Agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
Aerial parts · cooling-bitter · astringent
A gentle bitter that also draws — belly, liver story, a loose bowel.
In the mouth
How it tastes
Mild apricot-bitter, astringent, tea-like.
Traditional use
Church-steeples, sticklewort. Folk cups used agrimony when digestion was weak and the tissue a little too relaxed. Bitter first, then a tightening.
In the cup
1 tsp dried, steeped 10 minutes. Mild enough to drink as a simple.
Blood
Bitter blood · bitter
Bitter is first hot, then cold. It speeds digestion, moves lymph and waste, wakes circulation, and calls bile from the gallbladder. As that hot, caustic bile travels, the body cools — which is why the old bitter cups were given for fever. Bitter is the strongest medicine in this tradition.
Read bitter bloodReached for
The promise
A careful hand
Ordinary tea for a healthy adult.
Gentle as bitters go. Stop if the bowel tightens too much.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
The lawn weed that taught kitchens what bitter is for.
Indigestion · Puffiness · Hollow energy
Warm, move, and stimulate
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
The evening apple-scent that settles both belly and mind.
Restless sleep · Frayed nerves · Bloating
Ground, build, and settle
Raspberry leaf
Rubus idaeus
A mineral, tightening leaf — sour air for a heavy cycle or a loose bowel.
Crampy cycle · Sore throat
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Traditional kitchen and folk use only. This is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are pregnant, nursing, on medicine, or unwell, ask a clinician before drinking anything as a remedy.