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From The Earth To The Bar - Part 6
From The Earth To The Bar - Part 6
By Kyle Branche
www.KylesCocktailHotel.com
Source: Andrew Chevallier’s Encyclopedia of Medicinal
Plants
Part 6 – 8 Entries
Cinnamon – Eggplant – Gentian – Hyssop –
Licorice – Potato – Sweet Cherry - Turmeric
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum ( Lauraceae) – Dalcini (Hindi)
Native to India and Sri Lanka, it is also cultivated throughout the tropical
regions of the world, especially in the Philippines and West Indies.
Eggplant
Solanum melongena ( Solanaceae )
Native to India and Southeast Asia, it is now cultivated in many tropical areas.
The fruit is gatherd when ripe in summer or autumn.
Actions – Diuretic, emollient. The fruit lowers cholesterol levels in the blood,
and is a suitable part of a diet to help regulate high blood pressure.
It can also be used as an oil or ointment. The leaves (used externally only,
due to their toxicity) are a soothing poultice for burns, cold sores, and abcesses.
Gentian
Gentiana lutea ( Gentianaceae )
Native to the Alps and other mountainous regions of central and southern
Europe from Spain to the Balkans, flourishing at 2,300–8,000 ft.
The root is dug up and dried in early autumn.
An erect perennial growing to 4 ft, with star-shaped yellow flowers and oval leaves.
Actions – Bitter, digestive stimulant, eases stomach pain, tonic in old age.
Gentian stimulates the bitter taste receptors on the tongue, causing an increase
in the production of saliva and gastric secretions, which in turn stimulates the
appetite, improving the action of the digestive system, increasing the absorption
of nutrients across the gut wall, enabling it to cope effectively with a heavy meal.
Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis ( Labiatae )
Licorice
Glycyrrhiza glabra ( Leguminosae )
Taken medicinally for several thousand years, it is among the most used
herbs in European medicine. A powerful anti-inflammatory, it is effective in
conditions as various as arthritis and canker sores.
Potato
Solanum tuberosum ( Solanaceae )
All parts of the plant except the tuber (potato) are poisonous.
Even excessive doses of potato juice have a toxic effect.
Sweet Cherry
Prunus avium ( Rosaceae )
The stems contain phenols and tannins. The fruit contains vitamins
A, B, and C, and small amounts of salicylates and cyanogenic glycosides.
Turmeric
Curcuma longa ( Zingiberaceae ) – Haldi (Hindi), Jiang Huang (Chinese)
Native to India and southern Asia. Propogated by cuttings from the root, it needs
well-drained soil and a humid climate. The rhizome is unearthed in winter.
Indian food lovers are familiar with the spicy taste of turmeric, but its ancient
use as a medicinal for treatment digestive and liver problems has
confirmation by scientific research.
Definitions
Terpenes Molecules that form the base of most constituents of volatile oils