Valerian 50 grams: dried root of Valeriana officinalis
Valeriana officinalis is a perennial that reaches one to two metres when it flowers. It has an upright, grooved stem, opposite pinnate leaves and clusters of small pale pink to white flowers at the top. The species grows wild across Europe and Asia and has naturalised in North America. It likes moist, lime-rich soil, with its feet in the shade and its flower heads in the morning sun. The trade, however, is not about the flowers but about what sits underneath: the rhizome with its stolons and roots, usually lifted in the second year in autumn and then dried at a low temperature.
What you get is cut material in yellowish-brown shades: short pieces of rhizome, half a centimetre to a good centimetre thick, mixed with thin roots only a few millimetres across. The taste is bitter and slightly camphor-like. The smell is even more distinctive, and there is chemistry behind it. As the root dries, the valepotriates in it slowly break down and release isovaleric acid, among other compounds. That is what gives valerian its pungent, faintly sour odour, and it grows stronger the longer the root is stored. Cats tend to notice it long before you do. The root also contains roughly 0.3 to 1 percent volatile oil.
Making an infusion
Valerian root has long been prepared as a tea. Pour hot water over about a teaspoon of cut root, cover the cup and let it steep for some ten minutes before straining. Covering matters: without a lid, part of the volatile oil simply leaves with the steam. The bitterness takes getting used to, so honey, a mint leaf or a strip of lemon peel can help. Use the herb in moderation.
Storage and things to know
Keep the bag well sealed in a cool, dry and dark place, ideally inside an airtight jar. Skip that step and the smell will settle into the whole cupboard. Store it out of reach of children. If you take medication, are pregnant or are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor first. This herb is sold as a botanical product, not as a medicine, and how you use it remains your own responsibility.
Avalon Magic Plants stocks valerian in other forms as well: a 1:1 liquid extract measured by the drop, an alkaloid extract combined with GABA, and seeds if you would rather grow the plant yourself. The same category also holds Wild Lettuce, Klip Dagga, Maconha Brava and passionflower. Every order leaves the building in discreet packaging.
