Was Horehound One of the Bitter Herbs for the Pesach Seder?

Herbal Remedies from the Judean Hills
מַרִבִּיוֹן – White Horehound – Marrubium Vulgare
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Was Horehound One of the Bitter Herbs for the Pesach Seder?

At the edge of my garden, under the grapevine, grows a little white horehound with its small pale flowers and grey-green leaves covered with white, felted hairs, which give it a woolly appearance. I don’t need much of this herb, as it’s the most bitter plant I’ve ever tasted. Most herbalists believe that its Latin name Marrubium derives from the Hebrew מַרוֹבּ/Marrob, which means (bitter juice). Its major active constituent, marrubiin, is an expectorant that gives horehound its bitter taste, stimulating the flow of saliva and gastric juices and improving digestion. Herbalists believe that this plant was one of the five bitter herbs traditionally eaten during the Pesach Seder. In the commentary of Mishna Pesachim 2:6, Rabbi Natan adds in his explanation of the third bitter herb בַתַּמְכָא /Tamcha  listed in the Mishna “and some say marubio” which is marrubium vulgare which is horehound. Tamcha was also defined as marubio by many of the Rishonim or early authorities such as rashi: תמכתא - מרוביי"א. It is difficult to imagine how the inedible leaves of horehound could ever be ingested raw like lettuce. I tend to trust Jo Ann Gardner’s assessment that horehound is not among the original bitter herbs for Pesach (Bitter Herbs: A New Look at the Plants of the Bible,” The Herb Companion, April/May 1990). Its name may suggest a breed of gray dog, but that’s misleading. ‘Hore-’ means hoary (gray or white in Old English), but ‘-hound’ is not canine. Ancient herbalists used it as an antidote for the bite of a mad dog, “for sheep or shepherd bitten by a wood-dog’s venom’d tooth.” (Beaumont and Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdess). Rambam calls it העשב לכלבים/Ha’esev L’kelavim – ‘The Weed for the Hounds,’ because dogs like to pee on it. He classifies it as a warming and drying herb used to clear the lungs. Horehound is an important herb in Israeli and Arabic folk medicine. Due to its vulnerary properties, it is a remedy for open, inflamed soars. It also treats eye infections, intestinal worms, anemia and heart conditions.

Superior Cough & Cold Remedy

Horehound is cultivated in the corners of cottage gardens for making tea and candy to treat respiratory ailments, coughs and colds. Due to its expectorant, and anti-spasmodic properties, white horehound has been used since ancient times as a remedy for upper respiratory ailments including whooping cough, asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, and swollen breathing passages. It is excellent for treating a non-productive cough, as it combines the action of relaxing the smooth muscles of the bronchus while expelling mucus. “Syrup made of the fresh green leaves and sugar is a most singular remedy against the cough and wheezing of the lungs … and doth wonderfully and above credit ease such as have been long sick of any consumption of the lung” (Gerard c. 1545–1612). Culpepper also recommends it warmly in syrup “as an excellent help to evacuate tough phlegm and cold rheum from the lungs of aged persons, especially those who are asthmatic and short winded.” Horehound syrup has been popular for treating children’s coughs and croup for centuries. For an ordinary cold, a simple infusion is generally sufficient in itself. You can make tea from it by pouring boiling water on the fresh or dried leaves. Two or three teaspoonfuls of expressed horehound juice may also be given for severe colds. Horehound preparations are considered one of the most popular expectorants and tonics for chronic cough and asthma. The leaves are used in liqueurs, and ales, and are made into expectorant and antiseptic cough drops. They are also brewed and made into Horehound Ale, an appetizing and healthful beverage, much drunk in Norfolk and other country districts. Horehound is sometimes combined with Mullein, Hyssop, Rue, Liquorice root and Marshmallow root.

Additional Medicinal Properties of Horehound

Digestion: Horehound affects not only the meridian of the lung but also of the liver and spleen. Therefore, it treats digestive problems, including indigestion, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite as well as hepatitis and other liver and gallbladder ailments. The bitter action stimulates the flow and secretion of bile from the gall-bladder, aiding digestion and acting as a liver tonic and laxative.

Female Remedy: As an emmenagogue, women use white horehound for painful menstrual periods. The father of medicine, the Greek physician, Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC) mentioned it in a work on infertility in women. In the sixteenth century, Pietro Mattioli prescribed a horehound salve to increase nursing mothers’ milk. The Navajo tribe give mothers horehound root before and after childbirth.

Vermifuge: Horehound destroys intestinal worms. Its tea was used internally and externally for parasitic worms. The powdered leaves have also been employed as a vermifuge.  According to Columella, horehound is a serviceable remedy against cankerworm in trees. If it be put into fresh milk and set in a place pestered with flies, it will speedily kill them all.

Poison Antidote: Taken in large doses, horehound acts as a gentle purgative. Gerard recommends it to ‘those that have drunk poyson or have been bitten of serpents.’

