Head, cramp, and sinus cup
1 teaspoon dried peppermint — or a sprig of fresh — to a cup of hot water. The same tea was used for muscle cramp and to open a tight sinus.
Air· sourGenerally safe
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita
Leaf · cooling · dispersing
The lift in the cupboard — head, belly, and a closed room.
On the nose
How it smells
Cool, fresh, mentholated, and penetrating, with herbal-green notes. Sharp and clean. The steam is half the plant.
More mint-coolIn the mouth
How it tastes
Cooling, refreshing, classic mint. Sharper and more mentholated than spearmint.
Traditional use
Peppermint is pungent more than sour, but in this kitchen map it does air’s work: it lifts, cools, and moves. Folk use trusted it for a gassy belly, a tight brow, and a feverish restlessness. The steam is half the medicine.
In the cup
A small handful fresh or 1 tsp dried, covered steep 5–7 minutes. Oversteeping turns harsh. Culinary: peas, lamb, chocolate, lemonade.
From the receipt book
Nervous headache
Peppermint with skullcap and sage.
Blood
Sour blood · sour
Sour is cooling and astringent. It draws and binds, thickens thin blood, starts saliva, and hydrates even as it tightens. Sour plants carry the antioxidants of fruit. They move mucous and support the lungs — large doses irritate. Lemon-family plants show up again and again in sinus cups.
Read sour bloodReached for
The promise
A careful hand
Ordinary tea for a healthy adult.
Extremely common and safe as tea. Can relax the upper gate of the stomach and worsen heartburn in some people. Ordinary tea amounts in pregnancy are generally fine. The concentrated oil is another story.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Earth· sweetGenerally safe
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
The after-dinner seed that lets wind leave quietly.
Bloating · Indigestion · Nausea
Ground, build, and settle
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
Water· saltGenerally safe
Nettle
Urtica dioica
A green salt — the mineral broth of the hedgerow.
Stiff joints · Hollow energy · Irritable skin
Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid
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.