Drinking chamomile can soothe the heart, and using it as a face mask can even treat allergies.

A while ago, a friend gave Shaoyao a box of flower tea, and it just sat there because she never remembered to drink it, since the house already had far too much coffee, tea leaves and flower tea.

Then one night, for no reason at all, she was wide awake and couldn't sleep, so she turned on the light, opened a book, and casually brewed a cup of the flower tea her friend had given her. It was chamomile, and her heart calmed down along with it, and she slept soundly all night.

The next day, I looked through the entire family history of chamomile. Tsk tsk tsk, what a remarkable little flower it is. Tonight, please watch the special program "Into Chamomile" brought to you by Shaoyao, revealing 101 uses for chamomile.

What a wonderful world

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{Miss Shaoyao Vol.878 }

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The herb of the moon

Chamomile flowers look like daisies, and seem no different from the wild chrysanthemums growing in clusters by the roadside, with the classic "chrysanthemum insider" look:

white petals with a dazzling yellow center,

green leaves that feel fuzzy to the touch,

and a slender, soft stem.

Just by looking at the flowers, you really can't tell daisies and chamomile apart.

Chamomile: I have my own personality too, you know

Chamomile generally grows 30 cm tall,

with pinnately parted leaves, and the lobes are fine and narrow,

while daisies grow only 10 cm tall,

with leaves like oval spoons and rounded, blunt tips.

Chamomile Daisy

Chamomile originated in the UK and is cultivated in places such as Germany, France and Morocco, and it is distributed across most regions of China. Because of different places of origin and different effects, chamomile is divided into two types:German chamomile and Roman chamomile。

German chamomile has smaller flowers and protruding centers.

In the later stages of blooming, the petals droop,

like a pair of folded wings, ready to fly.

Unlike other floral scents, both types of chamomile have the fragrance of apples,People in ancient Greece called chamomile the "apple fairy," and later, because chamomile had miraculous healing effects, it was called "the apple of the ground."。

When Shaoyao was little, she watched an animated series called "The Little Mole," and one episode told the story of chamomile:

The mole's little friend the mouse got sick, so he asked the owl to treat the mouse. The owl said that as long as they found Matricaria chamomilia (the Latin scientific name of German chamomile), the mouse's illness could be cured. To save his friend, the mole ran all over the world looking for this plant, and in the end discovered it was growing right by his own front door.

At the end of the story, the little mole and the mouse cut the chamomile flowers, put them in a cup and brewed them with hot water. After drinking the chamomile tea, the mouse recovered from its illness.

In the animation, chamomile is a flower full of warmth, and in reality it is the same. In ancient times, when medical conditions were poor, people suffered from skin allergies and various inflammations, and chamomile was like a "divine herb" sent by God to save humanity.

The ancient Egyptians offered chamomile to the sun because it could treat fever, and some ancient texts say it is"the herb of the moon", because it has a cooling effect.

In Rome in the 16th century, people already used chamomile in large quantities to reduce inflammation and soothe body and mind. Around the 17th century, all of Europe used it to treat insomnia, back pain and neuralgia.

Nowadays, Europeans love chamomile tea. Compared with other flower teas, chamomile tea is not exactly tasty, and even has a slightly bitter flavor, but it is a true powerhouse!

Before some beauty salons in Europe and America begin, they pour everyone present a cup of chamomile tea, which helps guests relax and feel happy.

Chamomile is brewed in a way similar to ordinary chrysanthemum,

pick the fully bloomed chamomile, sun-dry or air-dry it,

the small white flowers shrink into shriveled little balls,

then just pour boiling water over them.

If you don't like the taste of chamomile,

add two spoonfuls of honey, delicious~

Feeling excited or anxious before bed,

drink a cup of chamomile tea,

it can ease worry and calm the mind,

and is very helpful for insomnia.

The British believe that chamomile tea also helps strengthen the stomach, protect the liver, promote digestion, reduce inflammation and clear internal heat.

Plants themselves have healing effects. A cup of tea may not have an immediate effect, butit has a gentle power that slowly seeps into the bottom of our hearts and becomes a considerate companion for us in the city.

