Springing for Bitterness

Bitter herbs and spring go together like peas and carrots

In many herbal traditions, particularly ones that hail from climates with four distinct seasons and a cold winter, nourishing bitter greens are the food of the moment each spring. These are the cold tolerant plants that are the first to emerge after winter, and are the first fresh plants that many of our ancestors would have consumed after months of stored and preserved food. To them, those bitters were celebrated for what they represented (food security, a new harvest season and warmer days ahead), along with what they offered: foods that would replenish their nutrient stores and help get their digestion, liver, and lymph moving after a sluggish winter. 

Spring has sprung and like clockwork, I’m craving bitters and nourishing greens like crazy. I’m reaching for my digestive bitters tincture, my liver elixir, apple cider vinegar, spring tonic oxymel, and nettle infusions. I’m also craving green smoothies and dark, bitter, leafy greens with all my meals. Digestive bitters are intense, and normally, it’s an unpleasant taste. But right now, it’s really hitting the spot for me and many other people. 

When a bitter flavor hits your tongue, it initiates a cascade of signals to your digestive tract. Bitter flavors send signals down the vagus nerve to increase secretion of digestive enzymes - meaning they literally help get everything moving. 

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some classic bitters:

• Gentian

• Centaury 

• Calamus

• Yellow dock

• Arugula

• Blue vervain

• Burdock

• Dandelion

• Angelica

The first greens of spring are crave-able right now for good reason - it’s what is naturally available, it’s what’s growing, and it’s what many cultures would have been consuming at this time of year. There are many reasons to celebrate spring, and fresh greens are one of them. 

If you’d like to try some bitter herbs, I’d recommend a tincture - some of these herbs are so bitter that they would be difficult to get down as a tea. Tincturing your own herbs is easy (just soak them in vodka for 6-8 weeks) - or you can purchase the tincture already prepared. 

If you feel inclined to purchase anything highlighted in this newsletter, consider purchasing them from Mountain Rose Herbs, linked below. *Disclaimer that this is an affiliate link - meaning that if you purchase anything from this site, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you.