flipFennel and Linden Blossom Herbal Tea with Garrigue Honey
Fennel and Linden Blossom Herbal Tea with Garrigue Honey
Why this dish? Bruyas maintained a health that was said to be fragile, real or exaggerated, and followed prescribed diets. Montpellier, a medical capital since the Middle Ages with its famous faculty, lived to the rhythm of herbal teas and medicinal infusions. Such an evening decoction is the very image of this delicate man mindful of his temperament.
A gentle infusion of fennel, linden blossom, and garrigue flowers, sweetened with honey, taken in the evening to soothe digestion. The health ritual of a man of slight constitution.
My constitution, as is known, is not the most robust, and I watch over it as I do my canvases. Every evening, before retiring, they prepare this infusion for me: fennel for the stomach, linden for the mind, a spoonful of honey from our hills to sweeten it all. The doctors of our faculty prescribe it, and I comply with the docility of a good patient. Drink some; it relaxes better than wine a soul fatigued by the passions of art.
- •Fennel seeds — a pinch (digestive)
- •Dried linden flowers — a handful (soothing)
- •Garrigue flowers (thyme, rosemary in bloom) — a few sprigs (flavoring)
- •Honey from the hills — a spoonful (sweetness)
- •Spring water — one bowl (base)
Fennel and Linden Blossom Herbal Tea with Garrigue Honey
A gentle infusion of fennel, linden blossom, and garrigue flowers, sweetened with honey, taken in the evening to soothe digestion. The health ritual of a man of slight constitution.
Why this dish? Bruyas maintained a health that was said to be fragile, real or exaggerated, and followed prescribed diets. Montpellier, a medical capital since the Middle Ages with its famous faculty, lived to the rhythm of herbal teas and medicinal infusions. Such an evening decoction is the very image of this delicate man mindful of his temperament.
My constitution, as is known, is not the most robust, and I watch over it as I do my canvases. Every evening, before retiring, they prepare this infusion for me: fennel for the stomach, linden for the mind, a spoonful of honey from our hills to sweeten it all. The doctors of our faculty prescribe it, and I comply with the docility of a good patient. Drink some; it relaxes better than wine a soul fatigued by the passions of art.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fennel seeds — a pinch (digestive)
- Dried linden flowers — a handful (soothing)
- Garrigue flowers (thyme, rosemary in bloom) — a few sprigs (flavoring)
- Honey from the hills — a spoonful (sweetness)
- Spring water — one bowl (base)
Ingredients
- Fennel seeds — 1 teaspoon (digestive)
- Dried linden flowers — 1 tablespoon (soothing)
- Fresh thyme (or rosemary) — 1 sprig (flavoring)
- Garrigue or thyme honey — 1 to 2 teaspoons (sweetness)
- Water — 25 cl (base)
Method
- Bring the water to a simmer without boiling vigorously.
- Lightly crush the fennel seeds to release their aroma, add them to the water with the linden flowers and the thyme sprig.
- Cover and let steep for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Strain into a bowl or cup, add the honey, and stir.
- Drink very hot, in the evening, in small sips.
How it was made : In Montpellier, home to the oldest still-active medical faculty in Europe, the use of medicinal plants structured the daily life of health-conscious bourgeois. Fennel (carminative) and linden (sedative) featured in all 19th-century pharmacopoeias. Honey replaced sugar, which was more expensive and refined.
The contemporary twist : Serve chilled in summer in a tall glass with a lemon slice and a mint leaf — a refreshing *collectionneur's tisane*.
Alfred Bruyas · Charactorium
