Cistus Incanus herb cut - 500 grams

Cistus is classified as Novel Food by the EU. Therefore, this product is officially not a food because it never went through the approval process.

Oh-la-la, check out this beauty: the Cistus incanus! This little plant belongs to the sunflower family, and is typical of the Mediterranean maquis biotope. It grows mainly in the eastern Mediterranean and can grow up to a metre tall. The branches and leaves are covered with a soft, fluffy coat and have an oval shape with a smooth or wavy edge. The leaves are green to grey-green and have ridges on the underside and imprints on the top. The flowers are about 6 cm wide and have pink petals with a crinkled texture and a heart of brilliant yellow. They bloom from April to June and grow at the end of the branches. The seed pod consists of five segments

In Greece, it is dried and drunk as a herbal tea. But the 'tea' is also available in health food shops and pharmacies in other European countries. Some people say this infusion has antiviral powers, but science is not quite convinced yet. The plant contains a lot of polyphenols such as proanthocyanidin and flavonoids that are said to provide an astringent (astringent) effect.

Novel food: Cistus is classified as Novel Food by the EU. Therefore, this product is officially not a food.

As Cistus is classified as a novel food in the European Union, its sale as a food is only allowed when a novel food approval has been granted. This is not currently the case. As a result, it is not possible to offer Cistus incanus herb as food and it is only available as a bath tea. Distributing Cistus herb as Cistus tea is prohibited for any provider in the Netherlands and the European Union. However, Cistus herb can be used in other ways, such as as a vegetable dye or as a perfume.