The ingredient drawer

Pumpkin seed

Cucurbita pepo

A familiar kitchen seed, milled for its gentle, oily richness.

Black walnut hull

Juglans nigra

The green outer hull, dried and powdered, with a tannin-bitter edge.

Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium

A silver-leafed bitter, named for the work it has always been asked to do.

Clove bud

Syzygium aromaticum

Warm, sweet, and fiercely aromatic dried flower buds.

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

A Mediterranean kitchen herb with a clean, resinous leaf.

Garlic

Allium sativum

A measured pinch of dried bulb — never a kitchen handful.

Slippery elm

Ulmus rubra

Inner bark that becomes a soft mucilage in water.

Chlorella

Chlorella vulgaris

A deep-green freshwater algae, cracked-cell for easier use.

Coriander

Coriandrum sativum

Warm seed with a citrus-spice lift.

Inulin

Cichorium intybus

A gentle prebiotic fibre from chicory root.

Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla

Small apple-scented flowers, dried whole.

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Grey-green spikes that smell of linen and late afternoon.

Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis

A lemon-leaf mint from the herb bed.

Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

A climbing vine with intricate, otherworldly blooms.

Oat straw

Avena sativa

The green milky stem of the oat plant, cut before the grain hardens.

Valerian root

Valeriana officinalis

An earthy root with a reputation for helping the night settle.

Skullcap

Scutellaria lateriflora

A small mint-family herb of damp ground.

Honey

Mel

A spoon of local sweetness to carry the drops.

Turmeric

Curcuma longa

Golden rhizome, dried and ground.

Boswellia

Boswellia serrata

A fragrant resin, powdered from the frankincense tree.

Nettle

Urtica dioica

The leaf that stings in the hedge and nourishes in the jar.

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

A warming rhizome for slow digestion and cool mornings.

Black pepper

Piper nigrum

A few cracked corns to help turmeric find its way.

Rosehip

Rosa canina

The autumn fruit of the wild rose, bright and slightly tart.

Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna

Berry and leaf of the May tree.

Flax seed

Linum usitatissimum

Small glossy seeds, pressed or ground for their oil.

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

Orange pot-marigold petals, the colour of a Cape late afternoon.

Sea buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides

A tart orange berry from windy coasts.

Evening primrose

Oenothera biennis

A yellow night-blooming flower, pressed for its seed oil.

Flax oil

Linum usitatissimum

Cold-pressed linseed oil for the dinner bowl.

Coconut oil

Cocos nucifera

A clean carrier that melts at the warmth of a hand.

Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus

Needle leaves from a sun-facing hedge.

Vitamin E

Tocopherol

A natural antioxidant that keeps oils honest.

Beeswax

Cera alba

The honeycomb’s own structure, warmed into a balm.

Shea butter

Vitellaria paradoxa

A soft, ivory butter that melts into cracked pads.

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

Sweet liquorice seed of the umbellifer family.

Elderberry

Sambucus nigra

Dark purple autumn berries, dried for winter blends.

Echinacea

Echinacea purpurea

Purple coneflower root and herb.

Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceus

A sweet, fibrous root used for deeper stamina.

Olive leaf

Olea europaea

Silver leaves from a Mediterranean tree that also grows in the Cape.