Many things are forgotten, but a person who peels apple skins and boils linden with their own prepared seasoning is unforgettable. Boiling linden for someone who is sick, although it seems like a treatment, is actually a form of spiritual therapy. When a person is sick, they feel vulnerable and expect more attention than usual. Boiled linden offers this attention and care as a warm beverage.
Recently, experts have been advocating for linden to be brewed rather than boiled. While this information is valuable, it should not prompt someone who drinks boiled linden to change their preference. We believe that a person should drink it in the way that makes them feel good. Brewing is a practical task. However, boiling linden requires effort, warms the heart, spreads pleasant aromas, and heals the soul.
Linden has been featured in many stories, books, and poems, and has even given its name to certain streets and avenues. The word linden itself evokes a sense of peace.
Linden is a therapeutic plant with fever-reducing and cough-relieving effects. It also contains natural antioxidants like kaempferol, quercetin, saponin, and hesperidin. It has anxiety-relieving effects and improves sleep quality. It is not necessary to wait until you are sick to consume it, as it also has important functions like strengthening the immune system.
The linden tree, which blooms in summer and is ready for harvest, has a sweet scent, made heavier by the density of its flowers. The essence of linden flowers is also used in perfumes, room scents, soaps, and candles.
Although the most valuable and commonly used part is the flowers (tiliae flos), the flowers are sold along with the leaves from which they emerge.
Bringing linden flowers as a gift when visiting someone is a very elegant and thoughtful choice.
We know that four types of linden trees grow in Turkey:
Tilia Platyphyllos "Summer Linden":
Also known as broadleaf linden. Its flowers bloom in June. Tiny, yellow flowers are boiled and drunk.
Tilia Argentea "Silver Linden":
Named for the silvery white hairs on the underside of its leaves. Its flowers can be boiled and drunk, but they are not known for their healing properties.
Tilia Rubra "Caucasian Linden":
It also has tiny, yellow flowers. Its native regions are the Caucasus, Crimea, northern Iran, and Anatolia. It is also grown as an ornamental plant.
Tilia Cordata "Winter Linden" "The Tree of Love"