Indian Borage for Curing Coughs

I have been travelling about so that is why the blog is a bit slow on the updates. Well I had gone home to Banting to visit my parents and to indulge in mom's homecooked food for a few days. I also learnt from her how to make vinegared pig trotters, a recipe I am going to share with you in the next few days.

Fresh vanilla pods!

After visiting my parents, I had come home for two weeks before I was packing again. This time, Nic and I were going to Kerala, India. This visit was with a client as he had wanted to visit some organic farms and farmers in the Wayanad region of Kerala.

The climate in Kerala is just like our Malaysian climate. We were lucky that when we were there, the rains didn't start yet. I heard that it is flooding now in Kerala and travel may be hindered.

Pepper, grown organically in Kerala

Kerala is famous for ayurvedic treatments and clinics. Health is a top priority for the people of Kerala. They pay a lot of attention to herbs and plants for medicinal purposes besides using yoga and other holistic treatments for health problems.

Lemongrass oil, camphor oil, castor oil and more in an Indian supermarket

In fact their supermarket sells a lot of oils, remedies and balms made with herbs and plants. Even their soaps are made with herbs!

All sorts of herbal remedies for coughs

Anyway, while visiting an Indian farmer who planted pepper and vanilla, among other crops, I saw that he also planted a pot of Indian borage. I've had more than a mild interest in Indian borage because I was introduced to this plant/herb not too long ago by a friend here in Penang. She had given me a cutting and my Indian borage now thrives in my garden.

This herb is pungent and smells a bit like oregano. Therefore it also goes by the name Local Oregano. I believe the Filipinos call it Oregano.

It is an easy plant to grow as long as its cutting has taken root. I noticed it also loves the sun as it has bloomed really well in the morning sun.

Why do I like this plant so much? Like my TCM herbs, this herb is useful for coughs and for asthmatic conditions. It is also useful for clearing dandruff, encouraging lactation in breastfeeding moms and helps with sore throats.

As I had just come home from Kerala with a dry cough, I decided to cure myself with some of my own homegrown Indian borage.

I plucked 2 leaves off the plant, crushed them and put them into a small pot with 1 cup of water to boil for 5 minutes. Once cooled to touch, stir in 2 teaspoons of honey. Drink warm.

I believe it is helping my cough as I am coughing less as I type this now. I will drink another decoction later this evening.

If you want to know how the plant looks like and what else you can use it for, this helpful article is all you need.

Astralagus Tea (Huang Qi) For Liver, Kidneys and Immunity

I recently bought a small container of wild astralagus slices when I was back home in Banting to visit my dad. There's really nothing much to do in Banting except spend time with my dad or take him out for breakfast of bak kut teh or nasi lemak. The nearest and most interesting place is Tanjung Sepat which is a seaside village that has become rather prosperous due to the influx of local tourists from other parts of Selangor or even other states. Many come to Tanjung Sepat for its fresh seafood and fish and the seafood restaurants are a big attraction. There's also a scenic spot called the Lovers' Bridge which in the 1990s was a rickety, almost falling down wooden bridge jutting out to sea. This is where the fishing sampan or fishing boats would moor and have their catch hauled up to the shore. I am not sure if this bridge was demolished but the bridge is no longer there. A little further down is now a man-made cement bridge that juts out to sea. Tourists can walk out to

Have You Seen Curry Leaf Berries?

Ripe berries or fruits from my 9 foot curry leaf tree. This is a photo of the ripe fruits from my 9 foot curry leaf tree or known scientifically as Murraya koenigii . Yes, most curry leaf plants are about human height. Mine is a bit special because when it was still a young sapling, I used a lot of my own homemade compost . It had so much of nutrients that it started growing taller and taller. Right now, it is shading the compost pots! Which means I am cooler when I stand under this tree to do my daily composting. You see how wonderful it all works out to be? Because these berries attract the Asian koel (black birds with fiery red eyes which make the annoying loud "ku-yo, ku-yo" sounds), the curry leaf seeds get propagated everywhere. Yet some drop right under the tree and start growing. I have a curry leaf sapling attack haha. I keep pulling the saplings up as there's just too many. Besides throwing them into my curries (my most

24 Herb Tea - Bitter, Foul-Tasting But Oh So Good For You!

Was out running a couple of errands this entire afternoon and ended up buying groceries at the nearby supermarket. If I had a choice I wouldn't go into this decade-old supermarket because it's small, cramped and you tend to knock into other shoppers with your trolley (yes, the aisles are that narrow). Nic and I figured that we might as well buy our groceries since we were in this vicinity and he did need some coffee. Finally we ended up with a trolley full of cheese, butter, coffee and noodles. Anyway, I was getting thirsty after all the errands and shopping. We decided to stop and have a drink at this stall which sells Chinese herbal tea. This uncle who mans it is actually a Hong Kong native who has been living in Malaysia for a long time. He drives a little white van which he parks at the corner of a junction and opens up for business. You see, he sells hot and cold Chinese herbal teas of all types - the kind that is slowly boiled and brewed. It's common to see Mal

The Soup Queen

Search This Blog