Chamomile: The golden secret
Chamomile is ubiquitous in most tea cupboards. We all remember it growing up, usually in blends. It is a cliché when talking about mellow, herbal tea drinking folk.
But strangely, it is one of the most grimace inducing flowers when talking to our new customers. And, frankly, I get it. As a kid I always thought Chamomile was a boring, slightly bitter or insipid drink. It was not until I finally tried whole flower Chamomile, after starting B. Fuller’s with my friends, that I realized what I had been missing out on.
Our Organic Chamomile is sourced from Egypt and Bulgaria, and comes as whole flowers, dried and still a vibrant yellow. They vary in size, with some of the buds absolutely gigantic!
The word "Chamomile" derives, via French and Latin, from Greek χαμαίμηλον (khamaimēlon), i.e. "earth apple", from χαμαί (khamai) "on the ground" + μῆλον (mēlon) "apple". And after I tasted this whole leaf preparation, I got it- the flavor was sweet and honey like, with a slightly fruity aftertaste. It really tastes great when eaten with apples or melon, and following a meal with a little chamomile is a great way to enjoy the sweetness of the food and the last moments of a meal with people.
It seemed like a completely different thing than the little bags of tea my mother gave me when I was young. It was one of my first “Aha!” moments about sourcing and brewing whole leaf botanicals. It was so clear that the milling (a type of grinding) process used to fit leaves and other herbs into tea sachets to help them extract was affecting the characteristics of the plants being milled.
Where the milled product was slightly bitter and malty, whole leaf Chamomile was fruity and sweet, with a soft lingering finish. We have taken this learning into our blending philosophy here at B. Fuller’s, seeking to always to use the integral leaf or botanical whenever possible and advantageous.
Besides tasting so lovely, Chamomile also has numerous wellness qualities that have made it a favorite in kitchen apothecaries for generations. Chamomile is excellent for relaxing the nerves, reducing inflammation, and moving chi. It can help restore an exhausted nervous system and is an excellent children’s herb, calming cranky children.
Chamomile is also a bath herb used to relieve stress, it softens dry skin, and is an all round skin healer and toner.
Try some of our lovely Chamomile today and learn the golden secret!