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Fennel tea for a bloated belly

Tea of crushed fennel seed, for a bloated feeling, wind and mild cramps.

Traditional use

Time
20 minutes
Makes
1 cup
Fennel

Fennel seed has been chewed after meals or drunk as a tea for centuries. The European Medicines Agency recognises fennel fruit as a traditional remedy for mild, spasmodic stomach complaints such as bloating and flatulence, and also for a cough with a cold.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 g fennel seed (a generous half teaspoon)
  • 250 ml boiling water

Step by step

  1. Crush the seed in a mortar just before use: that releases the flavour.
  2. Pour the boiling water over it, cover and steep for 15 minutes.
  3. Strain and drink warm, up to 3 cups a day.

Tips

  • Fennel and anise taste alike; together they are a classic combination in tummy teas.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    Europe · Herb · № 72

    Fennel

    Foeniculum vulgare

    The seed is traditionally used for wind, bloating and cramps. There are some small studies, but evidence is limited.

    Greco-Roman medicine+9Folklore

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.