Spiritual Properties of Horehound

Horehound increases concentration and focus while heightening intuition. Drinking its infusion (tea) clears the mind and strengthens mental powers. It helps to integrate the mind and body into the realm of the spiritual while keeping distraction at bay. As an oil, horehound is used in spiritual healing to restore lost energy. Horehound is also known for providing spiritual protection. It may keep off wild animals and packs of dogs. Although it has a curious, musky smell, which is diminished by drying, horehound can be made into a tea, which is added to floor wash to protect the home. It is supposed to be an excellent herb to use in blessing the home. Horehound flavored candy has been used to give blessings upon first-time guests.

Hands On:

Horehound lozenges are popular to treat coughs and colds. The best way to make candied horehound is to boil down the fresh leaves of the plant until the juice is extracted. Then add sugar before boiling it again, until it becomes a thick consistency. Pour into a baking pan.

Horehound Candy

½ cup fresh or ¼ cup dried horehound

3 cups boiling water

4 ½ cups brown sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

1. Boil the horehound leaves in the water for a half hour.

2. Strain and add the brown sugar.

3. Place into a cast iron pan or granite kettle with the remaining ingredients.

4. Boil until, when dripped into cold water, mixture will become brittle.

5. Pour onto a well-greased cookie sheet. When the candy is cool enough to hold its shape, mark it into squares. Alternatively, pour into a silicon baking-dish that has small candy-sized shapes.

עולש – Chicory – Cichorium Intybus

Herbal Remedies from the Judean Hills
עולש – Chicory – Cichorium Intybus
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Is Romaine Lettuce Really the Best Choice of Bitter Herb for the Seder?

I prefer doing my ‘spring-cleaning’ before Chanukah, and only remove the Halachic required chametz before Pesach so I can enjoy the awakening of nature at this most beautiful time of the year. While everyone is at the peak of spring-cleaning, I’m researching bitter herbs for the Pesach Seder. The Torah directs us to eat the Pesach sacrifice with matzah and bitter herbs – (מְרֹרִים/merorim):

ספר שמות פרק יב פסוק ח וְאָכְלוּ אֶת־הַבָּשָׂר בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה צְלִי־אֵשׁ וּמַצּוֹת עַל־מְרֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ: אַל־תֹּאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל בַּמָּיִם כִּי אִם־צְלִי־אֵשׁ רֹאשׁוֹ עַל־כְּרָעָיו וְעַל־קִרְבּוֹ:

“They shall eat the meat that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs…” (Shemot 12:8).

Even when we are unable to partake in the Pascal lamb, we are still obligated to eat matzah and bitter herbs during the Seder. There is no lack of bitter herbs cultivated or growing wild in Israel at this time of year. Many different greens more bitter than lettuce grow in my garden, including swiss chard, horehound and chicory. I usually bring a selection to the Seder table in addition to the traditional lettuce and horseradish. I was never fully satisfied with using lettuce and horseradish to fulfill the requirement of eating bitter herbs on Pesach. If the purpose of eating bitter herbs is to re-experience the bitter Egyptian exile, why not eat any of the various herbs, which are much bitterer than lettuce? The Mishna deals with the question of what qualifies as maror and lists the following five vegetables that may be used as maror during the Seder in order of preference: חֲזֶרֶת /chazeret, עֻלְשִׁין/ulshin, בַתַּמְכָא/tamcha, בַחַרְחֲבִינָא/charchavina and מָּרוֹר/maror (Pesachim 2:6). Because the Mishnah does not provide the identities of the vegetables, the Gemara provides further detail. Although in Modern Hebrew, the first on the list, חֲזֶרֶת/chazeret means horseradish, according to the Talmud and commentaries including Rashi it refers to חסא/chassa – lettuce. “What does chassa [symbolize]? That the Merciful One had pity upon us…” (Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 39a). חסא/chassa has popularly been identified with  romaine lettuce, however, it is not for sure that this was the kind referred to in the Talmud. Wild or prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) is a bitter vegetable that best fits all descriptions of chazeret in the Talmud. It neither looks nor tastes like the lettuce sold in the supermarkets today but has a central stalk with loose, prickly dark green leaves. This lettuce is bitter, especially as it ages, and when its stalk is cut, it oozes a considerable amount of white, bitter sap according to the specification of the Talmud: “Others say: Every bitter herb contains an acrid sap and its leaves are faded... R. Huna said, ‘The halacha is according to the ‘Others.’” (Ibid.).

Why Use Horseradish for Maror?

