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Known worldwide for the spectacular Taj Mahal, India not only boasts fabulous architecture but also an exquisite cuisine. There are several herbs and spices used in Indian dishes, with a few reaching common use and becoming the most popular.

There are several ingredients that are commonly found in Indian cuisine. They include rice, wheat flour, lentils and split peas, as well as vegetable oils and ghee, or clarified butter. Some of the most popular Indian food spices are chili peppers, mustard seed, turmeric, fenugreek seed, ginger root, coriander seed, cumin seed and garlic. There is a spice blend known as garam masala that is widely used in Indian cooking, and although the exact recipe varies according to geographical region, it often consists of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, cumin and coriander. Curry powder is also used as one of the most popular Indian spices for cooking.

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Juniper berries are often used in the culinary world as a spice to enhance meat, stuffings, sausages, stews, and soups and marinades. As an herbal remedy juniper berries are used in an herbal infusion by herbalists for urinary tract and bladder infections and inflammations and to to reduce water retention.

You can make juniper tea by adding 1 cup of boiling water to 1 tablespoon of juniper berries, covering, and allowing the berries to steep for 20 minutes. The usual dosage is 1 cup twice a day.

At Starwest Botanicals, we enjoy making herbal teas and infusions and wanted to share this video on making your own Juniper Berry Infusion. We stock high quality wild-crafted juniper berries and organic juniper berries for use in your own remedies and preparations.

Juniper should not be taken internally by pregnant women or by individuals with kidney problems. Juniper contains a potent volatile essential oil, oil of sabinal. Not for use exceeding four to six weeks in succession; contraindicated in inflammatory kidney disease. Before taking for a medical condition, it is best to consult with a physician.

Essiac herbal tea is thought by practitioners of alternative medicine to be a potent natural herbal formula used to fight cancer. Well-known for over 90 years, the proponents and critics of Essiac herbs are constantly going back and forth about the true efficacy towards our health. Essiac tea is recommended by herbalists as an alternative healthcare means of treatment for various forms of cancer and is used to alleviate symptoms and side effects of conventional cancer therapy, such as chemotherapy.

Buy Essiac Tea »
All natural Essiac tea offered by the pound in certified organic and conventional blends. Blended according to Rene Caisse’s recipe using only the finest quality ingredients.

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In today’s busy world, we tend to overload emotionally, and thus at times feel anxiety. There are a variety of dried natural herbs for anxiety, some of which may be drunk as a relaxing tea while others can be used as part of an aromatherapy session.

Generally speaking, herbs that are classified as adaptogens, while not to be considered medicinal herbs, may help to relieve anxiety. One adaptogen is Eleuthero Root, known by the Latin botanical name of Eleutherococcus senticosus, which is an Asian shrub. It is available in powdered, cut and sifted as well as capsule forms.

Other natural herbs for anxiety might include Jiaogulan Powder and Maca Root. Other names for Jiaogulan include Poor Man’s ginseng and miracle grass. The Jiaogulan Powder is made from the Gynostemma pentaphyllum, an Asian vine. It can be drunk as a soothing tea. Maca Root is, in its native Peru, often cooked or dried and ground into flour used in baked products.

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If you are new to drinking tea, you will want to understand what your options are in terms of selecting and preparing teas. Organic, fair-trade certified, black, green and flavored teas come available in tea bags or as loose tea. Tea bags offer a convenient way to enjoy this tasty beverage; they are even transportable so that you can keep some in your purse or briefcase to take to the office. Loose tea, however, offers you a world of flavor options because you can mix your own blends and choose the right amount of tea in order to bring your cup to the intensity you prefer. When you are using loose tea, a tea infuser makes preparing the tea much easier, whether you use a simple cup or make an entire pot. By using a wide mouthed infuser, your leaves will have more room to expand and the flavor will be deeper.

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Most people enjoy the spicy and sweet flavor of anise seed, perhaps because of early memories of sitting in a movie theatre enjoying black licorice strings as you watch a picture. Anise seed comes from an herbaceous plant that is native to warm Mediterranean and southwest Asian climates. The flowers of the plant are produced in white umbrels that then produce the seeds that are used in anise seed recipes.

Anise seed can be used both in cooking and in liquor. Liquors from around the world feature anise, including Greek Ouzo and French Absinthe and Pastis. The liquor, in Europe, is typically cut with water; when water is added to the glass of Ouzo, for example, it turns a milky white color and retains its anise flavor at a less potent level than the undiluted spirits. This is the way it is often enjoyed in Greece, and it is typically served at a taverna with small plates of salty and savory meze items such as kalamata olives, possibly tiny meatballs, goat cheese and yogurt dips and spreads with crusty bread, as well as cubes of feta cheese and other tasty morsels.

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Your local pharmacy stocks, among other items, a few pure essential oils. A larger variety is available through specialty online herbal sources. Essential oils are extracted from plants and contain the clean, pure scent of the plant. Pure essential oils are available in organic versions, and may be used for aromatherapy, perfume, cosmetics, bath products, flavoring foods and beverages, adding scent to incense and in household care products.

Pure essential oils can also be diluted with oil, and then these scented oils can be used as a rub for the skin or in massage therapy. One of the most popular ways to use organic essential oils is in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses different kinds of apparatus to release the wonderful herbal scent into the air, and this is thought to improve one’s physical and emotional well being. Different kinds of diffusers are used to spread the scent around your body or throughout a room, depending on the size and kind of diffuser used. One of the simplest ones is a hollow ring that will fit over the top of a light bulb that would be used in a lamp. You simply place a few drops of essential oils, perhaps lavender essential oils, into the hollow, and then turn the light on. The heat from the bulb raises the temperature of the lavender essential oils, causing them to more easily diffuse throughout the air in the room. Candles are also used to heat pure essential oils for aromatherapy. Other types of diffusers are a small as a personal diffuser that you wear as a necklace, and the heat from your body releases the wonderful scent. Larger diffusers have fans attached in order to spread the aroma throughout a larger room size.

It is easy to get started with aromatherapy, and enjoy the luxury of fragrant pure essential oils.

For tea afficianados, it is a thrill to take part in the amazing cultural event known as the Japanese tea ceremony. At the basis of the ceremony, certain types of green tea are prepared and served to guests in a highly ceremonial fashion. With Starwest loose green teas, you can enjoy the comforts of Japanese green tea easily in your home.

A little background is in order at this point. Green tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, the leaves of which are used in the production of Green tea. The leaves are processed using minimal oxidation in order to provide the unique flavor that has come to be expected from green tea.

You can find Japanese Green Tea in bagged and loose varieties. Loose green tea offers you the opportunity to make your own custom blends, and is a popular choice with fans of Japanese green tea.

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Fresh dried herbs from around the world are used in many ways around your home or in your business. Fresh herbs grown by suppliers located worldwide, are used in all types of cuisines and in beverages. Dried herbs are also the main ingredient in a host of wonderful teas that you enjoy with your morning paper or at the end of a long day. Dried herbs can be used in household products such as cleaning products, laundry detergents and dryer scents for your clothing. Personal care products, such as perfumes, cosmetics, body lotions and oils typically use fresh dried herbs for their fragrance. Businesses that produce food or offer dried herbs for sale to the public can benefit from the wealth of wholesale bulk herbs available online today. However, most people simply enjoy having a variety of fresh dried herbs on hand for everyday meal preparation.

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