Journal
The herb library
Monographs on the plants we sell — what they are, where they grow, how they taste — and the kitchen notes that make them worth keeping in the cupboard. Written from the packing bench, not from a content calendar.
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Stevia: The Sweetest Leaf in the Garden
It is thirty times sweeter than sugar, it comes from Paraguay, and it arrived in China only in…
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Dang Gui: A Root With a Very Strong Opinion
It smells like a cross between celery and old books, and it will take over any pot you…
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Chamomile: The One Herb Almost Everybody Already Agrees About
The best-selling herbal tea in the world, with an unusually solid evidence base for mild anxiety and sleep.…
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Building a Tea Blend: Ratios That Work
Blending is arithmetic, not intuition. A base, a modifier, an aromatic and a sweetener — in fixed proportions…
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Mint: The Herb That Does Not Need Explaining
Peppermint and spearmint are the two that matter, they are used in completely different ways, and the reason…
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Aged Tangerine Peel: Why Age Is the Whole Point
Chen pi is tangerine peel that has been dried, stored and re-dried for years. The gap between one…
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Dandelion: The Weed That Three Continents Take Seriously
Pu Gong Ying is the whole plant of the dandelion, and it is one of the most-used herbs…
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Herb Congee: The Least Demanding Breakfast
One part rice, twelve parts water, and whatever herbs suit the morning. Congee is the most forgiving thing…
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Chicory: The Root That Disguises Itself as Coffee
Roasted chicory root makes a genuinely good coffee substitute, and the same root has been used in Chinese…
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Astragalus: The Root That Tastes of Almost Nothing
Pale, woody, faintly sweet — astragalus is the least assertive root in the cabinet, which is exactly why…
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Jasmine: The Flower That Is Picked at Night and Used by Morning
Jasmine only gives up its scent after dark, which is why it is picked at dawn and why…
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Cold-Brewing Herbs Overnight
Cold water pulls different compounds than hot water — less bitterness, more of the delicate top notes, and…
One email a month, sent the day we pack.
What came in, what is running low, and one way to actually use it. No discount codes shouting at you.