How did the custom arise to eat horseradish for maror at the Seder? While בַתַּמְכָא/tamcha, the third item mentioned in the Mishna as qualifying for maror, is often translated in rabbinic literature as horseradish, this is disputed, because it is unlikely that horseradish existed in the Middle East in the Talmudic times. Rav Tzvi Ashkenazi (1660-1718) explains that horseradish came to be used for maror in Ashkenaz either because lettuce was not available in cold climates or because those dwelling far from Israel lost the ability to identify the correct species of lettuce. There are several problems with the custom to use horseradish for maror as one must fulfill the obligation to eat maror with either the leaves or the stem of the plant (Shulchan Aruch OC 473:5). Ironically, the reason horseradish was available in the colder northern climates was precisely because it is a root and not a leafy plant. Furthermore, horseradish is sharp – חריף/charif rather than bitter. Rav Tzvi Ashkenazi writes, “Those who are not careful about keeping mitzvot do not fulfill their obligation to eat the required amount of maror because horseradish is too sharp, while those who try to be meticulous about keeping mitzvot eat the requisite amount and thereby endanger their health” (Shu”t Chacham Tzvi 119). The ultimate legitimization of horseradish use occurred in 1822 when Rav Moshe Sofer wrote that horseradish may indeed be preferable to lettuce, because it is difficult to clean the lettuce of bugs (Chatam Sofer OC:132; cited in Mishnah Berurah 473:42). Others preferred horseradish to lettuce because there are various types of lettuce, and today we are unsure which type(s) the Mishnah was referring to. Whereas horseradish are indeed one of the five bitter herbs mentioned in the Mishnah, there are doubts as to whether the various types of lettuce available today meet the criteria of the ‘lettuce’ referred to in the Mishnah (Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, Ezrat Torah Luach). In our time, we have the privilege to live in the Land of Israel where various kinds of bitter greens grow in abundance around Pesach time. Does that mean that we no longer need horseradish to enhance our Seder? Personally, I feel that horseradish serves a nostalgic reminder of our Ashkenazi ancestors who lived in exile, from which we have fortunately been redeemed. Eating horseradish at the Seder helps us shed some tears for all the numerous exiles we have endured throughout the generations, what can be more cathartic than that?

Chicory – One of the Bitter Herbs Mentioned in the Mishna?

In the Mishna’s list of bitter herbs qualifying for maror at the Seder, chicory – עולש/olesh ranks second. Although we can’t be 100% sure of the identity of any of the five herbs mentioned, most commentaries explain עֻלְשִׁין/ulshin to refer to either endive or chicory. According to Rambam בַתַּמְכָא/tamcha – the third herb mentioned may also refer to “wild chicory.” The Talmudic definition of maror as plants whose common features are “bitterness, possessing [a milk like] sap, with [leaves] and a [green] grayish appearance” (Pesachim 39a), applies beautifully to chicory. Thus, the second item on the Mishna’s list, ulshin, is nearly universally understood to refer to Cichorium endiva – endives, or Cichorium intybus – chicory which are closely related. Belgian endive is the same species as chicory and is used for maror by some people. Chicory is a woody, herbaceous plant that has been used for hundreds of years as an herbal remedy with a wealth of health benefits. These include its ability to ease digestive problems, prevent heartburn, reduce arthritis pain, detoxify the liver and gallbladder, prevent bacterial infections, boost the immune system, prevent cancer, reduce anxiety, treat kidney disorders and reduce the chances of heart disease. It is a great source of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron-folic acid, and potassium, as well as vitamin A, B6, C, E, and K. All these properties and more make this small plant is a powerful addition to any diet. The leaves are used in a similar way as spinach and eaten as a spring tonic in many cultures. The root is often ground into a powder and used as a coffee substitute. 

Letting Go of Control and Removing Blockages with Chicory

The energy of chicory is considered mothering teaching us to attain proper balance to prevent becoming overprotective and energetically smother those we love. According to Bach’s flower remedies, the negative chicory state mirrors our neediness and control-taking through emotional manipulation manifesting in expressions such as,  “I’ll love you more if you…” or “how can you do this to me after everything I’ve done for you.”  On the bright side, the beautiful, bright blue chicory flower helps us let go of our fear-driven controlling behaviors so that we can receive and embrace what we need for our soul’s evolution. It can shift our perspective to an awareness that supports recognition of what’s holding us back and what needs to go in order to pursue the positive. Chicory activates the hidden strength buried deep within us. When we are connected with this awareness we can do anything, and with very little materials or necessities. Perhaps this is why the character trait of frugality (lack of wastefulness). Chicory, when used as an incense is a great cleanser to purify. It is also believed that chicory promotes a positive outlook, removes obstacles and blockages. How appropriate for emerging from the Egyptian slavery.

Medicinal Properties of Chicory

For at least 5,000 years, people have cultivated chicory for its medicinal benefits. According to the ‘doctrine of signatures’ (a renaissance theory that a plant’s appearance indicates its healing properties) the milky sap of chicory demonstrated its efficacy in regulating milk flow in nursing mothers. It has been prescribed for both promoting or diminishing the milk flow if it were too abundant. The blue of the blossoms and their tendency to close as if in sleep at noon (in England) suggested the plant’s use in treating inflamed eyes. The poultice of the bruised leaves treats swellings. Laboratory research has shown root extracts to be antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and slightly sedative. They also slow and weaken the pulse and lower blood sugar. Leaf extracts have similar, though weaker, effects. Root extracts are diuretic and laxative, and treat fevers and jaundice. The second-century physician Galen called chicory a “friend of the liver,” and contemporary research has shown that it can increase the flow of bile, which could be helpful in treating gallstones.

