List of Bitter Herbs

Though they are known for their fresh, sweet fragrances, chamomile, mint, and dandelion each have a place on a list of bitter herbs. Indeed, a "bitter herb" is essentially any herb that possesses a bitter taste. Historically, the group has been used for ceremony, healing, and cooking.

Mint: Permanent on the list of bitter herbs.

The simple definition of a bitter herb is any herb with a bitter taste. Ranging from mild to strong, these herbs can be as light as chamomile or as biting as rue. United by bitterness, many of the herbs date back centuries. Peppermint, for example, has been called "the world's oldest medicine."

For thousands of years, bitter herbs have been used in alternative healing. Known as "bitters," these herbs can affect physiological reactions within the body, working as an astringent, a tonic, a relaxer, a stomachic, and an internal cleanser. In particular, bitter herbs have been used to improve digestion and counter inflammation.

For medicinal use, bitters are known to:

• Stimulate the appetite
• Aid in digestion
• Tone the liver (especially for detoxification)
• Relax muscle spasms
• Dispel gas in the intestines
• Break down fatty foods

As noted above, some bitter herbs may surprise you. Yet, their classification is based on taste and as with the other primary tastes -- salty, sour, and sweet -- there are degrees of bitterness. As an introduction, here are 10 to ponder:

1. Angelica: Angelica archangelica. Dating back centuries, it’s been used to remedy colds and ailments such as rheumatism. Its properties make it a stimulant, stomachic, and tonic. For liquors, it’s been used to flavor gin.
2. Chamomile: Matricaria chamomilla. A mild bitter herb used as a sedative and antispasmodic. Its curative properties include relief of both fever and restlessness.
3. Dandelion: Taraxacum. A mild bitter herb used as a blood cleanser and diuretic. Also said to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Still used in traditional cooking in the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.
4. Goldenseal: Hydrastis Canadensis. A strong bitter herb used to stimulate appetite and eliminate infections. In Collections for an Essay Toward a Materia Medica of the United States (1804), Professor Benjamin Smith Barton declared goldenseal a tonic, observing, "The root of the plant is a very powerful bitter."
5. Horehound: Marrubium vulgare. Dating back to Ancient Egypt, horehound is believed to be one of the original bitter herbs of the Bible. It has been used for colds and respiratory ailments (such as in cough syrup and throat lozenges).
6. Milk Thistle: Silybum marianum. Also known as "sow-thistle," this herb was likely one of the original bitter herbs. In healing, it's known as a powerful liver detoxifier, as well as an antidote for Amanita-mushroom poisoning.
7. Peppermint: Mentha piperita. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote of peppermint, "The very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes the spirit." The ancient herb is used as a flavor, a fragrance, and medicine. Peppermint oil is used to allay nausea and stomach aches.
8. Rue: Ruta. A strong bitter herb used as an antispasmodic, a sedative, and a mild stomachic. Mentioned in the Bible as "peganon" and in William Shakespeare's Richard III -- "Here is this place/I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace."
9. Wormwood: Artemisia absinthium. A perennial plant used as an antiseptic, tonic, diuretic, and stomachic. The herb's strong bitter taste is still used in wines and spirits, such as vermouth.
10. Yarrow: Achilles millefolium. A flowering plant that produces a mild bitter herb used as an astringent and cold remedy. The entire herb can be used.

For the Bible, a list of bitter herbs will be quite different from the above -- focusing instead on the original bitter herbs likely used by the Hebrews during Passover. Among them, you have:

• Chicory
• Coriander
• Dandelion
• Endive
• Horehound
• Mint
• Sorrel
• Sow-thistle
• Wild lettuce
• Wormwood

For the Passover Seder ceremony, bitter herbs are used to symbolize the embittered slavery experienced by Jews in Ancient Egypt. The herbs ensure that this history is never forgotten; that it is taught each and every Passover. The bitter herbs commonly used today are horseradish and (Romaine) lettuce.

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