Fire Cider

When my interest for herbs and their medicinal uses grew I discovered more and more traditional tonics and tinctures, this led me to a remedy called fire cider, generally taken in the winter to keep the immune system up and running, and to ease sinus congestion.

There are many different variations of fire cider but the main ingredients include garlic, ginger, horseradish, onion and chilli all soaked in apple cider vinegar, some people like to add spices like cinnamon or star anise to sweeten it up and honey can be used for that too. I loved the sound of all these spices and herbs muddled together to make a warming brew but not with garlic, onion or horseradish! With its famed health benefits I decided to add turmeric along with yarrow which is traditionally used for reducing a fever, and so created my little variation of fire cider!

Traditional medicine

Part of the daisy family yarrow has many amazing properties, it’s genus name, Achillea, comes from the Greek hero, Achilles, who supposedly carried the herb to treat the battle wounds of his army, the herb is a styptic which is a substance that stems or stops bleeding when applied to a wound, while also being antiseptic so treating infections as well. I use it in this particular blend complementing other ingredients as traditionally it’s used to aid in reducing a fever and is anti-inflammatory.

Turmeric has been widely quoted as a ‘superfood’ and is well known across the world. It dates back nearly 4,000 years to the Vedic culture in India, while used in medieval Europe turmeric was called ‘Indian saffron’. Traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine for disorders of the skin, remedies for arthritis and digestive discomforts, mainly due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, these stem from a compound found in the rhizome called curcumin which is also what gives it its beautiful golden yellow colour.

For some, chilli is a staple in any dish! Well known for adding a fiery kick, but as well as being commonly used in the culinary world chilli also has many medicinal benefits. Chilli contains a compound called capsaicin which has analgesic properties; this compound is used as a mild anaesthetic in topical products for joint and muscular pain. Also containing antimicrobial & antifungal properties, its particularly good if you have poor circulation as it stimulates blood flow, although not appealing to some, chilli tea, is a great support in the early stages of a cold as it can aid in clearing mucus, nasal and lung congestion.

Part of the Zingiberaceae family, which also includes turmeric, cardamom and galangal, ginger is one of my favourite roots! Almost all of my blends have it in, not only because I love it but also because of its many medicinal benefits. The most commonly known is the effectiveness it has on the digestive system, used as a remedy for relieving nausea from motion sickness to morning sickness. Anyone that’s eaten ginger in a dish, pickled, sugared or raw! Will know it’s very warming, so it’s great for stimulating blood flow and promoting perspiration to aid in breaking fevers. Ginger has many bioactive compounds that have all been well researched, one of them being ‘gingerol’ which is responsible for the heat and flavour of ginger and also for much of its medicinal properties.

Folklore

Witches often drank yarrow tea to heighten their psychic abilities, and to hold the plant near the eyes was believed to give the beholder the gift of second sight. Known as being used by witches it was also used for protection against witches, it could be seen hung in bunches above doorways to protect against evil and prevent a witch entering the house.

Turmeric is commonly used in parts of south East Asia, not only as a spice but also in religious ceremonies because of its vibrant yellow colour. In parts of southern India for protection from evil spirits a piece of the rhizome is worn as a necklace.

The ancient Incas believed that chilli plants held spiritual powers and were held in high regard, withholding them from their diet when fasting to please the gods, they were also used as offerings to the gods in religious ceremonies. The spiritual power of chilli has been carried down the ages and is still being used to this day, by shamans in the Andes for divination rituals and to expel possession!

As well as being used and known through the ages as a medical plant, gingers most documented uses are that of love and arousal, for instance, Madame du Barry was recorded to have served ginger to most of her regular lovers, including Louis XV, supposedly turning them into malleable and obedient sexual partners. Also mentioned in the Kama sutra suggesting that ginger is effective at arousing sexual energies. A common ingredient in charm spells, to attract love, it was believed that eating ginger before casting magic would help increase the castors energy and therefore increase the spell.