Digestive Aid

One of the most common reasons for adding chicory to a diet is to improve various functions of the digestive system. Chicory contains prebiotic which is a beneficial bacteria that aids the digestive system. It also contains inulin, which in addition to reducing LDL cholesterol, promoting weight-loss and treating constipation, is used to combat a number of intestinal and digestive concerns, including acid reflux disease, indigestion, and heartburn because it actively reduces the acidity of the body’s systems. Thus, chicory can help digest the heavy Pesach meal eaten late on an almost empty stomach. What a wonderful addition to the Seder table!

Culinary Uses

Today, with sweeter, cultivated greens available, wild chicory is seldom seen in the kitchen. Nevertheless, wild-food enthusiasts who know how to prepare it enjoy its lively flavor in several forms. The young basal leaves taste almost identical to dandelion greens, they are good in salad or cooked as a potherb. Older and tougher leaves are apt to be bitter, but simmering them with several changes of water will decrease their bitterness. When cooked, the roots taste like parsnips, but they are almost too skinny to bother with. Instead of boiling them, however, you can scrub them and roast them slowly until brittle and dark brown inside.

Hands On

Chicory is a bitter, versatile leaf that can be eaten raw in salads, baked, stir-fried or braised.

To preserve its precious enzymes I mainly use it raw in salads.

Simple Chicory Carrot Salad 

Sweet orange or red vegetable complement the bitter cleansing taste of chicory.

2 cups grated carrot, or thinly sliced red pepper, or a mixture of both

1 cup finely chopped chicory

½ cup slivered almonds

Olive oil, lemon, sea-salt, freshly ground pepper and garlic to taste

A dash of cinnamon

1. Soak and check the chicory for bugs

2. Drain and dry

3. Grate the carrots

4. Mix carrots and chicory leaves and coat with olive oil

5. Add almonds and spices and mix well

6. Squeeze lemon juice on the salad and mix again.

Chicory Coffee

Chicory-based coffee rather than regular coffee can significantly improve the balance of blood and plasma in the body, which reduces the chances of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, chicory root is considered a tonic for PMS. It is quite simple to make your own chicory coffee. You can use the wild variety, or the root of the endive, however, the best variety for this is Chicorium Intybus Sativum. Chicory yields a beverage that tastes much like coffee without containing caffeine.

1. Harvest the chicory roots, if you want to use the wild variety, look for a tall plant with a beautiful blue flower.

2. Wash and peel the roots so that they are perfectly clean.

3. Cut the roots in small even pieces. They have to be roughly the same width, so they roast evenly.

4. Toast the minced roots in a shallow pan, or a baking sheet at 350 degree Fahrenheit.

5. Grind the roasted pieces in a good burr grinder, according to your preferred brewing method, (fine grind for espresso, coarse for French press).

6. Brew as is, or mixed with real coffee.

Shortcut method:

Pour boiling water on ½ to ¾ teaspoons of dried Chicory root, steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Combines well with cinnamon & dandelion root.

Chickweed –The Sweet, Gentle, Powerful Star-shaped Healer

Herbal Remedies from the Judean Hills
כוכבית – Common Chickweed – Stellaria Media
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Chickweed –The Sweet, Gentle, Powerful Star-shaped Healer

Chickweed is one of the sweetest, gentlest herbs I know. Although completely harmless, without a hint of bitterness, it is a powerful healer. It is another gift of G-d that grows wild and therefore doesn’t need tithing. There is no part of the world where you can’t find the delicate, reclining chickweed with small leaves and tiny white flowers with five, deeply cleft petals, which look like ten petals. It has become one of the commonest weeds in every part of the world. Although I love chickweed, it doesn’t seem to want to stay in its place and keep away from bothering my other plants. I’ve disentangled and weeded out my chickweed from the Swiss Chard several times in the last few months. It somehow finds its own quiet way to return. Meanwhile, I use my bucketful of chickweed in smoothies, dips, soups, and even pies, when I have the time. Chickweed is a creeping, mat-like plant. If left to grow uninhibited, it can form a dense carpet.

In less suitable places, it becomes spindly and tedious to collect. Look for the rich patches, where you can quickly fill a basket. Chickweed has a weak stem trailing on the ground with succulent egg-shaped smooth leaves placed in pairs and small white star-like flowers with narrow petals. The flowers that begin blooming in Nissan (March), continue all through the summer. They open about nine o’clock in the morning and are said to remain open for only twelve hours in bright weather. Rain prevents them from opening, and after a heavy shower, they become pendent instead of having their faces turned up towards the sun. In the course of a few days, they rise again. The seeds are contained in a little capsule fitted with teeth, which close up in wet weather, but open when ripe to allow the seeds to be shaken out by each movement of the plant in the breeze. The Latin name ‘Stellaire’ means ‘star,’ and so, it is also called ‘starweed’ due to chickweed’s star-shaped flowers. If you believe the macrobiotic theory that “you become what you eat,” – (you take on the energetic characteristics of the food you eat), we should all want to ingest more chickweed. Who wouldn’t want to become hardy (the seeds remain viable for up to 60 years), prolific (spreads by seed, root, node, and cutting), widespread (found world-wide), low maintenance, highly nutritious, a multi-dimensional healer, demure but beautiful, a superstar (it’s tiny white flowers form a 10 pointed star!)? 

