Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus
Leaf, preferably French tarragon · warming-aromatic · anise
Anise in a narrow leaf — the vinegar herb and a sharp kitchen green.
On the nose
How it smells
Distinct anise and licorice (estragole) with a green-herbal, slightly bitter or celery freshness. Sharp and aromatic.
More anise & seedIn the mouth
How it tastes
Anise-green, sharp, a vinegar herb that can stand a short steep.
Traditional use
A culinary Artemisia, milder than its bitter cousins. Folk and kitchen practice used it in vinegar, egg, chicken, and a light digestive after a rich plate. The nose is licorice and green.
In the cup
Fresh leaf torn into food at the end, or a sprig in vinegar. A few leaves steeped 4–5 minutes if you want the anise in a cup. Dried is a shadow of fresh.
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.
Kitchen leaf. Not the same plant as the bitter wormwoods. Culinary amounts.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Lemon
Citrus limon
The bright slice that finishes almost every stillroom cup.
Chill & congestion · Indigestion · Sore throat
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
The after-dinner seed that lets wind leave quietly.
Bloating · Indigestion · Nausea
Ground, build, and settle
Sweet cicely
Myrrhis odorata
Anise in a ferny leaf — the old sweetener of a sour pot.
Indigestion
Ground, build, and settle
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.