Sweet woodruff 50 grams: Galium odoratum, the herb behind May wine
Sweet woodruff is a low woodland plant of the madder family (Rubiaceae), the same family as the coffee plant. The stems rarely pass thirty centimetres and carry narrow, pointed leaves arranged in whorls around the stem. Underground runners let it spread into a dense carpet beneath deciduous trees, and in plant sociology it counts as a characteristic species of beech forest. Its natural range covers Europe, North Africa and West Asia, and in May small white flowers appear above the foliage.
What makes this herb unusual is that the fresh plant hardly smells of anything. Only as it wilts and dries does the sweet scent of newly mown hay come through. Coumarin is behind that smell, released during wilting from bound precursors known as melilotosides. This is why the traditional recipe for May wine tells you to let the freshly cut shoots pre-dry for a few hours up to a day. Beyond May wine, sweet woodruff has flavoured syrup for Berliner Weisse, jelly and jam, brandy, ice cream and herbal tea, and in Germany it even turns up in sherbet powder. The dried herb also went between the linen as a moth deterrent.
What you get and how it is used
This bag holds 50 grams of dried herb. For an infusion, pour about half a litre of hot water over a heaped teaspoon, let it steep for some five minutes and strain; a little honey suits it well. For a punch, steep the herb briefly in white wine and lift it out again. Keep the quantities modest: coumarin is precisely what gives this herb its flavour, and the traditional recipes all work with a small handful rather than more. Store the bag closed, cool and dark, and the aroma will hold up longest. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
About the herbs at Avalon
At Avalon Magic Plants sweet woodruff sits with the relaxing herbs, alongside Valerian 50 gram (Valeriana officinalis), Passion flower 20 grams (Passiflora incarnata) and Nepeta cataria 50 grams herb, better known as catmint. If you prefer a liquid form, have a look at the 1:1 herbal tinctures in 10 ml bottles with a dropper, such as Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile). Every order leaves our warehouse discreetly packed.