Nurture Your Relationships with Chickweed

Chickweed teaches us to balance care of self and others. Every night the leaves approach each other, folding their upper leaves over the tender buds of the new shoots, covering the terminating pair. This way each plant cares for itself by protecting the tip of its new shoot. 

Simultaneously, chickweed grows most often in groups. If you happen across a patch of chickweed, you’ll notice from a distance that it appears to be closely clumped, creating a soft, billowy green carpet. As you come closer, you will see that each member of the patch has plenty of space to grow comfortably while still being in close contact with the rest of the group. Thus, chickweed supports individuality and space within the structure of a healthy, balanced group and environment, teaching us how to live and survive in balance with ourselves and with others. It is therefore not surprising that chickweed was used, in European folklore, to promote fidelity, attract love, and maintain relationships. It may be helpful for maintaining a good marriage to add a little bit to your own and your spouse’s food every day.

Chickweed is also a star that requires us to be uncompromising in our demand for quality.

From the fact that chickweed only grows in pH balanced, cultivated, cool and damp but not soaked soil, we can learn balance and discrimination. Chickweed is picky about its growing conditions, although those conditions can be found in unlikely places, such as on compost heaps, in sidewalk cracks, around fence posts, on or near manure piles, in old stone walls, as well as in well-cultivated gardens. We learn from chickweed to look beyond the surface, into the soil in which we want to grow our relationship for the life promoting qualities that will best support us. Without the qualities needed for healthy growth, chickweed advises us to move on.

Nutritional Properties of Chickweed

Not only is chickweed delicious, nutritious and widespread, but it is one of the most versatile first-aid plants you’ll ever run across. It needs no fertilizer, nor pesticides to protect it from bugs, and plants itself besides. It is high in nutrients such as vitamins A, C, some B’s, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and fatty acids – a natural emulsifier (or “fat dissolver”) that can lower cholesterol levels. Chinese herbal medicine regards it as sweet, moist and cool. Eat the whole plant together, leaves, stems, flowers, seedpods and all, raw or cooked. Since chickweed tends to intertwine with other weeds and fallen leaves, careful cleaning and culling is necessary after harvest to ensure no other plants are included.

Chickweed – A Skin Healer Par Excellence

Chickweed is one of the most well-known and highly prized medicinal weeds, especially as an anti-itch cream. It makes an excellent poultice and salve, useful for all manner of skin ailments such as eczema, itching dermatitis, hives and even cancerous sores. The water in which chickweed was boiled may also be used to bathe the affected part.

Inflammation: Chickweed provides antibiotic agents, promotes healing and soothes irritated tissues. Due to its high saponin content, the fresh herb may be employed as a poultice for inflammation, ulcers and to dissolve skin tumors.

Wounds: Use chickweed poultice to heal wounds and bruises.

Swellings: Make a decoction from a handful or two of fresh chickweed. Bathe the surface every

½ hour and apply chickweed ointment (the pain and swelling will be gone in a few hours). For swollen testicles, burning and itching genitals, bathe the area in a strong decoction of chickweed and apply chickweed ointment.

Hemorrhoids: Bathe the area 2-3 times daily in chickweed decoction, infusion, or diluted tincture (as warm as possible), then apply chickweed ointment.

Poison Ivy, Oak or Stinging Nettle: Use chickweed ointment to relieve the itching and to aid in neutralizing poisons.

Internal Medicinal Properties of Chickweed

Besides being a wonderful skin healer and food plant, chickweed is well known in herb circles for its versatile healing charms. It is a very safe, gentle, mild herb that can be used on newborn babies.

Respiratory: Chickweed is beneficial for reducing mucus build-up and may be used to treat a variety of respiratory problems, including bronchitis, chronic coughing, colds/flu, sore throat, and hoarseness.

Metabolism: Chickweed provides the body with nutrients that are necessary for balancing metabolic functions. It also contains fiber, which helps improve digestion and relieve constipation.

Weight loss: Chickweed water is an old wives’ remedy for obesity. It is used in herbal weight-loss formulas because of its high amount of saponins, which dissolves fat cells and lowers cholesterol. Chickweed also supplies vast amounts of nutrients to compensate for reduced calories when dieting.

Urinary tract inflammation: A decoction of fresh chickweed treats urinary tract inflammation and is useful for supporting healthy urinary function.

Rheumatism: Chickweed is used internally as a cleansing diuretic and tonic for rheumatic pains and for softening and soothing inflamed areas, such as gastric mucous membranes.

Scurvy: Sailors used chickweed vinegar to prevent scurvy when fresh citrus was unavailable. 

Chickweed for Birds

Chickweed is so called because chickens and small birds are fond of it. The custom of giving chickweed to birds is ancient. Gerard tells us: ‘Little birds in cadges (especially Linnets) are refreshed with the lesser chickweed when they loath their meat whereupon it was called of some “Passerina.” Both wild and caged birds eat chickweed seeds as well as the young tops and leaves. Pigs like it; rabbits, cows and horses will eat it; sheep are indifferent to it, but goats refuse to touch it. 