Boil chamomile in a pot to make tea liquid, and there are even more uses.

Filter out the flowers and keep the clear tea liquid, soak a face mask sheet in the tea liquid and apply it to the face. It has a good soothing and calming effect, helps shrink pores, and also has an after-sun repair effect.

In autumn and winter, add the tea liquid to bathwater to hydrate, moisturize and nourish the skin. Adding chamomile tea liquid to a baby's bath can eliminate prickly heat and calm and reduce inflammation.

Using it to wash hair works well too. It not only removes dandruff and relieves itching, but also nourishes dry, damaged hair and protects the hair roots.

Let the chamomile left after brewing cool, then use it to the eyes; it can relieve eye fatigue and also reduce dark circles.

So we often see chamomile in skincare and personal care products. The most familiar is German chamomile hand cream, cheap and generously sized, with no fault other than the cream being too thick.

In skincare products, Roman chamomile is used more widely, while German chamomile is used less. This is because the essential oil extracted from it does not smell very pleasant; some say it smells like cough syrup, and others say it smells like straw,but in medicinal effects such as soothing nerves, calming and anti-allergy, it is superior to Roman chamomile.

Chamomile essential oil is extremely precious,1 kg of German chamomile can yield only about 2 grams of essential oil. In order to extract more essential oil, when foreigners grow chamomile, it really is a sea of flowers~

But, such a beautiful sea of flowers,

when chamomile matures at the turn of spring and summer,

the "flower farmers" drive their "harvesters,"

and harvest the sea of flowers just like harvesting wheat,

seeing such a scene, the hearts of plant lovers collapse

After German chamomile is distilled and its essential oil extracted, it produces the precious "chamazulene," which means that although you cannot find the slightest bit of blue in the whole flower of this chamomile, the essential oil extracted from it is blue.

This blue essential oil is one of the gentlest essential oils, very suitable for children. It is called a substitute for lavender essential oil, and it has even more uses and effects than lavender:

Put a drop in an aroma diffuser to relieve headaches and migraines;

Put a drop in hot water for soaking feet to promote circulation and invigorate the blood;

Before bed, put a few drops of essential oil by the pillow to help with sleep, effective for long-term insomnia;

Put a drop of essential oil on a damp cloth wrapped around ice cubes to relieve toothache;

Put 3-4 drops of essential oil to use as a cold compress for treating muscle and tendon sprains;

Add it to everyday skincare products, and it also has a very good after-sun repair and calming, soothing effect on the skin;

……

In short, it is an all-purpose essential oil, no mistake~

Having said so much about the uses of chamomile, food lovers definitely can't sit still. So can it be eaten? Is it tasty? How do you eat it?

Perhaps because fresh chamomile is relatively scarce in China, common Chinese "flower-eating" recipes such as scrambled eggs with it or deep-fried chamomile are not many, but there are some special ways to eat it that look very delicious too~

Crush a small amount of dried chamomile flowers into powder,

and you can sprinkle it on desserts and oatmeal,

stir evenly, and it has a light apple fragrance.

Boil mint leaves and chamomile in water to make tea liquid,

add rock sugar and lemon juice, and simmer into a thick syrup,

it can be used as medicine by steeping in water,

or used as jam spread on bread, and it tastes quite good too.

Add lemon and honey to chamomile tea,

or add your favorite fruit or fruit juice,

freeze it into popsicles, and it feels as if you have walked into a sea of chamomile flowers.

When baking bread or muffins,

spread a little chamomile on the surface and put it into the oven together,

the apple fragrance of chamomile will blend into the bread,

the wheat aroma is mixed with fruity fragrance, and the surface is flowers too,

both visually and in taste it is a wonderful experience.

No wonder foreigners absolutely love chamomile; it really is a gentle "all-purpose herb."

At this very moment, I am no longer satisfied with the chamomile tea in front of me; I want to immediately unleash its light and heat! What should I do first? I might as well apply a face mask, and then...

At nightfall, some people are anxious, some are excited,

I brew a cup of chamomile tea,

resting against the early autumn wind, bathed in fragrance all over,

the night is not yet deep, but I have already begun to dream.

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The images in this article are from instagram.