With a dry, tannic flavor not dissimilar from the taste of black tea, raspberry leaves are an ideal caffeine-free herbal tea supplement. High in magnesium, potassium, iron, and b-vitamins, raspberry leaves have been demonstrated to help soothe the female reproductive system.
In ancient Greece, the raspberry was linked to fertility and young children in the story of Ida, nursemaid to the infant Zeus. It was she who pricked her finger while picking the berries, thus staining them red for all eternity. Another similar story holds that raspberry got its name when the Olympian Gods were searching for berries on Mount Ida. Raspberry's Latin name, Rubus idaeus, means 'bramble bush of Ida'.