I want to update this blog fairly regularly (a good goal is “almost every day”), which means a quick post is better than no post. Today I drank chamomile.

Taxonomy

There are actually two species, in different genera, commonly used as “chamomile”. The more common is “German” or “wild” chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, while “Roman” or “English” chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile, is also used. The dried tea had some whole flower heads still in it, and when I split one open it seemed like the receptacle was hollow rather than solid, so I’m pretty sure (though not 100% certain) that this is M. chamomilla.

Both forms are in the large family Asteraceae, which contains many edible crops including lettuce, sunflower, and artichoke. Within Asteraceae, they’re both in the subfamily Anthemideae, which also contains chrysanthemum and wormwood.

Source

Sara had a bag of dried chamomile purchased quite a while ago. The bag says “In Harmony Herbs & Spices”. Since it was a sealed ziploc, there was still a strong apple-like smell of chamomile when I opened it.

Method of Preparation

Sara is feeling like she has a cold so I just steeped some in boiling hot water for a few minutes. Maybe there’s some drug in it that actually helps, maybe not, but either way it’s a pleasant tasting hot drink.

Review

Chamomile has a slight bitterness (not as bitter as coffee or tea in my opinion), and a delicious apple-like scent. It’s not juicy or acidic like apples, but it reminds you of how apple skin smells, or dried apple bits. Overall it makes a fine tisane.