Mortar & KettleHERBAL TEA · №019
Sweet Digestive Tea Medium · 9 min · Moderate · 1 pot a sweet, settling after-dinner pot A carminative pot built on the sweet, anise-scented seeds (fennel, anise, and cumin), warmed with ginger and cardamom and rounded by licorice and chamomile. It coaxes the stomach to unclench after a heavy meal while leaving a soft, herbaceous calm in its wake. INGREDIENTS 0.25 g fennel seeds (lightly crushed) 0.45 g anise seeds 0.15 g cumin seeds 2 g fresh ginger (sliced) 1 pod green cardamom (cracked) 0.3 g licorice root 1.8 g chamomile flowers (dried) 0.2 g dried mint 600 ml filtered water Method Simmer the fennel, anise, cumin, ginger, cardamom, and licorice in the water. (4–5 min) Turn off the heat and add the chamomile and dried mint. Steep, covered, then strain into a warmed pot. (3–4 min) The chemistry anethole (C₁₀H₁₂O) · sweet, licorice-like glycyrrhizin (C₄₂H₆₂O₁₆) · intensely sweet gingerol (C₁₇H₂₆O₄) · warm, pungent α-bisabolol (C₁₅H₂₆O) · soft, soothing

Mortar & Kettle · MORTARANDKETTLE.COM

HERBAL TEA · №019

Sweet Digestive Tea

Name: Sweet Digestive Tea
Total time: 9 min
Yield: 600 pots
Ingredients: 0.25 g fennel seeds; 0.45 g anise seeds; 0.15 g cumin seeds; 2 g fresh ginger; 1 pod green cardamom; 0.3 g licorice root; 1.8 g chamomile flowers; 0.2 g dried mint; 600 ml filtered water

a sweet, settling after-dinner pot

A carminative pot built on the sweet, anise-scented seeds (fennel, anise, and cumin), warmed with ginger and cardamom and rounded by licorice and chamomile. It coaxes the stomach to unclench after a heavy meal while leaving a soft, herbaceous calm in its wake.

Medium9 minModerate

SweetHerbaceousDigestiveCalming

Method

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Simmer the fennel, anise, cumin, ginger, cardamom, and licorice in the water.

▸0.25 gfennel seeds▸0.45 ganise seeds▸0.15 gcumin seeds▸2 gfresh ginger▸1 podgreen cardamom▸0.3 glicorice root▸600 mlfiltered water

4–5 min

Turn off the heat and add the chamomile and dried mint.

▸1.8 gchamomile flowers▸0.2 gdried mint

Steep, covered, then strain into a warmed pot.

3–4 min

“A good steep is chemistry with the kettle on. Mind the minutes.”

THE MORTAR & KETTLE METHOD

The chemistry

SKELETAL STRUCTURES

4 compounds carry this recipe. Here is what each one does and, where we have it, what it actually looks like.

C₁₀H₁₂O

anethole

C₁₀H₁₂O

The shared aromatic heart of fennel and anise; it lends the pot its sweet, faintly medicinal top note and relaxes the smooth muscle of the gut to ease bloating.

SweetDigestive

C₄₂H₆₂O₁₆

glycyrrhizin

C₄₂H₆₂O₁₆

The saponin behind licorice root's deep, lingering sweetness; here it amplifies the seeds' natural sugars without a grain of sugar added, and soothes the stomach lining.

SweetDigestive

C₁₇H₂₆O₄

gingerol

C₁₇H₂₆O₄

Fresh ginger's signature warmth; it stimulates gastric emptying and gently offsets the sweetness with a spiced, herbaceous bite.

HerbaceousDigestive

C₁₅H₂₆O

α-bisabolol

C₁₅H₂₆O

Chamomile's mild, sweet-floral terpene, released once the heat is off; it quiets the nervous system and settles the finish into an after-dinner calm.

HerbaceousCalming