Achilles’ astringent herb — Native to the entire temperate north, humans employ yarrow to clot bleeding. The story goes that Achilles treated his severed tendon in part with a yarrow poultice, and Christendom incorporated this into the story of St. Joseph. Likewise, Navajo use it as a ‘life medicine’ to treat headaches, toothaches and…

About Figgin’ Thyme — Remember when we covered thyme in culture? Now, let’s compose a cocktail with it. We’ll pair it with some fruity fig, so be sure to pour out a bit. The Egyptians embalmed the dead with thyme, but we will imbibe ourselves while alive. Libation: Fig-Thyme Cocktail Ingredients: ½ c sugar, ½ c water…

From ancient Mesopotamia — Between the Tigris and Euphrates, in ancient Sumer/modern Iraq, were some of the first libations. We find evidence of early, advanced human civilization here. These farmers grew grains like barley and wheat. Sumerians of this time believed in an afterlife called Kur, which was a dark cavern deep underground. People…

A libation collection — Welcome to the new Herby Hour series! There are so many ways to honor the abundance of our gardens. Perhaps there’s some way I could offer a gift to my readers, a libation. People across faiths have long offered libations as sacraments, a spiritual rite. One pours a few drops…

Another Mesoamerican contribution — We return to early Mesoamerican societies again with paprika — a seasoning made from dried, sweet peppers. We reviewed chilis not once but twice, so why not write about them thrice? You might say paprika is akin to cayenne powder but without the intensity. Some wonder why paprika tastes like…