Culinary Uses

Chickweed is very mild-tasting and tender in texture, making it a super salad green. It is excellent as a base for a wild salad, in place of lettuce. I like to mix it with grated carrots and then add smaller amounts of stronger tasting greens or other salad items like olives, nuts, avocados, or whatever. The lush end-growth and larger leaves are good in salads, but when blending into smoothies, dips or dressings I toss in the stems and all. I do occasionally cook it if I have large amounts but it really shines as a raw, fresh, living green. The young leaves when cooked can hardly be distinguished from spring spinach, and are equally wholesome. Thus, it received its nickname ‘poor man’s spinach. Chickweed is a great pizza topping. Cook as you would spinach. Use in soups, stews, omelets, dips, meat pies, and fried rice. It retains its bright green color when cooked, making every dish more attractive. It is also a great choice of green in rice or bean salads. Chickweed also makes a sweet tea and can be drunk anytime, hot or cold. Add a little honey for an even more pleasant beverage.

Hands On:

Harvest chickweed before it flowers for the tenderest greens. Snip off the blooms from the stems a few inches above ground to encourage more growth. Collect the herb between January and May, when it is in the best condition. Dry or freeze it to use in soups and as a condiment. Chickweed freezes beautifully. I keep bags full in the freezer and grab a handful to throw into just about every dish. It is a great parsley substitute. One teaspoon dried herb = 4 teaspoons fresh or frozen.

Chickweed Ointment

I want to empower all of you to make your own ointment with this simple recipe. Keep it in the refrigerator and use it for every little cut, nick, insect bite, itchy skin, and pimple.

1 ¼ cup olive oil

Approximately 1 cup of fresh chickweed

½ cup bees wax

1. Bring the olive oil to low heat in a small stainless steel pot. Do NOT boil.

2. Add as much chickweed as you can push below the surface.

3. Let this steep for about an hour over a low, low fire to extract all the juice. Strain.

4. Add the bees wax.

5. Pour off into little ointment jars. Cool and store in a dark place.

Chickweed and Tempeh Quiche
To this basic quiche recipe, you can truly add any succulent green, any meat that cooks quickly, leftovers, whatever you want. The secret to the taste of this one is the beer. Everyone in our family would literally walk a mile for a slice. As simple as it is to make, this is some fine-tasting cuisine. Be sure and try it.

1 homemade pie crust of your choice
1 tbsp. cooking oil or butter
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. tempeh or tofu
1 cup chopped chickweed (any greens will do, but chickweed adds a sweet corn flavor)
½ bottle of beer

Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste

5 eggs, scrambled, a 6th egg handy just in case you need it

1. Wilt onion in oil until translucent, then add tempeh and sauté till they turn half-pink.

2. Add chickweed and stir around for about 1 minute.

3. Add the beer and seasonings and stir well. Turn off the heat.

4. Add 5 lightly beaten eggs, stir well, taste for seasoning.

5. Add a little more beer and an extra egg as needed to fill out the pie shell.

6. Turn into an unbaked pie shell. Place on cookie sheet and bake 35-45 minutes at 375°.

7. During the last 5 minutes, baste top of pie crust with egg. It makes the crust come out a shiny gold.

Pie Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 stick real butter (softened)

1 tsp salt

½ cup cold water

1. Place butter in big bowl and leave out to soften. 

2. Add flour and salt, and cut the dry ingredients into the butter till it’s all flaky.
3. Make a hole in the middle, add about half the cold water, and stir to moisten with a wooden spoon.
4. Keep adding water, until the dough forms a non-sticky ball. Handle as little as possible to get the flakiest crust.

5. Throw some dried, powdered chickweed or other herbs right into the crust for a gourmet touch.

6. Press piecrust into baking pan, flute the edges.

Creamy Chickweed Dressing This recipe is truly yummy (and healthy)!

½ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or vinegar)

1 tsp honey

2 cups fresh chickweed greens

¼ tsp salt

1 clove of garlic

dash of pepper

½ cup yogurt (may substitute techina or coconut cream mixed with water for  parve dressing

1.  In blender or food processor, blend all ingredients but the yogurt thoroughly.

2.  Add yogurt (diluted techina or coconut cream), and blend gently until smooth.

The Spiritual Protective Warming Energy of Cinnamon

Herbal Remedies from the Judean Hills
קִנָּמוֹן – Cinnamon – Cinnamomum Zeylanicum
Printable Version

The Spiritual Protective Warming Energy of Cinnamon

I have never in my life seen a cinnamon tree, as these exotic trees grow mainly in Sri Lanka and India. Little did I know that during Temple times the main trees growing in Jerusalem were cinnamon trees. I can’t wait till these richly scented trees with such uplifting and life-giving properties will once again grow in Israel! Cinnamon is an aromatic spice universally enjoyed both in incense, as a medicament and in cooking. We all use cinnamon to add flavor to oatmeal cookies, pumpkin pies, cereals and herbal teas. Since people are used to eating dried cinnamon, therefore its blessing is …borei p’ri ha’adama, [and not shehakol] (Sefer HaShelah Hakadosh, Sha’ar Ha’otiyot, kuf, Kedusha). 

