Ground ivy
Glechoma hederacea
Aerial parts · cooling-bitter · aromatic
Alehoof — a mint-bitter of the lawn, used in a moderate pot.
In the mouth
How it tastes
Mildly bitter, aromatic, minty, green, slightly astringent.
Traditional use
The creeping mint of paths and ale. Folk cups used it as a bitter aromatic when the chest or the head felt thick.
In the cup
1 tsp dried, steeped 7–8 minutes. A modest pot.
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
Old use exists. Modern safety is thin.
Old alehoof. Thin modern toxicology. Moderate traditional amounts. Skip in pregnancy for want of data.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
The chest herb that already lives in the spice jar.
Cough · Chill & congestion · Sore throat
Warm, move, and stimulate
Horehound
Marrubium vulgare
The old cough bitter — tastes like a dare, then the chest moves.
Cough · Chill & congestion · Sore throat
Warm, move, and stimulate
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita
The lift in the cupboard — head, belly, and a closed room.
Bloating · Indigestion · Headache
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.