The dried peel of mandarin or clementine oranges (Citrus reticulata) and of tangerines (C. tangerina) is used in Chinese medicine as a warming digestive bitter. It regulates Qi in the body and helps move a sluggish or stagnant digestive system.
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Guo Lao, “venerable national treasure” is the nickname given to licorice (Glycerrhiza uralensis or G. glabra) because of its popularity and its ability to harmonize other herbs in a formula. The actual Chinese name for this sweet rhizome is Gan Cao.
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Do you like goji berries? Goji berries and the juice made from them have become popular the U.S., but they are actually a traditional Chinese medicinal food, known by the name Gou Qi Zi. The botanical name, Lycium chinense, or L. barbarum, is sometimes called Chinese wolfberry.
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Zizyphus always sounds like an adorable, oversized, fuzzy monster to me 😜 but it's a delicous, medicine fruit commonly consumed here in China. How common? This photo is from Walmart here in Beijing (!). The jujube fruit from the Zizyphus jujuba tree is used in traditional Chinese medicine .
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Bloodroot greets us in early spring are the white and yellow flowers of Sanguinaria canadensis. The red root of this perennial plant was used as a dye and paint by Native Peoples. When you dig up and break open the root it looks identical to blood seeping from the injured rhizome.
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Skunk Cabbage! Native to Eastern North America, one if the earliest plants of spring is skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus. Known for its fetid odor and large leaves, some individuals have made the mistake of eating it as a raw salad.
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In the early spring at my home garden one of the first flowers I see is that of Petasites japonicus, an edible non-native which produces gigantic umbrella like leaves. The medicinal species of butterbur is similar but has pink flowers which are in a more vertical cluster.
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Hibiscus 🌺🌺🌺 Jamaica, or Agua de Jamaica, is a popular, refreshing beverage in Mexico, one of the agua frescas enjoyed as an afternoon beverage. It is made with the flower (specifically calyx) of Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as Flor de Jamaica or Roselle.
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When black beans are served in Mexico they are frequently cooked with epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides), also known as wormseed or Mexican tea. The name epazote comes from the Nahuatl word epázotl, which is derived from the word for skunk, epatl, no doubt named for the herb’s pungent taste.
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Do you think of chamomile (Matricaria recutita) when you think of Mexican herbs? After all, it is native to Europe where it is also known as German chamomile (to distinguish from Roman chamomile) and has been used there since time immemorial. But it found its way to Mexican and Latin America with early explorers and settlers, and it took root in the culture.
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Do you remember the last time you ate annatto? Whether we know it or not, most of us have had annatto (Bixa orellano), or achiote as it is known in Spanish. The seeds of the plant are a common coloring agent in foods, giving a stronger yellow appearance to butter and a yellow-orange color to cheddar cheese.
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While any of the chilies can be used as herbal medicine, the one most frequently cited is cayenne (Capsicum annuum, although sometimes attributed to C. frutescens). Cayenne has been used historically as a respiratory decongestant, a circulatory stimulant, and a diaphoretic to encourage sweating to break a fever.
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From mildest to hottest (on a scale of 1 mildest to 10 hottest), here is a sampling of “chile” peppers from the species Capsicum annuum that are found in Mexico. When you wander the markets here you can spot the tables heaped with chiles from bright red to black, whole, powdered, or turned into various pastes.
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From mildest to hottest (on a scale of 1 mildest to 10 hottest), here is a sampling of “chile” peppers from the species Capsicum annuum that are found in Mexico. When you wander the markets here you can spot the tables heaped with chiles from bright red to black, whole, powdered, or turned into various pastes.