Yellow dock
Rumex crispus
Root · cooling-bitter · draining
A taproot that goes to the clay — the bitter used for ‘thick blood’ and eruptive skin.
In the mouth
How it tastes
Bitter iron, earth, a tannin finish.
Traditional use
Yellow dock is a long taproot, the kind this tradition prefers. Folk practice used it when the blood was considered thick, the skin eruptive, and the bowel sluggish. Bitter for the liver story, a little laxative, a spring cleanse plant.
In the cup
Decoct a small piece of dried root 15 minutes. Often a supporting bitter in a formula, not a mug of its own.
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.
Contains oxalates and anthraquinones — it can loosen the bowel and is not for long daily use. Skip if you have kidney-stone history unless a clinician says otherwise.
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
Nettle
Urtica dioica
A green salt — the mineral broth of the hedgerow.
Stiff joints · Hollow energy · Irritable skin
Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid
Burdock
Arctium lappa
A long taproot that goes to the clay — food first, blood-cleaner second.
Irritable skin · Hollow energy · Puffiness
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.