Orchid flowers are among nature’s most beautiful. For many of us, they create happiness simply by gracing our houses or greenhouses. It must be admitted that aside from their loveliness, orchids possess little practical value for human beings, with the singular exception of that estimable orchid that gives us our vanilla flavoring.

If you had been around 80 to 100 years ago, though, you might have enjoyed the opportunity to sip a wonderful tea made from the leaves of an unusual orchid. This drink, called Faham tea, achieved some popularity among the French populace in the early 20th century. Specifically, it was made from the sweet smelling leaves of the Angraecum fragrans orchid (sometimes alternately recorded as the Jumella fragrans).

The rare orchid was native to the Isle de Reunion off the coast of Africa. An epiphytal species known  to locals as “faham,” its usage as tea is credited to Reunion’s indigenous people, who are said to have been the first to discover how delicious it was.

An essay in a horticultural journal of 1924 observed that so-called Faham tea had been introduced into France, where many people were sipping it in place of “Chinese” (i.e., regular) tea. “Every work on botany of any importance similarly places it in the foremost rank of the beneficial productions of  this favored clime (Reunion),” the author says. “One of our most illustrious writers George Sand eulogizes it in the midst of the fine description of the Island of Bourbon.” Bourbon was an earlier name for Reunion Island, incidentally.

The orchid involved was known to grow very high on the slopes of Reunion Island, in the midst of almost inaccessible forests. The problems inherent in collecting a sufficient supply of the plant meant that Faham tea, as a viable commercial item, was almost certainly to failure. Despite general agreement as to the tea’s tastiness, it was completely forgotten by the middle of the century.

Most of us will never discover what Faham tea tastes like. But if you happen to be fortunate enough to be growing a specimen or two of the right kind of orchid, you could sacrifice a handful of leaves and make some yourself. To brew the tea, you first bring water to a boil in a tea kettle. Then, you put in some dried orchid leaves (approximately as much per cup as you would regular tea) to the water, bringing down the heat and allowing it to steep for three or four minutes.

A flyer from the 1920s singing the praises of Faham tea says:

It can be used as a substitute for tea on all occasions as it combines its tonic and digestive qualities free from the sleepless effect. It possesses an aroma of great delicacy capable of being rendered more or less pungent according to the quantity used and it gives forth a most agreeable perfume. After being drank it leaves a lasting fragrance in the mouth and in a closed room the odor of it can be recognized long after.

This beverage has the further advantage over tea which requires to be drank at the time of making, in that it can be reserved for a future occasion if requisite and may either be taken cold or made hot again. Milk or spirits in small quantities, especially rum, serve to develop its aroma and lending it additional delicacy or greater strength render it a delicious drink. Lastly this valuable plant is made use of to flavor custards and ices, to which it communicates its delicate fragrance.

Sounds delicious. Faham tea, anyone?

Now, if you think you would like to try your hand at growing orchids, rare or otherwise, you will need accurate instructions. Today there is an abundance of good, accurate information to be had by anyone who wants to grow orchids. The most accurate and clear guidebook to 21st-century orchid gardening, as increasing numbers are learning, is Orchid Care Expert by Mr. Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded online. Mr. Howard’s guide is a full course, helpful for novices and more seasoned cultivators alike. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets site, which features a growing database of information on all topics of orchid care.