“Oh, hardy flower, disdained as weed,
Despised for head of feathery seed,
Your unsung virtues rate a ballad,
Choice roots for wine, crisp leaves for salad.”
Betty Gay

 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is one of the most controversial plants. Considered by some a pesky weed, it is the bane of those gardeners who enjoy spotless, green lawns and of those people who suffer from allergies. However, this “weed” introduced to North America by the European settlers for its medicinal powers is everything but a weed. Not only is the plant edible in its entirety, it is also used as a potent herb for a variety of purposes.
The name dandelion derived from the French dent de lion or Lion’s tooth as its jagged leaves resemble teeth. While universally hated by gardeners, it is a delight to children, who enjoy blowing the seeds into the air, innocently helping spread the seeds that will allow more plants to grow.
Interestingly, many traditions deeply rooted in the folklore involve the dandelion and its seeds. For instance, while some believe that the dandelion seeds will carry their thoughts away to a loved one, the Victorians used the dandelion as a symbol of love. Some refer to the dandelion as a “shepherd’s clock” or a “fairy clock” because the flowers open with the first light of day and close at dusk. Others insist that they can predict the weather using dandelion seeds as reference, since the seeds will extend in good weather and remain closed when it rains.
Legends aside, dandelions are versatile plants whose leaves and flowers can be used as food in salads, stir fries and soups. The flowers are used to make dandelion wine and the roots can be roasted and ground to be used as a substitute for coffee.
Dandelions also have many medicinal virtues. The leaves contain vitamins like A, C, and K and minerals, like calcium, potassium, iron, and manganese. In Chinese medicine dandelion was used to purify the blood and boost the immune system.

Drinking dandelion tea has many health advantages. It is frequently used as a diuretic, as it allows the liver to eliminate toxins more efficiently and it helps reduce uric acid, and stimulate urination so that it can be used to fight urinary tract infections. It is also helpful for people who suffer from diabetes because it can stimulate the production of insulin, keeping the blood sugar level low. It can be used to aid digestion and support the liver and to improve calcium deficiency and promote bone health naturally, as it is rich in calcium. Because it is rich in antioxidants, dandelion can also be used to prevent cancer.
A word of caution: Be careful when gathering dandelions. Always gather wild dandelions, as those that grow in gardens and other urban areas are polluted with pesticides.
Finally, for those who are not convinced of the healing power of the dandelion, here is another reason to let it grow in the garden. The dandelion plant is beneficial for gardening because its deep root system helps bring up nutrients for plants with shallow roots, it adds minerals and nitrogen to the soil, and it attracts very important pollinating insects.
Love your dandelions!

Health Benefits of a Social Herbal Tea

Called “The Drink of the Gods” by the Guarani and many other indigenous South American cultures and “The Green Gold of the Indios” by the Spaniards who settled there, yerba mate (ilex paraguariensis) is made from the dried leaves of a perennial small tree native to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The name derives from the Quechua words mati, which means gourd and yerba, meaning herb. Mate is an infusion traditionally made with yerba mate and warm water in an empty calabash gourd and drunk through a straining straw. It is a social drink usually shared with friends as well as a powerful herbal tea loaded with medicinal properties.

According to The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society in 1964 yerba mate contains “practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.” Rich in vitamins (A, C, E, and several B vitamins), minerals (Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Zinc) and powerful antioxidants, yerba mate is a stimulant, much like coffee. However, unlike coffee, it contains matein, a natural substance that stimulates the nervous system, increasing energy levels and concentration and fighting physical and mental fatigue, without coffee’s side effects.

Yerba mate is also used as a digestive tonic used to treat constipation, diarrhea, and indigestion. It is said to reduce appetite, so it is widely used by people who want to lose weight. It is proven to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides and lower blood pressure. It has even been shown to fight cancer and other inflammatory diseases by boosting the immune system.

A Social Herbal Tea Tradition from Argentina
Lo mismo que en el ranchito,
en la mansión del magnate,
es rey y señor el mate,
nuestro brebaje exquisito.
Decir más no necesito
en esta ponderación
pues quien le tiene afición
comprende que yo no miento
pues hasta el abatimiento
quita nuestro cimarrón
From El mate by Evaristo Barrios

Whether filthy rich
Or poor in the extreme
Our delicious mate
In every house reigns supreme.
Enough is said of this libation
For further consideration
I do not lie when I say
As those who drink it do know
Our bitter mate has the power
To chase the blues away.

