Garlic is the pungent bulb of Allium sativum, a close relative of onion, leek, chive, and shallot. It has been used for thousands of years as food, spice, and traditional household medicine across Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, and European traditions.…
Orange peel is the fragrant outer rind of the sweet orange. In herbalism and traditional food cultures, the peel is used as an aromatic digestive herb, flavoring agent, tea ingredient, and bright companion to heavier or more bitter herbs. Orange…
Cardamom is a fragrant spice from the ginger family, best known for its sweet, warming, slightly citrusy, eucalyptus-like aroma. In herbalism and traditional food cultures, the small seeds inside the green pods are used for digestion, breath freshness, respiratory comfort,…
Plantain leaf is one of those humble backyard herbs that many people step over without realizing they are walking past a classic herbal ally. The leaves of Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata have been traditionally used in Western herbalism for…
Licorice root is a sweet, earthy root with a long history in Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and traditional European medicine. It is famous for its naturally sweet taste, which comes largely from glycyrrhizin, a compound many times sweeter…
Holy basil, also known as tulsi, is a fragrant member of the mint family with a long history of use in Ayurveda and household herbal traditions. It is not the same as sweet basil used in Italian cooking, though the…
Fennel is a fragrant, sweet, anise-like herb in the carrot family. In herbalism, the “seeds” used in tea and cooking are technically the dried fruits of the fennel plant. They are small, aromatic, and surprisingly hardworking for something that looks…
Marshmallow root is the soft, soothing root of Althaea officinalis, a perennial plant in the mallow family. It is rich in mucilage, a slippery plant compound that becomes gel-like when mixed with water. In herbalism, marshmallow root is one of…
