Chigir tea

A surprising use for a 'boring' border perennial

Next time you visit your granny’s garden and notice the large green leaves of Bergenia growing in a border or in the shade under trees somewhere, maybe don’t dismiss it quite so quickly!

In the UK Bergenia cordifolia (Syn. B. crassifolia) is known as Elephant’s ears and is a widely grown perennial for sun or light shade, evergreen with leaves turning bronze in cold winters, with large glossy leathery leaves covering the ground well, and pink flowers on strong vertical stalks in April/May which are valuable for pollinating insects. They tolerate poor soil, extreme cold in winter and can be cultivated in most situations. There are a number of ornamental varieties with coloured leaves (eg. ‘Purpurea’) and with different coloured flowers. Some of the leaves naturally die off in autumn but remain attached and slowly turn brown or black through the winter; gardeners are sometimes advised to remove these in spring to keep the plants “tidy”.

The species actually originates from Siberia (particularly Altai) and Mongolia, where it is generally known as Badan. Almost everyone from those regions will know this plant, where it is highly valued as a tea plant with the added bonus of medicinal benefits.

Chigir (or Chigirsky) tea is the main product made from the leaves. But it is not the green leaves that are used – these are very bitter and full of tannins – but the naturally fermented leaves that die back in autumn. These are harvested in spring when brown or black (black leaves have even fewer tannins and are sometimes 1½ years old) after the natural slow fermentation through the winter months.

Chigir tea is especially popular in Mongolia (it is also know as Mongolian tea) where the Steppe tribes have a long tradition of using it all year round as a refreshing beverage which also happens to have valuable medicinal properties. It is regarded as an adaptogen – increasing the body’s stress resistance, endurance and immunity. It also suppresses the growth of gram-positive bacteria and is used to prevent or treat gastrointestinal infections.

Chigir tea is normally brewed in a teapot, much like ordinary black tea from Camellia sinensis. The tea has a brown tint and a pleasant flavour with hints of pine nut.

Bergenia cordifolia rhizomes are also used in traditional tea mixes under the generic name “Altai tea”, mixed with up to a dozen other leaves or roots of other species.

Other Bergenia species are used across other parts of Asia, all with a multitude of traditional uses including in Ayurvedic medicine (see Koul et al for more.)

We’ve just planted an area of badan in our established forest garden and I’m looking forward to answering people who ask “what are you growing that for?”

More info:

Koul B, Kumar A, Yadav D, Jin JO. Bergenia Genus: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology. Molecules. 2020 Nov 26;25(23):5555. doi: 10.3390/molecules25235555. PMID: 33256153; PMCID: PMC7730924.