Echinacea Root
The whole dried root behind nearly every cold-season tea blend you have ever seen, sold here on its own so you control what goes in the cup.
What It Is
Echinacea purpurea is a prairie wildflower native to the central United States. Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains were the first to use the root extensively, and it became one of the most widely used plants in American folk herbalism by the nineteenth century. The root has a faintly earthy, slightly bitter flavor with a telltale tingly sensation on the tongue that tells you it is the real thing.
What you have here is the root, not the leaf or flower. It is slower to give up its flavor than dried aerial parts, so it needs longer steeping or simmering to do its job in the cup.
What To Do
To make a simple tea, simmer about one teaspoon of root pieces in two cups of water for fifteen to twenty minutes, then strain. The long simmer draws out what a quick steep cannot. From there, sweeten with honey, add a slice of ginger, or stir it into a blend with rose hips and orange peel. It has long been a staple of homemade wellness teas, particularly in the fall and winter months.
Store in a sealed container away from light and heat. Whole root holds its character longer than powder, so buy what you will use within a year and you will be in good shape.
