Winter Herb Series 2023-2024
Warming Winter Herbs
As we are in the deep throws of Winter we already know this season invites us to seek out warmth, with our environment as well as our foods and remedies. I would like to invite you to embrace the dark, cold season and its offerings. This will help us learn to appreciate every season and learn to utilize what they offer us.
During the Winter staying warm and toasty is one of our top priorities. We’re already pros at layering our clothes, cuddling under the trusty heating blankie, and pampering ourselves with luxurious and moisturizing hot baths. But have you ever thought about the food and spices we turn to this time of year? Those that help kindle our inner flame, like literally warming us up. Herbs and spices that have a warming effect work by dilating your blood vessels, stimulating blood flow, and dispersing that warmth by healthy circulation.
If you are a baker or a fan of winter at all you may have already heard of most of the herbs and spices we will be discussing! Some will bring you nostalgic memories of your childhood family kitchens and I hope the others will pleasantly surprise you in their medicinal uses. Let us dive right in.
Warming Herbs for Winter
Highlighted herbs are featured in recipes for our Winter Herb Series. Linked herbs are herbs we carry in shop or through our affiliate program with Mountain Rose Herbs. Some herbs will be highlighted & linked
Angelica archangelica, apiaceae
Parts Used: Roots and Seeds
Energetically, angelica root is warming and stimulating for digestion. The bitter compounds found in the root help to get digestive enzymes and secretions going, while the slight spiciness boosts circulation to the stomach.
Angelica is indicated for both a lack of appetite (that may or may not go along with undernourishment) as well as signs of stagnant digestion: gas, dyspepsia, bloating, "sour stomach", heartburn, etc.
In fact, Angelica Root is a frequent addition to herbal bitter formulas because of its bitterness. Whether taken as bitters or tea, angelica is usually most effective for digestion or appetite when taken before a meal.
Piper nigrum, Piperaceae
Parts Used: Berries
Black pepper provides warmth without being quite as spicy as hot peppers like cayenne. (In case you're wondering, black pepper comes from peppercorns and is not actually a chili pepper.)
It's rich in antioxidants, supports digestion, and even helps other nutrients- like the curcumin in turmeric- be absorbed more effectively. Black pepper can also boost your mood.
Grind black pepper fresh from peppercorns for the most benefit. You can also try diffusing black pepper essential oil in a mood-lifting blend.
Calamus
Acorus calamus, Acoraceae
Parts Used: Rhizomes
Calamus is close to Angelica in flavor, and a little bit like Elecampane too, though they are each distinct in action.
Calamus has been used to treat a variety of medical ailments due to the vast range of bioactive chemicals it contains. The promotion of gastrointestinal health is one of the applications of calamus that has the most research behind it. The plant’s bitter constituents increase the formation of bile and digestive enzymes, which helps with digestion and relieves dyspepsia.
Cardamom
Elettaria cardamomum, Zingiberaceae
Parts Used: Seeds
Cardamom isn't as popular as cinnamon and cloves, but it shares some similar properties and has been used since ancient times. Cardamom is actually closely related to ginger and turmeric, so you can see where its warming power comes from.
This warming spices aids digestion, relieves stress, and even helps to freshen your breath. The freshest version to use is cardamom pods, which can be crushed and added to recipes.
Steep cardamom pods alone or with cinnamon and/or cloves for a warming, mood-lifting drink. Or use the powder in baked goods.
Capsicum annuum, Solanaceae
Parts Used: Fruit
There's absolutely no doubt that cayenne is a warming herb. Taken internally, it stimulates digestion, promotes circulation, and may even protect the heart.
You can also use cayenne topically in a salve, cream, etc. It has natural pain-relieving properties and also stimulates circulation when massaged in, making it helpful for stiff or "cold" muscles and joints.
Add a little cayenne powder to food or try it in a fire cider recipe. You can also use a muscle rub containing cayenne. Just don't overdo it with this very hot spice!
Syzygium aromaticum, Myrtaceae
Parts Used: Dried Flower
Cloves are a familiar holiday spice that have a warm and inviting aroma. They are a classic pairing with cinnamon and also have aromatherapy benefits.
It may surprise you to learn that cloves are at the top of the spice list for antioxidant content with over 60 times the amount found in blueberries! They also have antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties and aid digestion.
Add one or two cloves in with your favorite tea to steep, or diffuse clove essential oil for a comforting, warming scent.
Cinnamomum verum, Lauraceae
Parts Used: Bark
Cinnamon may just be the most-loved spice of fall and the holiday season. You recognize its warming quality immediately when you taste it, and it can be used to flavor all kinds of foods and drinks.
Cinnamon improves circulation, stimulates a sluggish digestion, and gives a boost to your immune system. It also supports heart health and contains plenty of antioxidants that help you keep feeling younger for longer.
Sprinkle cinnamon powder on your food to add a little spice or steep some cinnamon chips in hot water to make a warm and cozy tea.
Elecampane
Inula helenium, Asteraceae
Parts Used: Roots
Elecampane is a pungent plant with a hot, spicy, and aromatic taste. The roots are rich in volatile essential oils and give Elecampane its distinct flavor. This herb also has some bitterness and acridity present.