There are many tea traditions around the world. Indians enjoy Chai, a blend of black tea leaves and spices, at home and in the streets. Moroccans are famous for their Tuareg Tea, a blend of green tea leaves with mint which requires three servings, while Russians make zavarka, a black tea made in a metal container called samovar, which they enjoy with pastries.
Different cultures have different tea rituals, the most famous of which are perhaps the traditional Chinese tea ceremony, the English afternoon tea ritual and the Japanese matcha ceremony. Less known is the Argentine mate tradition.
Mate is the infusion of an herb called Yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, which grows in South America. Originally cultivated by the Guarani people of Paraguay, it became a drink of choice in parts of Brasil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina, where it is considered a national drink.
According to a Guarani legend, the Goddesses of the Moon and the Cloud came to the Earth one day to visit. They encountered a yaguareté (jaguar) that was going to attack them but were saved by an old man. In compensation, the goddesses gave the old man a new kind of plant, from which he could prepare a “drink of friendship”.
This “drink of friendship” is traditionally prepared in a calabash gourd to which hot (never boiling) water is added and drunk through a straining straw called bombilla. Although mate can be enjoyed alone, its beauty lies in the social aspects of sharing the infusion with others.
The cebador/a prepares the infusion and has the first drink to test the temperature of the water and the smoothness of the drink. This first mate is also the most bitter because the infusion gets milder as more water is poured. The cebador/a then refills the gourd with water and passes it in a counter-clockwise direction to the first person, who drinks the contents of the gourd and returns it to the cebador/a for a refill. The mate is then passed to the next person, continuing in a circle. The participants of the circle keep receiving the gourd until the say gracias (Thank you). This ritual can continue for a few rounds or a few hours, in which case more water is warmed and the contents of the gourd are renewed.
In Argentina tomar mate (drink mate) is a tradition that started with the gauchos (cowboys) and is now part of everybody’s daily routine. It is synonymous with friendship; it is inclusive and it invites intimate conversation. It is served to guests on social occasions regardless of social status and age. Children sometimes enjoy mate cocido, which is brewed as tea or mate de leche (milk), which is infused with warm water in a gourd or as regular tea. Although traditionally mate is drunk without sugar, it can also be enjoyed with some sugar, honey, or better still, stevia leaves.

And for the milonga lovers, here is a treat from Carlos Mayel’s AL MATE…….enjoy

Stevia (Stevia rabaudiana) is an herb natural to Brazil and Paraguay, where the native Guarani people have used it for thousands of years to sweeten their mate, an infusion of yerba mate leaves and hot water served in a hollowed calabash gourd and drank through a straw. They also used it in medicine and as a sweet treat. Stevia can be found now around the world, although the best stevia is still found in South America.
Since stevia is many times sweeter than sugar and it does not raise blood sugar levels, modern science has adopted it as a favourite sweetener, which is used in many industries. Unfortunately, the synthetic powder that can be found in supermarkets and is used to sweeten soft drinks, is detrimental to human health. It is far from “natural” as it is highly processed and bleached and it contains other man-made chemicals.
On the other hand, nature, as always, has the perfect solution. In fact, you can raise stevia plants from seeds every summer in pots that can be kept inside over the winter, like I do. You can use the fresh leaves or you can buy the dried leaves, grind them yourself and add them to your favourite herbal tea blend or other beverages, so that you can enjoy a sweet drink without the bitter aftertaste of the chemical stuff, but be careful with the amounts you use because just a tiny bit can be extremely sweet!
At home, I make my own stevia water, which can also be used in any recipe, by simply mixing some stevia leaves with hot water (but not boiling hot). I let it cool to room temperature, strain it, and store it in the fridge.
Natural stevia lets you enjoy the sweetness of nature without the side effects of sugar and other chemical sweeteners.

The Gingko, that Eastern tree,
In my garden plot now grows.
In its leaf there seems to be
A secret that the wise man knows.
Is that leaf one and lonely?
In itself in two divided?
Is it two that have decided
To be seen as one leaf only?
To such questions I reply:
Do not my love songs say to you–
Should you ever wonder why I sing, that I am one yet two?
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (trans. Anthea Bell)

One of the oldest tree species in the world, ginkgo biloba, also known as maidenhair tree, is native to China, but nowadays it can be found all around the world. This deciduous conifer can live up to a millennium and reach heights of 40 meters. Its leaves are composed of two or more fan-shaped lobes, hence the Latin name biloba (“two lobes”).
The fruit of the ginkgo tree has been used, together with the leaves, in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat digestive ailments, circulatory problems, and memory loss, among others.
In Western medicine, ginkgo is mainly used as a concentrated extract made from the dried green leaves of the tree. The leaves contain flavonoids and terpenoids, which are antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body. Emerging modern day research shows that ginkgo is beneficial in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer disease. I is also used to improve concentration and blood circulation. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, research suggests that ginkgo may protect damaged nerve cells and have a positive effect on memory, and the Mayo Clinic states that ginkgo extract is beneficial in the treatment of symptoms related to insufficient blood flow to the brain, general anxiety disorder and schizophrenia. Although more scientific research is needed, gingko appears to be also beneficial in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments and diseases, such as asthma, ADHD, depression, autism, claudication, fibromyalgia, erectile dysfunction, glaucoma, and many more.
You can also enjoy ginkgo dry leaves in the form of herbal tea and consume about three cups a day (with or without a teaspoon of homemade stevia water to sweeten it), but in order to fully enjoy ginkgo’s benefits, you can take it as a tincture. At Herbalitea we offer both, the loose leaf tea and the tincture, as well as a variety of other medicinal teas.

Here is a recipe to make your own tincture:
Place 150 grams of dried ginkgo leaves in a glass jar and add 500 ml of vodka. Store it in a dark place for a month, shaking the jar daily. After a month, strain the leaves and store in a glass container. Take one teaspoon a day.

A word of advice: Although ginkgo is considered a safe herb, always consult with a medical practitioner or herbalist before taking it (or any herbal remedy), especially if you are taking other medication, such as blood-thinning drugs, have epilepsy, are scheduled to have surgery, or if you are pregnant.