From the kitchen
Recipes
Soups, teas and dishes in which herbs play the leading role, with ingredients, steps and points of attention. Each recipe links to the herbs it contains.
These are traditional dishes, not treatments. Also read the safety information for each herb, especially during pregnancy, when taking medication, or for children.
Browse by use
Recipes for: Everyday
Asia · Chinese medical traditionsFish soup with papaya and tofuSimple, protein-rich soup for young and old.EverydayPapaya · Soy · Ginger4 people · Preparation 15 min, cooking 30 min
Asia · Chinese medical traditionsVegetarian eight-treasure soupSweet herbal soup with chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, jujubes and white fungus; warm or cold.EverydaySnow fungus (bai mu er) · Ginkgo · Jujube (red date)6–8 people · Preparation 30 min, cooking 2 h 15 min
Africa · Ancient Egyptian medicineHelba, Egyptian fenugreek teaA warm, slightly bitter tea of fenugreek seed that you can still order in any Egyptian tea house.EverydayFenugreek2 cups · 15 minutes
Africa · Local African healing traditionsKinkeliba teaThe morning tea of Senegal and its neighbours, made from the leaves of a Sahel shrub.EverydayKinkeliba4 cups · 15 minutes
StockyPics · CC0Africa · Khoi and San knowledge of rooibosBoiled rooibosRooibos as it is made in the Cederberg: not briefly steeped, but kept on the stove.EverydayRooibos4 cups · 20 minutes
Europe · Greco-Roman medicineOxymel 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
Central America and the Caribbean · Cacao in MesoamericaCacao drink with chilli and vanillaChocolate as the Maya and Aztecs drank it: bitter, spicy and with a frothy head.EverydayCacao · Vanilla · Cayenne pepper2 small cups · 10 minutes
South America · Mapuche medicineMaqui drinkA deep purple drink of the summer berries of maqui, the tree the Mapuche call klon.EverydayMaquiAbout 1 litre · 15 minutes
MINISTERIO DE LA PRODUCCIÓN - PRODUCE · public domainSouth America · Curanderismo of northern PeruEmolienteThe warm herbal drink poured from a cart on every street corner in Peru.EverydayBarley · Flax · Giant horsetailAbout 1.5 litres · 45 minutes
North America · Haudenosaunee medicineOswego teaA fragrant tea of bergamot leaf, named after the area around Oswego in New York.EverydayBee balm2 cups · 10 minutes
North America · Haudenosaunee medicineSpicebush teaA spicy tea of spicebush twigs.EverydayColdsSpicebush2 cups · 20 minutes
Lorie Shaull from St Paul, United States · CC BY 2.0North America · Anishinaabe medicineManoomin with blueberries and maple syrupWild rice from the lakes, with berries and a little maple sugar.EverydayWild rice · Maple4 people · 50 minutes
North America · Hupa medicineHupa acorn soupPorridge of leached acorn meal, the old staple of Hoopa Valley.EverydayTanoak4 bowls · 15 minutes, plus a few days of leaching