However, its pungency tends to override the other flavors because of its potency. While the bitter taste indicates a draining and drying effect, the acridity reveals antispasmodic and relaxant properties- all of which are exemplified in this herb’s herbal actions and organ affinities.
Garlic
Allium sativum, Amaryllidaceae
Parts Used: Cloves
Garlic contains many vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are essential to the human diet. This includes nutrients such as fiber, manganese, selenium, vitamin C, several types of vitamin B, and other antioxidants. It also contains iron, calcium, potassium, and copper.
These nutrients are fundamental to human health, as they give us energy and allow the body to perform all of its essential functions. It is warming and stimulating to the body and has been popular as a food and medicine for millennia.
Other compounds garlic contains, such as alliin, may have further beneficial effects. Alliin turns into allicin when garlic is crushed or chopped.
Zingiber officinale, Zingiberaceae
Parts Used: Rhizomes
There's no doubt that ginger root is a warming herb with the spicy kick it has. It's closely related to turmeric and shares some similar benefits, although it has much more heat to it.
Well-known for calming nausea and indigestion, ginger can also help ease cramps associated with PMS and boost immune function. It promotes circulation as well- something you'll notice right away if you eat too much of it.
For a sweet treat to warm you and fight indigestion, try crystallized ginger. Or use ginger root to make tea (add lemon, honey, and cinnamon if desired).
Artemisia vulgaris, Asteraceae
Parts Used: Leaves and Flowers
Sharply flavored, Mugwort’s leaves are aromatically bitter and are commonly combined with other bitter herbs and botanicals to make an herbal digestif. It is a wonderful mineral-rich addition to herbal vinegars and seasoning blends. Due to its spicy bitter flavor, it is best used in smaller quantities.
Mugwort is often used in moxibustion, a healing practice in which dried, compressed Mugwort is burned and held indirectly over acupuncture points. In this way, the plant’s warmth and smoke are used to stimulate the flow of qi, dispel cold, and help heal stagnant pain.
Mugwort can be used as a tea, tincture, flower essence, or herbal smoke to invoke dreaming as well.
Nutmeg
Myristica spp., Myristicaceae
Parts Used: Seeds
Nutmeg is frequently used alongside other warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. It supports digestion and can help relieve gas, all while giving a sweet, spicy flavor to food.
Like other spices, nutmeg is high in antioxidants. It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and has traditionally been considered an aphrodisiac.
Nutmeg is a bit strong on its own but enjoyable in a blend.
Salvia rosmarinus, Lamiaceae
Parts Used: Leaves
Modern-day herbalists use rosemary for mental clarity, cloudy thinking, brain fog, and what David Winston calls “stagnant depression”.
It can have an affinity to places where the mind, emotions, and areas are stagnant of the body. Rosemary supports the cardiovascular system even down to the small capillaries in the brain, extremities and eyes.
Rosemary’s volatile oils, makes this herb a great carminative and bitter, which can help ease pains from gas or bloating, especially when psychological tension is happening. The bitter taste that is present in rosemary can help stimulate the liver, gallbladder, bile production and digestive juices. This is one of the reasons why it is so commonly paired with fatty meals as a spice. Externally, this plant can be used to help dilate the capillaries to stimulate blood flow to an area that has been hit with trauma like a twisted ankle, or pain caused by tension. And for those people who want an herb for hair, this plant stimulates hair follicles and circulation in the scalp.
Thymus vulagris, Lamiaceae
Parts Used: Leaves
Thyme is often thought of as a common culinary herb, but it's a treasured part of many herbalists' inventories. Not only does it have a warming nature, it also proves useful for many common complaints that come up in the colder months.
Thyme has long been used to ease coughing and a sore throat, relieve congestion, and support the respiratory system. It also supports immunity and even has mood-boosting effects.
Try a tea made with dried thyme and honey for a scratchy throat, or diffuse a little thyme essential oil and breathe deeply.
Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae
Parts Used: Leaves and Flowers
Warming and cooling with a sweet, pungent taste. Because of this, tulsi is indicated for cold, congested, or “stuck” conditions. As an herbal nervine, it is initially stimulating but follows with a strong sense of calm and feeling grounded.
Tulsi stimulates the immune system, reduces mucous in the lungs and nasal passages, warms the body, induces sweating, and has the added benefit of antimicrobial properties, making it a very effective ally in times of cool, damp sickness.
Its most popular use is to make a nice blended tisane
Curcuma longa, Zingiberaceae
Parts Used: Rhizomes
Turmeric is another popular warming spice. You can tell it has warmth from its bright orange color. It has quickly picked up new fans as word of its anti-inflammatory effects got out.
Besides reducing chronic inflammation, turmeric is also immune-enhancing and may help relieve certain types of pain. It also promotes liver, digestive, and skin health and is good for your heart as well.
Use turmeric powder when you cook to warm up recipes, or enjoy it sweet in Golden Milk or Turmeric Spice Tea.