medical properties, organic living tips and so much more!



Tea within a bag within a sachet within a box within a cellophane wrap



Tea bags with wasteful plastic wrapping
One cup of tea but a lot of waste


One day when I was making a tea I asked myself "Is it really necessary, all the packaging? What a waste!"


A box wrapped in cellophane with 20 individual plastic wrapped tea bags. These tea bags made of cloth or a paper that doesn’t dissolve(?) are sealed using GLUE, with a string and a tag with a printed logo attached again using glue.


Is it really necessary? I really was feeling bad about contributing to our rubbish waste.

Also how much energy, trees and other products went in to producing this one box of tea. Surely there is a better way?

As consumers we are now more aware about our environment and the impact we have on it..

Our choices of how, where and what we consume matter more than ever.

Let's keep it that way and spread the word even further.


What do these tea bags actually contain? A small amount of finely ground dust representing tea. WTF?! Is it really tea? Could be anything ground up, thrown in a plastic covered bag and sealed with glue. I was feeling more and more frustrated.


So I moved on from consuming the individually packed tea bags to using loose leaf teas. I was buying organic, fair trade, loose leaf teas which were more expensive but I was telling myself that it was worth it. I felt better that I was not contributing as much to recycling waste and had more control of what was in my tea.

At least I thought I did...


Change of perspective


When my mum arrived to visit me, she pointed out how lucky I am to live where I live as I made us a cuppa...


Then my mum asked me “Dorotka why are you drinking this?

I said, “What do you mean? It’s eco, organic loose leaf tea! It’s good for you and better for the environment. Its expensive too so it must be good.“


She said, “But it’s still in lots of packaging and you don’t really know what is in it. How and where it’s growing, how and who is harvesting it (probably on the large scale it’s harvested by a machine that inadvertently also 'harvests' weeds and other plants and small insects that are then dried and cut in to pieces before being packaged)

Come on, I will show you something…”

And then we went on a walk to a beautiful forest glade where she showed me all the 'weeds'.


Weeds that turned out to be amazing plants that have been used for centuries for their health and medical properties!


She said: “Look! All of this is the best eco, environmentally friendly, organic tea that you can imagine! Right in the middle of the French Alps, right under your nose!”


Mum told me about only a few of them (the most beneficial ones) that she was told by her mum, knowledge passed down generations.


We picked by hand each individual herb, one by one. Choosing only the best quality, making sure there is enough left for the bees to feed and the plant to keep growing.


Then she told me how to dry it and keep it safe to enjoy for the year round.



Foraging in the French Alps
Foraging for tea and herbs in alpine pastures


In my cupboard now you can find these Teas:

  • Nettle tea (`Click HERE and watch the video 'HOW TO MAKE NETTLE TEA')

  • Dandelion tea

  • Elderflower tea

  • Wormwood tea

  • Red Clover tea

  • Yarrow tea

  • Field Horsetail tea

  • Raspberry leaf tea

  • Wild strawberry leaf tea

  • Rosehip tea

  • Rose Leaf tea


All of them are absolutely amazing. Now I am truly feeling good about my body, heath, environment and my pocket!

But mostly I’m feeling good that I can pass my mum’s knowledge on to you.



About me


I'm Polish and I came to the French Alps in 2011. Here I met my English husband, we both love the mountains and the way of life in a ski resort.

With my masters degree in physical education and being a sport enthusiast I found myself in sports heaven. From snowboarding in the winter to hiking, road cycling, mountain biking and climbing in the summer. All this on my door step.

By living closer to nature I found an interest in herbs, plants, alternative medicine and tea!

I live a balanced, organic, healthy life and I would like to share some tips with you.


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