Mugwort. Its name doesn’t sound very appetising, but we assure you that it is. Flavour-wise, it sits somewhere between rosemary and sage, with a warm bitterness that makes it a great herb for adding to a roast dinner or any dish where herbs blend into the background. On this occasion, however, we recommend trying its flowers as a tea for drinking before bed. It is high in vitamin C, it eases digestion and stomach cramps, and it is even said to encourage lucid dreams - the perfect brew to provide a good night’s sleep!

Mugwort grows all over the country and is a perennial plant that can be found along footpaths, roadsides or woodland edges. The best time to pick flowers and leaves is in the middle of summer, before the plant has gone to seed and the leaves become unpleasantly bitter. Fun fact: before the introduction of hops into brewing, mugwort was one of the most popular bittering agents to use when brewing beer!

We recommend using a teapot and allowing the tea to infuse for 4-5 minutes. Alternatively, use an infuser or a non-cotton tea bag and make directly in your favourite mug. The portion size is enough for one teapot or three cups.

p.s. this should not be consumed by those who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.