Mandrake: Magical Roots in History

Though this plant is unfit for consumption, it deserves special mention.

Shrouded in mystery and lore, Mandrake, one of the most important magical plants of the Middle Ages, has been all but forgotten. The myths and tales that have followed this notorious human-shaped root through the Ages have been dispelled. However, recent films, such as "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Harry Potter" have brought it back into the limelight once again.

The Greek name from which the word mandrake stems is 'Mandragora', which simply implies that it is a plant which is harmful to cattle. Some of its infamous nicknames include Satan's Apple and Love Apple, due to its sweet apple-scented fruits.  It is in the same botanical family as the the edible tomato, potato and eggplant (deadly nightshade) and originates in the eastern Mediterranean region. It can be found throughout southern Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa. Mandrake Mythology  Mandrake has long been used in magic rituals. It's said to be a key ingredient in love magic and a bringer of luck if worn in an amulet. It is still used today in contemporary pagan traditions such as Wicca.  It contains hallucinogenic alkaloids and the roots have bifurcations, or divisions, which can cause them to resemble human figures. According to legend, when the root is dug up it screams and kills all who hear it. Literature includes complex directions for harvesting a mandrake root in relative safety.

Josephus (c. AD 37 – c. 100) gives the following directions for pulling it up:

A furrow must be dug around the root until its lower part is exposed, then a dog is tied to it, after which the person tying the dog must get away. The dog then tries to follow him, and so easily pulls up the root, but dies suddenly instead of his master. After this, the root can be handled without fear. 

The Doctrine of Signatures

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  The Doctrine of Signatures is a philosophy of medicinal plant use embraced until the 17th century, dictating that plants are used to treat problems based on the part of the human body the plant resembles. For example, the idea that walnuts, which resemble the brain, help improve memory (and has been proven). Since the mandrake root resembles a human body, it was considered useful for curing sterility and many other diseases. 

  
  

  
  
  Medieval Medicinal Uses 

  
  

  Today it is not used medicinally, but Mandrake was known to have narcotic properties and was often used as an anaesthetic for surgical procedures. The ancients were well aware of the fact that this powerful little plant could be dangerous if taken in excessive quantities and that the sleep it helped to induce could become a permanent state of being. However, since in those days safe and effective anaesthetics were not so easy to come by they felt compelled to experiment with the most promising plants they knew. 

Mandrake, along with Poppy, Thornapple, Henbane and Belladonna, produced positive results if one could get the dosage just right. The preferred method of administration was to make a concoction of some or all of these plants and let the patient inhale the vapors via a sponge, which if done properly, would induce a profound sleep so the surgeon could go about his business of cutting and sawing off limbs. Thank goodness for modern medicine!



Interested in growing your very own Mandrake plant?

Visit Hermione's Garden


Mandrake potting scene from "Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets"

Saffron: Threads of Gold

A Spanish Flavor 

Having lived in Spain for over a decade, one locally-produced spice that I've become accustomed to seeing on the store shelves is "azafrán", which is derived from the Persian word  za'ferân. Spaniards aren't known for enjoying strongly spiced foods, but the mild metallic honey-like flavor of saffron is a mandatory ingredient in a true paella and other traditional dishes. The luminous golden color and aroma it exudes makes them especially tempting.

Why is it so expensive?   

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. 
Fortunately, only a small amount needs to be added to a dish to appreciate its color and aroma. Derived from the dried stigmas of the purple saffron crocus flower (Crocus sativus), it takes between 50,000 and 100,000 flowers to make just one pound of saffron (about 70,000 and 200,000 strands), depending on the variety. 
Moreover, the flowers have to be individually hand-picked in the autumn when fully open. In Kashmir, during the harvest, thousands of growers must work continuously in relays over the span of one or two weeks throughout both day and night.

The traditional method of drying involves spreading the fresh stigmas over screens of fine mesh, which are then baked over hot coals or wood or in oven-heated rooms for 10–12 hours. Afterwards, the dried spice is preferably sealed in airtight glass containers. Bulk quantities of lower-grade saffron can reach upwards of US$500 per pound; retail costs for small amounts may exceed ten times that rate. In Western countries the average retail price is US$1,000 per pound.

How to spot a fake?

Due to the handsome prices it demands, there are many adulterated and fake products being dyed to imitate saffron. To determine whether or not what you have bought is fake or adulterated immerse a bit of the product in warm water or milk. If the liquid colors immediately, then the saffron is fake. Genuine saffron must soak in either warm water or milk for at least 10 to 15 minutes before its deep red-gold color and the saffron aroma begin to develop.