Cinnamon indeed makes us feel warm, safe and protected. Just as cinnamon is a natural anti-biotic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial agent, with immune-boosting antioxidants, it possesses spiritual protective properties. Cinnamon has a high vibration, which is helpful for our own personal protection, for protecting our homes, and also for reaching higher states of spiritual and psychic ability. There are eleven Torah verses beginning and ending with the Hebrew letter נ/nun that our sages recommend as a spiritual remedy for protection against negative energy. One of these verses is נַפְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִי מֹר אֲהָלִים וְקִנָּמוֹן (משלי ז, יז) – “I have perfumed my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon” (Mishlei 7:17); (Sefer HaShelah Hakadosh, Tractate Ta’anit, Matot/Masei). Because of its spiritual protective properties, cinnamon was chosen to be one of the eleven ingredients of the Temple incense and one of the four spices in the holy anointing oil, which was used to anoint the Kohanim and Kings and to make the Temple vessels Kodesh – “most holy” (Shemot 30:29).

Cinnamon in the Holy Anointing Oil and Incense

Cinnamon’s renaissance will be completed with the coming of Mashiach, who as every King of Israel will be anointed with the holy anointing oil containing cinnamon. In fact, the definition of the word מָשִׁיחַ/Mashiach is ‘anointed.’ Parashat Ki Tisa gives the recipe for the holy anointing oil, which must not be duplicated for uses other than those specified in the Torah: 

ספר שמות פרק ל פסוק כג-כה

וְאַתָּה קַח לְךָ בְּשָׂמִים רֹאשׁ מָר דְּרוֹר חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וְקִנְּמָן בֶּשֶׂם מַחֲצִיתוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם וּקְנֵה בֹשֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם: וְקִדָּה חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְשֶׁמֶן זַיִת הִין: וְעָשִׂיתָ אֹתוֹ שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ רֹקַח מִרְקַחַת מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵחַ שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה:

“Take for yourself spices of the finest sort: of pure myrrh five hundred [shekel =15.87 grams or 0.56 oz]; of fragrant cinnamon half of it two hundred and fifty; of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty and of cassia five hundred according to the holy shekel, and one hin (37 litres nearly 10 U.S. gallon) of olive oil. You shall make this into an oil of holy anointment, a perfumed compound according to the art of a perfumer; it shall be an oil of holy anointment” (Shemot 30:23-25).

Rashi describes this fragrant cinnamon as the bark of a tree. Some cinnamon bark are fragrant while others are just like ordinary wood. Therefore, the Torah needed to tell us to use וְקִנְּמָן בֶּשֶׂם/kinamon bosem – the fragrant type. On the market, you can find products containing both Cinnamomum Zeylancium and Casia. It is the Zeylancium that is more aromatic and medicinal. Cinnamon is also part of the קְטֹרֶת/Ketoret – ‘incense’ described in Parashat Ki Tisa. The root of the word קְטֹרֶת/Ketoret, קטר/keter, is related to the word קשר/kesher, which means ‘connection.’ Thus, the word ketoret is associated with ‘connecting’ or ‘bonding.’ We need to bond in order to bring about the unity that makes us worthy of the Mashiach, may it be soon!

Growing in Israel since Biblical Times

Due to its use for holy purposes in the Torah, cinnamon must have been available to our Biblical ancestors. Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Yossi said cinnamon trees would grow in Israel and the goats and deer could reach the tops and eat from them (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 65:17). Perhaps the unity that pervaded Israel caused the land to produce the sweetest fragrance.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף סג/א

אמר רבי יהודה עצי ירושלים של קינמון היו ובשעה שהיו מסיקין מהן ריחן נודף בכל ארץ ישראל ומשחרבה ירושלים נגנזו ולא נשתייר אלא כשעורה ומשתכח בגזאי דצימצמאי מלכתא:

Rabbi Yehuda said, the trees of Jerusalem were of cinnamon. When they would burn them, their fragrance would permeate the entire Land of Israel. However, once Jerusalem was destroyed, they did not remain but were hidden away (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 63a). 

While the Temple stood, no bride needed perfume on her wedding day. The incense from the altar was so ever-present, perfumes would have added nothing. The goats of Jericho, miles away to the northeast, would sneeze from its scent! (Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 39b). The Ben Yehoyada explains that the cinnamon was so abundant that it was burnt as firewood. He suggests that perhaps Hashem created such an abundance to show that Eretz Yisrael was given only for toiling in Torah. This is because it is known that fragrance open’s one’s mind, and so the cinnamon trees helped enable an atmosphere in Eretz Yisrael where even the air of the land increases knowledge. According to the Remak in his comments to Pitum Haketoret, cinnamon relates to chochmah (wisdom). Just as in the Ketoret there are nine measures of cinnamon, so too we learn that ten measures of chochmah came down to the world, nine of which were taken by Eretz Yisrael (https://treesinthedaf.wordpress.com/).

