CautionEurope · Herb · № 109
Catnip
Nepeta cataria
Traditionally used as a mild tea for colds, fevers, restlessness and colic. Nepetalactone from the plant is being researched as an insect repellent.
Western herbal medicine+2Folklore
Cold catnip tea for headache
Catnip steeped cold and drunk, or laid on the forehead: how the Haudenosaunee used it for headache and fever.
Traditional use
- Time
- 10 minutes, plus 4–8 hours steeping
- Makes
- 2 glasses
CatnipJames Herrick recorded in his Iroquois Medical Botany that the Haudenosaunee drank a cold infusion of catnip for headaches, and also applied it to the forehead for fevers and chills. Children were given an infusion when their stomach hurt during a cold.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried catnip or a handful fresh
- 500 ml cold water
Step by step
- Put the catnip in a jar with the cold water.
- Leave the jar in the fridge for 4–8 hours.
- Strain and drink a glass. Or soak a cloth in the infusion and lay it on your forehead.
Tips
- Steeped cold, catnip tastes milder than as a hot tea.
Registry
Herbs in this recipe
Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.
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Cultures and traditions
Where the herbs come from
The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.