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.
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Recipes for: Hot days
Asia · Chinese medical traditionsCooling sun teaHerbs that steep in the sun for a few hours: a refreshing drink for warm days.Hot daysBorage · Lemon balm · Bitter orange3 litres · 4–6 hours in the sun
Alpha from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0Asia · Chinese medical traditionsWatercress and spare rib soup with dried figsA cooling family soup with watercress, figs and apricot kernels.Hot daysCough and lungsWatercress · Apricot · Fig4 people · Preparation 10 min (plus 1 hour soaking), cooking 2 h 30 min
Noahalorwu · CC BY-SA 4.0Africa · Local African healing traditionsBissap, cold hibiscus drinkA deep red, tart drink of hibiscus calyces, found at every party and market in West Africa.Celebration and hospitalityHot daysRoselle (hibiscus) · Mint · GingerAbout 1.5 litres · 20 minutes, plus cooling
Miansari66 · CC0Asia · Unani medicineGulkand, rose petal preserveRose petals and sugar that ripen together in the sun into a fragrant, sweet paste.Hot daysRose and rose hipA jar of about 300 g · 30 minutes, plus 2–3 weeks ripening
Fhikri Latifi · CC BY 4.0Asia · Jamu in IndonesiaKunyit asamTurmeric and tamarind: the best-known jamu, sold door to door in Java every day.Menstruation and fertilityHot daysTurmeric · TamarindAbout 1 litre · 30 minutes
MRG90 · CC BY-SA 4.0Asia · Unani medicineSekanjabin, mint vinegar syrupAn Iranian summer drink: a syrup of honey or sugar and vinegar, with mint, topped up with ice-cold water.Hot daysMintSyrup for about 12 glasses · 30 minutes
Jim Champion from Southampton, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0Europe · Western herbal medicineElderflower 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
North America · Indigenous healing traditions of North AmericaSumac lemonadeA sour, pink drink cold-steeped from the red fruit clusters of sumac.Hot daysSmooth sumacAbout 1 litre · 15 minutes, plus 1–2 hours steeping
TitiNicola · CC BY-SA 4.0South America · The Guaraní and the mate traditionTereré, cold mate with yuyosParaguay's national drink: yerba mate with ice-cold water and fresh herbs.Hot daysCelebration and hospitalityYerba mate · Mint · Lemon verbenaFor a small group, passed around · 10 minutes