Olive leaves

Olea europaea

leaf · infusion

Dried olive leaves, as a tea; they keep oleuropein, the bitter compound of green olives.

Origin

Mediterranean basin

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

Dried, they are infused at one tablespoon per cup, ten minutes in barely simmering water; then strained and the leaves discarded.

Molecules

Secoiridoids (oleocanthal)

Did you know?

To make green olives edible, their oleuropein must be removed, for example by soaking them in lye; the leaf keeps it.