Organic v. Wild Foraged
Debate the terminology behind wild foraged versus orgainc ingredients with us! We discuss ingredient labeling and whether or not wild foraged ingredients are technically organic.
Wild Foraged v. Orangic
Herb Origins
Would a wild foraged rose taste as sweet as organically cultivated petals?
What's in a Label?
When it comes to choosing food - or the ingredients it's prepared with - it sometimes feels like there's an ever-deepening morass of terminology to wade through. For instance, we've covered the deceptive use of "ceremonial" as a marketing term in selling matcha. But when it comes to using organic as a descriptor, surely that's more cut and dried, right? Well, maybe!
The answer to that depends a little on your answer to the following question: is an ingredient that grew wild in the forest organic?
What Does Organic Labeling Mean?
Organic labeling is currently a certification that can only be applied to cultivated ingredients that are grown organically (i.e., grown without use of prohibited substances or practices in soil that has been free from prohibited substances for over 3 years). You may have caught that we stressed the word cultivated. The reasons for this are both simple and complex: in the US (and most countries), in order to label your products as organic you must have a certification from the USDA that requires multiple inspections, fees, etc. Of course, since ingredients grown in the wild are not cultivated and therefore cannot be reliably inspected, this precludes them from organic labeling, even if by definition they are grown without pesticides or the use of other prohibited substances. Enter: wild foraged.
What Does "Wild Foraged Ingredients" Mean?
Wild foraged ingredients include mushrooms, shoots, berries, leaves, bark, herbs, etc. that are collected from sources in the wild - like our Adirondack Chaga. Foraging has of course been part of humanity's food culture since the beginning, but recently foraging has once again become popular or even trendy as food culture moves away from fast and processed foods towards slow, whole foods.
Wild foraging is exactly what it sounds like: collecting ingredients from nature in their natural habitat. An excellent example of this is our Wild Taiga, a blend from the boreal forest that would be very difficult to cultivate conventionally or organically. Instead, an herb farm in Québec sustainably hand forages these ingredients from nature for their declicious aroma and flavor as well as their beneficial properties.
Does Wild Foraged Mean Organic?
This brings us back around to the question: is an ingredient that grew wild in the forest organic?
By layman's standards, yes! For labeling purposes? No. For this reason, we make the distinction on our website and packaging and otherwise invite you to come to your own conclusions.
Wild Foraged at Saratoga Tea & Honey Co.
Explore Wild Foraged Teas & Tisanes
Adirondack Chaga
$ 20.00
Chaga is a mushroom that grows predominantly on birch trees in Russia, Siberia, Northeastern Europe, the Northern United States and Canada. It has a naturally sweet earthiness to it with notes of caramel, dark berries, vanilla, and cocoa. Our chaga is foraged locally and sustainably from the Southern Adirondacks.
Chaga is rich in antioxidants and may benefit blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and your immune system.
Chaga is best brewed hot over a long period of time to fully enjoy its benefits! Chaga is also very finely ground and we recommend straining through a coffee filter or using a tea filter to brew your Chaga.
Vitality
$ 12.00
Vitality in a cup? Whether it’s your head, shoulders, knees, or toes that are feeling achey... look to ancient remedies to give you the strength to power through your day! Our blend of organic, indigenous anti-inflammatory turmeric and wildcrafted pau d’arco will relieve your achey bones while warm cinnamon, coconut and black pepper soothe your soul.
Wild Taiga
$ 16.00
Harvested in the Canadian north, this blend of wild leaves, shoots, berries, and mushrooms create a forest symphony of flavors. Cozy, pine, cabin, winter, and hearth are all words that come to mind as we sip this special tisane.
This beneficial blend may act as a flu breaker, an anti-inflammatory medicine, and a powerful release for the respiratory tract. You will also find this blend naturally energizing, bitter sweet, peppery and earthy. Infuse and re-infuse with pleasure to fully enjoy its generosity!
Turn this delicious tisane into a show-stopping cocktail shrub with this recipe from our blog!
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