Gol Gav Zaban Recipe: How to Brew Borage Tea at Home

Gol gav zaban(borage) is an almost purple plant from which a soothing tea is prepared. It is a colorful plant that is brewed in boiling water to make a very useful tea.

Persian borage tea(Cow’s tongue flower) has soothing properties, can be used in cold treatment, has antioxidants, and can help with digestive problems and sore throat.

In addition to all these properties, brewing this tea with Limoo Amani and serving it with saffron rock candy creates a very colorful and tasty Iranian herbal tea.

Since the old days in Iran, whenever I had insomnia at night, my mother brewed cow’s tongue flowers so I could sleep very comfortably. During the school exams, when I was very stressed, I would drink a glass of this tea, and my stress would decrease for hours.

Currently, I prepare this tea to reduce my children’s stress and give it to them to calm them down. Both during exams and when the children fall asleep, instead of using chemical and sedative pills, I use this 100% herbal tea for them.

Cow’s tongue flower has a quick, easy recipe, and I’ve shared plenty of tips in the rest of the article.

How to brew?

Brewing a cow’s tongue flower is very easy but requires many tips. If you follow these tips step by step, you can prepare a delicious and colourful brew. I will explain the process step by step in the following.

Ingredient:

Gol gav zaban  3 tbsp
Limoo Amani One pcs
Nabat(Persian saffron rock candy) Two pcs
Water as needed

How to make borage tea(gol gav zaban recipe):

1. First, boil water in a kettle or electric samovar.
2. Then prepare a teapot or coffee pot and put the leaves of the cow’s tongue flower in it.

3. Add the boiled water to the cow’s tongue flower and boil for 2-3 minutes.
4. Then, we pierce the Limoo Amani with a fork and put it in the teapot. We put the lid on the teapot or the boiling pot and let it stay in it for 10-15 minutes with the lid closed and infused.

5. Now, we put the candies in the glass, pass the tea through a strainer, and add the candies to the glass. I use candy for sweetness and better taste.

 

History

Gol gav zaban is a very old plant with a very rich history. It has been used as an antidepressant and sedative for centuries. You can read more about the history of medicinal plants.

The Iranian Persian borage tea plant is self-seeding and grows on the slopes of Alborz in early spring.
The origin of this plant goes back to the Middle East and the city of Damascus in Syria.
The cow’s tongue flower plant is between 40 and 70 cm tall.

20 Persian borage tea Benefits:

 

Along with Persian borage tea, serve fuman cookies and zoolbia bamieh.

Who should not eat borage?

FAQ

1. How long should you steep Gol Gav Zaban for the best color?

After boiling the petals for 2–3 minutes, remove from direct heat and let it steep covered for 10–15 minutes. This timeframe allows the water to extract the full flavor and pigment.

2. Why do you add Limoo Amani (dried lime) to the pot?

Adding a pierced dried lime provides a mild citrus contrast and triggers a chemical reaction that deepens the tea’s color to its signature rich purple.

3. What is the standard way to serve this tea?

It is served hot after straining into a glass. Nabat (saffron rock candy) is the standard sweetener used to balance the earthy flavor of the petals.

4. Where does the Borage plant grow?

It is a wild plant that self-seeds and grows naturally on the mountain slopes of Alborz in Northern Iran during early spring.

5. What is the average size of the Borage plant?

The plant typically reaches a height of 40 to 70 centimeters before the blossoms are harvested and dried.

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Chef Haghighi
Chef Haghighi

I am Chef Haghighi, a culinary professional and restaurant consultant with over a decade of experience in the food industry. Holding a TCA international culinary qualification, I have successfully launched more than 20 traditional and fast-food restaurants across the USA, Turkey, and Iran. Through Meals Cook, I share my passion for authentic Iranian recipes. Beyond creating dishes, I specialize in commercial kitchen setups. If you are planning to start a food business, you can contact me for free, expert advice on purchasing industrial kitchen equipment and designing your restaurant for maximum efficiency.”

27 Comments

    • Hi dear ziash , You can served with gol gav zaban many persian sweet like that: persian baklava, persian noghl and poolaki.

    • Usually, the stores that sell Iranian goods are always in America, otherwise Amazon is a good option.

    • Borage plant is a plant rich in compounds such as flavonoids, saponins, unsaturated terpenoids and sterols, which have moderate relaxing and anti-anxiety effects. Flavonoid derivatives bind to benzodiazepine receptors and exhibit properties similar to benzodiazepines.

  1. It’s a really interesting blog. Keep up the good work and create more!

    • I am very happy that the contents and benefits of this article were useful to you and I suggest you read other articles on my site where I have explained the benefits of all Iranian drinks.
      thank you very much

  2. I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but great topic.
    I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
    Thanks for fantastic info I was looking for this information for my mission.

    • Hello, my dear friend, my information about Iranian food is in the form of my many years of experience in the food industry and the valid international certificates that I have
      I also use reliable sources such as Wikipedia and Healthline for articles and benefits of foods and drinks.
      I am also very happy that my article is of use to you and your work

  3. Hello, dear friend, yes, it is known in the common language and among the people of Iran as the ‘Gol gav zaboon”
    I think you are an authentic Iranian Hittite who still remembers these words

    • There are a few points you should follow
      You must use the fresh plant
      Be sure to keep the time in mind according to the order
      Use mineral water for boiling

  4. Remember, my mother always brewed gol gav zaboon for us after dinner whenever she could on exam nights and gave us sweets so that we could sleep easily and reduce our stress.
    Of course, there was no stress at that time when everything was perfect
    I really miss those days, dear Mohsen
    thank you

    • Hello my dear Leila
      Yes, stress really didn’t mean anything to us at that time
      It was cheap and everything was in its place
      But now…
      I hope good days are coming for all people
      I am glad that this article was useful for you and threw you back in time

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