From the kitchen

Recipes from Europe

3 recipes · 3 traditions

Recipes from the traditions of Europe, grouped by tradition. Each recipe links to the herbs it uses.

Greco-Roman medicine Hildegard of Bingen Western herbal medicine

1. Greco-Roman medicine · 2. Monastic and folk knowledge · 3. Hildegard of Bingen · 4. Avicenna's Canon in European universities · 5. Anglo-Saxon medicine. Areas are approximate. Indigenous homelands were often larger and shrank under colonisation; the map shows where the knowledge described here comes from.

These are traditional dishes, not treatments. Also read the safety information for each herb, especially during pregnancy, when taking medication, or for children.

Greco-Roman medicine

1 recipe

EuropeOxymel with thymeHoney and vinegar, the classic 'sour-sweet' drink of Greek and Roman physicians.EverydayThymeA bottle of about 300 ml · 10 minutes, plus 2 weeks steeping

Hildegard of Bingen

1 recipe

EuropeSpelt biscuits with nutmeg ('Nervenkekse')The best-known recipe of modern Hildegard medicine: spelt biscuits with nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.Rest and sleepSpelt · Nutmeg · CinnamonAbout 50 small biscuits · 1 hour, plus 1 hour chilling

Western herbal medicine

1 recipe

Jim Champion from Southampton, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0EuropeElderflower cordialThe scent of June in a bottle: a syrup of elderflower and lemon.Hot daysElderberry · LemonAbout 1.5 litres of cordial · 30 minutes, plus 1–2 days steeping