How I Make Ivan Chai: Wildcrafted Fireweed Tea From the Alberta Forest
Every summer, when fireweed starts reaching tall and the bees are deep in the blossoms, I know it’s time again. Not just to pick, but to slow myself down and reconnect. This is when I make Ivan Chai - the way it’s been made for generations, right from what grows wild around me.
Ivan Chai is a tea made from fireweed leaves. It’s been used for ages across Russia and other parts of Europe. It’s not your average herbal tea — it’s fermented, smooth, and doesn’t have caffeine. People used to drink this before black tea ever showed up.
At Alberta Wildcraft, we don’t believe in gatekeeping plant knowledge or hiding it behind a paywall. These traditions are meant to be passed on, shared, and kept alive — not sold off in pieces. If a plant wants to be known, it grows where people can find it. And we believe people should be able to learn what to do with it.
How to Find and Harvest Fireweed
Fireweed is easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for. It grows in open areas — forest edges, cutlines, roadside clearings, and especially areas that have burned in recent years. It’s often one of the first plants to come back after a wildfire, earning its name.
Before It Flowers
If you're harvesting for Ivan Chai, it’s important to pick the leaves before the plant blooms. At this stage, the plant will be tall and leafy with a spiral arrangement of narrow, pointed leaves going up the stalk. The leaves are green with a smooth edge, and if you look closely, you’ll see a pale mid-vein running down the center. Once the flower buds start to form at the top, you're getting close — that's the sweet spot. The leaves are still soft and full of flavor.
How to Pick It
Use your fingers to pinch off the top 4–6 sets of leaves from each stem — just below where the flower stalk is starting to form. This is the most tender part and ideal for fermentation. Never strip the whole plant or take from stunted or weak ones. The goal is to leave the plant healthy so it can keep growing and return year after year.
How Much to Harvest
Be respectful of each patch. From a healthy colony of fireweed, you can safely harvest from about 1 in every 4 or 5 plants. Move around the patch and spread your picking out. Never take everything from one spot — it damages the colony and leaves nothing for pollinators or reseeding. If your finding plants randomly growing across long distances, pick a few leaves per plant before moving on.
Making Ivan Chai
First, I harvest the fireweed leaves before the flowers open. The young leaves are best. When I get them home, I lay them on a towel in the shade. They wilt for a few hours until soft.
Then I roll them by hand. Just rubbing the leaves between my palms until they bruise and give off a bit of juice. The smell changes too — kind of foresty, deep but still slightly grassy. That’s the moment you know it's working.
After all of my leaves are rolled squeezed and crushed, and my hands are green, i place the rolled leaves into a glass jar with the lid closed , and let them sit for about 48 hours.
This is where the fermentation happens. The green smell fades and something sweet and earthy takes its place. You can crush and roll as long as you like! The more the better.
Once they’ve changed color and smell, I dry them. Sometimes I use a dehydrator, other times I just lay them out to dry. When they’re fully crisp, they go in a jar.
When I brew it, it’s smooth and rich. It helps with digestion, eases nerves, and doesn’t give you the ups and downs like caffeinated teas do. It tastes like something you’d expect to sip at sunrise — soft, deep, and real.
I don’t charge for this knowledge. It’s not a secret. This is something anyone can do with their own hands. I just want people to know it still exists.
You can see my full video of how I make it on TikTok @albertawildcraft.
And if fireweed is growing where you are — go pick some leaves. Try it for yourself.
#IvanChai
#FireweedTea
#WildcraftedTea
#FermentedHerbs
#BackyardHerbalism
#AlbertaWildcraft
#ForagersNotebook
#WildHarvested
#TraditionalTea
#ForestMedicine