Never Lacking from the Pesach Seder Plate

Cinnamon is a spice that connects the entire Jewish people. Everyone puts it in their charoset for the Seder night. Although there are several different recipes for charoset they all include cinnamon. charoset is made from figs and apple puree to commemorate the mortar. The added ground nuts represent the Jewish people who are compared to nuts, while thin strips of cinnamon reminisce the straw that was mixed in it (Tiferet Yisrael, Yachin, Mishnah Pesachim 10:3). Cinnamon is known to have an anti-diabetic effect. According to several medical researches, consuming a large dose of cinnamon together with carbohydrate-rich foods can slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, moderating the rapid rise and fall in blood sugar level that occurs after a meal filled with carbohydrates. This gives us an additional reason to add generous amounts of cinnamon in our charoset, especially when drinking four glasses of wine or grape juice and consuming sweet deserts at the Seder table!

Cinnamon for Brain Health

Among all the varied health benefits of cinnamon, I am most impressed with the recent studies revealing that cinnamon improves brain function. A small human study suggests that merely smelling the aroma of cinnamon can improve performance of several types of memory tasks. The researchers found that cinnamon improved participants’ scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor response speed (http://www.wju.edu/about/adm_news_story.asp?iNewsID=1106&strBack=%2Fabout%2Fadm_news_archive.asp). Cinnamomum Zeylanicum may also delay or reverse cognitive impairment. Research has found that it improved cognition and reduced oxidative stress in the brain (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24559058). Cinnamon contains 68% manganese. Two teaspoons of cinnamon provides about half the RDA of manganese, a powerful antioxidant that is crucial for brain and body health. Another benefit of cinnamon’s protective antioxidant properties is that they can help defend the brain against developing neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Thus cinnamon helps defend against cognitive decline and protects brain function. Since cinnamon contains so many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the effects of aging on the body and brain, in the future we may see it being used as a possible natural therapeutic treatment or prevention for age-related neuro-degenerative diseases (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24946862). 

Eternal Scent

At the time of his circumcision, Avraham was specifically likened to the fragrant cinnamon tree:

מדרש רבה בראשית - פרשה מו פסקה ב

וימול בן שמונים וששה שנים בשעה שנולד ישמעאל אמר ריש לקיש קנמון אני מעמיד בעולם מה קנמון הזה כל זמן שאתה מזבלו ומעדרו הוא עושה פירות כך משנצרר דמו משבטל יצרו משבטלה תאותו משנקשר דמו:

Then let him be circumcised at the age of eighty-six, when Ishmael was born? Reish Lakish said: [G-d said] : “ I will set up a cinnamon tree in the world: just as the cinnamon tree yields fruit as long as you manure and hoe around it, so [shall Avraham be] even when his blood runs sluggishly and his passions and desires  have ceased” (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 46:2).

If you take good care of the cinnamon tree even when it ages, it will produce fruit. Likewise, although Avraham was old and without physical desire when he was circumcised, he was able to give birth to the holy Yitzchak. Today, a healthy cinnamon tree can produce cinnamon bark for about 45 years. Perhaps in the time of the Torah it produced its aromatic bark for much longer. Why was Avraham’s circumcision at the age of 100 compared to a cinnamon tree? The holy covenant of circumcision is called ‘a good scent’ because it represents chastity. Likewise, overcoming sexual temptation brings about a sweet fragrance (Rav Tzaddok of Lublin, Pri Tzaddik, Bereishit 1). Fragrance is connected to spirituality, as the word רֵיחַ /re’ach – ‘scent’ shares the same root as the word רוּחַ/spirit. Moreover, from our five senses, the sense of smell is the only one that wasn’t employed in the sin with the Tree of Knowledge. Since the cinnamon tree is the most fragrant of trees, it represents the highest degree of spirituality. Therefore, Avraham at the time of his circumcision was likened to a cinnamon tree. When his physical strength and desires had ebbed out due to his advanced age, and the power of his yetzer (passion) was nullified by means of the circumcision, that is when his spirituality and scent increased. Therefore, he needed to wait until the age of 100 to become circumcised to be at his peak of spirituality when he conceived the holy Yitzchak (Malbim, Bereishit 17:1). Circumcision is literally cutting part of the physical body, removing the external part of the limb that is most associated with physical pleasure. Therefore, Avraham’s circumcision preluded the conception of the holy Yitzchak, which needed to be without any trace of lust and external physical pleasure. The crushing of physicality, which gives birth to the innermost spiritual, engenders the sweetest fragrance. Cinnamon is the spice that represents the finest fragrance of the highest spiritual achievement. This explains why – although the righteous in general are compared to sweet smelling spices – Avraham was specifically compared to cinnamon at the time of his circumcision.

Hands On:

I am still using up the wrinkled apples from my garden, making delicious applesauce which my granddaughters relish when served with shredded coconut and chocolate chips. It is also a nutritious late afternoon snack. No added sugar is necessary as the cinnamon brings out the natural sweetness of the apples.

Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce

10 Large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks

½ Cup water

2 tsp cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients to crock-pot.

2. Cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours.

3. Mix all ingredients and mash all clumps of apple or place in food processor until smooth.