Herbs

This category contains loose botanical herbs. It concerns dried plant material of various species, from seed to root and leaf, plus blends in which several dried herbs are combined. Some herbs are sold by weight, for example per 20 or 25 grams, and a few are also available as a capsule. The label states the botanical name, the net weight and the batch number.

The plants and the plant parts

Guaraná (Paullinia cupana) is a climbing plant from the Amazon region of Brazil. The plant bears clusters of fruit that split open when ripe, revealing the seed. That seed is the plant part that is processed. After drying it is ground into a fine brown powder. Guaraná is available loose by weight and in capsule form.

The kola nut comes from the kola tree (Cola nitida and Cola acuminata), a tree from the tropical forests of West Africa. What is called the kola nut is botanically the seed from the fruit. Dried, the material is reddish-brown to light brown and is offered in pieces, ground or as a capsule.

Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) is a perennial plant with felty leaves and light pink flowers. The root is used. It is peeled, cut into pieces and dried. The root is light in colour and contains a lot of mucilage, plant carbohydrates that bind water.

Papaya leaf consists of finely ground and dried leaves. There are also blends, in which several dried leaves and flower parts are coarsely cut and mixed together. The label states which species are incorporated.

How to recognise quality

• Colour: fresh and even, not grey or faded. Discolouration indicates light or age.
• Smell: clearly present and typical of the species. Musty or sour indicates moisture.
• Structure: recognisable whole parts such as pieces of root, leaf or seed. A lot of fine grit at the bottom indicates residual material.
• Dryness: the material should break and not bend or stick.
• Purity: no stalks, sand or foreign parts among the herb.

Loose herb or capsule

You weigh loose herb yourself and you see exactly what you have. A capsule contains a fixed amount of ground herb in a casing of plant cellulose or gelatine, and is tasteless. Ground material loses its scent faster than whole parts, because the surface area is larger.

Storage

Dried plant material is sensitive to light, heat, oxygen and moisture. Store the herbs dark and dry, at room temperature or cooler, in a well-closed packaging. Avoid the fridge, because condensation brings moisture into the material.

We have a laboratory analysis made of every batch. It states, among other things, the botanical identity, the moisture content and the purity. There is a batch number on the packaging. Give us that number and we'll send the corresponding report.