Saffron's Uses

Records detailing the use of saffron go back to ancient Egypt and Rome where it was used as a dye, in perfumes, as a drug, as well as for culinary purposes. It reached China in the 7th century and spread through Europe in the Middle Ages. Saffron is still used to dye Buddhist monks' robes today (see photo).

Nowadays, most saffron is imported from Iran and Spain, which are recognized as producing the best quality, but it can also be found in Egypt, Kashmir, Morocco and Turkey. Varieties from Spain, including  "Spanish Superior" and "Creme", are generally mellower in color, flavor and aroma. The Italian varieties are slightly more potent than Spanish, and the most intense varieties   are Iranian.                                                                                              

                                                                                                                       

Documentation has been found of saffron's use over the span of 4,000 years in the treatment of some 90 illnesses. Saffron-based pigments have also been discovered in 50,000 year-old depictions of prehistoric places in northwest Iran. The Sumerians used wild-growing saffron in their remedies and magical potions. Saffron threads would be scattered across beds and mixed into hot teas as a curative for bouts of melancholy. During his Asian campaigns, Alexander the Great used Persian saffron in his infusions, rice, and baths as a curative for battle wounds. 

As far as its culinary uses, saffron is widely used in Indian, Persian, European, Arab and Turkish cuisines - ranging from the Milanese risotto of Italy to the bouillabaisse of France to the biryani in South Asia.

Some Healing Benefits

Saffron has a long medicinal history as part of traditional healing; several modern research studies have hinted that the spice has possible anti-carcinogenic (cancer-suppressing) and antioxidant-like properties.  It can also be used as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, for treatment of depression and to decrease PMS symptoms.

It has also been reported to stop blindness and treat eye disease.

See article:  http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/17/Saffron-could-stopping-blindness-and-cure-eye-disease.aspx

Want to experiment with this versatile uplifting spice? 
Check out these recipes:

Healthy saffron recipes

Khoudenjal (aka "Moroccan Viagra")

Khoudenjal or " Moroccan Viagra" is sold outside mosques, and specifically Djmaa El Fna (the main square), in Marrakech. The medicinal qualities of this drink have been proven. However, its aphrodisiacal properties are still up for debate.

A recent excursion to Marrakech inspired me to investigate a delicious spicy potion that can be found in the midst of the bustling Djmaa el Fna - a square whose name roughly translates to "Assembly of the Dead". Dubbed "Moroccan Viagra" or "Poor Viagra" by the locals, one can easily imagine the intended purposed of this potent tea formally known as Khoudenjal.

The seller boils the spice blend with water in a large copper pot (see photo). The infusion is served piping hot in a glass, and often accompanied with a scoop or two of a sweet dry pudding, covered with toasted sesame seeds, with an equally strong, spicy taste. 


Khoudenjal is a sweet infusion made of lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum), along with a handful of other flavorful spices, which include cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, mace, black pepper and star anise. 

Galangal is a medicinal plant imported from Asia and is closely related to ginger. The rhizome resembles ginger, but is more slender and darker in color. These two roots have a similar scent and flavor and have been used similarly for medicinal purposes. In regards to its medicinal qualities, it fights against fungi and helps eliminate gas and nausea. 

This spice was well-known in European medieval cooking. Considering the fact that galangal was first introduced to Europe about a thousand years ago, it is extremely surprising how little it is known today. The word galangal is probably derived from the Arabic translation of its Chinese name, liang-tiang, which means “mild ginger”. 

Arab traders first brought it back from Southeast Asia, but it wasn't until about 200 years ago that it was botanically identified.

Galangal has also long been regarded as an aphrodisiac and stimulant that was used for men and horses to make them "spunkier". Having almost sunk into oblivion from its previous eminent position, this rhizome has recently made a come back, via the backdoor of Chinese and Asian eateries that have sprung up in all parts of Europe and North America over past three decades. And thus, these days it is more commonly known and used as a spice than as a medicine. 

So, is Khoudenjal really an aphrodisiac? 

A study by the Moroccan Association for Protection and Guidance of Consumers (AMPOC) refuted this claim. Bouazza Kherrati, President of the association, said that "vendors of Khoudenjal are wrong to attribute aphrodisiac properties and call it a natural "Viagra". No scientific study has determined that finding. And if the consumer feels that this product stimulates sexual desire in him, this is because the vendor has added Viagra or other chemicals to his magic potion." 

Personally, I didn't experience these aphrodisiacal effects, but its intoxicating spicy warmth on a cool night was just as satisfying :)

    Toasting to Mohammed's fine blend at Chez Mohammed (stall #71)

In spice heaven at a local shop in the medina (old city)