Closet orange
Stud an orange, lemon, or lime with cloves. Hang in a closet to discourage moths.
Fire· bitterCaution
Clove
Syzygium aromaticum
Dried flower bud · hot · numbing
A bud used for a toothache and a winter pot alike.
In the mouth
How it tastes
Hot, sweet-numbing, dental and festive. One bud flavors a cup.
Traditional use
The classic folk first-aid for a complaining tooth — a whole clove held at the gum. In the cup, two or three buds perfume a chai and were thought to warm a cold middle and sweeten stale breath. Also an old gargle with cinnamon.
In the cup
Two or three whole cloves in a pot of chai or mulled cider. Do not brew a strong clove-only tea — it is fierce. Culinary: ham glaze, stewed fruit, rice.
From the receipt book
Sore-throat gargle
Equal clove and cinnamon simmered 5 minutes in water. Cool enough to gargle.
Low spirits
A clove in a cup of chamomile — the notes call it a depression tea.
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
Some people, or a long pot, need extra care.
Clove oil is not kitchen clove. The essential oil can burn tissue. Whole buds only, and few of them. Eugenol slows clotting.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Fire· bitterGenerally safe
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum
Bark that smells like a warmed cupboard and acts like a slow fire.
Indigestion · Chill & congestion · Cold hands & sluggish blood
Warm, move, and stimulate
Air· sourGenerally safe
Lemon
Citrus limon
The bright slice that finishes almost every stillroom cup.
Chill & congestion · Indigestion · Sore throat
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Fire· bitterGenerally safe
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
The stillroom’s first answer to a cold belly or a coming chill.
Nausea · Indigestion · Chill & congestion
Warm, move, and stimulate
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.