Ingredients Glossary

Ashwagandha / Withania somnifera

Native to India through to South East Asia this short, perennial shrub is now grown throughout the world.

Ashwagandha is often referred to as Indian ginseng even though botanically, ginseng and Ashwagandha are unrelated. In Sanskrit, ashwa means ‘horse’ and gandha means ‘smell’ which refers to the root of the plant having a horse-like smell.

Astragalus / Astragalus membranaceus

Originally native to southeast Asia, this sprawling, hardy plant with pale yellow roots, is also referred to as Huang Qi or Milk Vetch.

Its Chinese name, Huang Qi, means “yellow leader” and refers to both the coloured interior of the root and the plant’s position of prestige among Chinese medicine practitioners. Astragalus root is one of the fundamental herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is regarded by some as the king of Chinese tonic herbs, often used as a Qi tonifying herb.

Black Cohosh / Actaea racemosa

Native North America and Canada, this perennial plant is grown throughout the world. Also referred to as Black Bugbane or Black Snakeroot this plant is recognised for its distinct flowers. Rather than petals or sepals, it consists of tight clusters of long stamens surrounding a white stigma. The flowers have a sweet smell, and its underground roots and rhizome system is used for medicinal purposes.

Devil’s Claw / Harpagophytum procumbens

Native to Southern Africa and now grown throughout the world, this leafy, perennial plant owes its ominous common name from the fruit’s tiny hook-like projections. It is believed that the hook-like structures are an adaptation to the plant to enable to cling to animals and birds to encourage seed distribution.

Devil’s Claw is a member of the sesame family. This flowering plant has secondary roots, called tubers, that grow out of the main roots. The roots and tubers contain several plant-active compounds and is used for medicinal purpose.

Dong Quai / Angelica polymorph

Native to China this aromatic perennial herb is now grown throughout the world. A relative to celery and a member of the parsley family, Dong Quai is a hardy plant that likes to grow in cold, damp and high-altitude regions.

Also known as ‘female ginseng’ in the Orient, Dong Quai root is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to help support female health.

Ginger / Zingiber officinale

Believed to have originated in southeast Asia, Ginger is a tropical loving plant which its root is grown worldwide for culinary and medicinal purposes.

The botanical name Zingiber originates from the Greek word zingiberis, which was derived from the Sanskrit word shringavera, meaning ‘shaped like a deer’s antler’, an acknowledgment to the shape of the root. Officinale is traditionally used to refer to a plant with health and medicinal properties that was sold in the apothecary.

Korean Ginseng / Panax Ginseng

Native to China, Korea and Siberia, this perennial plant is now grown throughout the world.

Its botanical name is derived from the Greek word panax meaning “all-healing” and is also referred to as Asian ginseng. The word ginseng is derived from the Chinese term rénshēn, meaning ‘essence of man’, a reference to the root’s characteristic forked shape, resembling the human body and the legs of a man. The part of the plant most frequently used for health purposes is the root.

Licorice / Glycyrrhiza glabra

Native to Asia and Southern Europe, this flowering plant is a member of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. This herbaceous perennial that has been used as a flavouring agent in foods and drinks, and medicinal remedies for thousands of years.

The botanical name, Glycyrrhiza is derived from the Greek words glykos meaning ‘sweet’ and rhiza meaning ‘root’.

Marshmallow / Althaea officinalis

Native to Europe, this perennial is now widely cultivated as an ornamental flower as well as for its medicinal properties (leaves, flowers and the root). The typical habitat for the Marshmallow plant is near marshes, riverbanks and other damp areas.

The botanical name Althaea is derived from the Greek word althein meaning “to heal” whilst Officinale is traditionally used to refer to a plant with health and medicinal properties that was sold in the apothecary.

Although the confectionary marshmallow does not contain the extract of the marshmallow plant, this was not always so. The original making of marshmallow included egg whites, sugar and the sticky contents of the marshmallow plant’s root – now evolved, today’s marshmallow no longer contains the plant’s extract.

Shatavari / Asparagus racemosus

Shatavari is native throughout Sri Lanka and India and now naturalised in other parts of the world.

With leaves like pine needles and small white flowers, this woody climber is a member of the common asparagus family Asparagaceae.

Its name Shatavari is derived from Sanskrit, shat means ‘100’ and vari meaning ‘root’ or ‘husband’, translating to “she who possesses a hundred husbands”. Implying its traditional use in Ayurvedic Medicine as an aphrodisiac.

Shiitake Mushroom / Lentinula elodes

Also referred to as Shaggy Mane, Lawyer’s Wig and Ink Cap, this culinary mushroom has a cylindrical white shaggy cap that becomes bell shaped as the mushroom matures. It favours growing in meadows and open woodlands and is commonly found in groups or long lines.

Siberian Ginseng / Eleutherococcus senticosus

Native to Russia through to China, this small, woody plant is now grown throughout the world.

Despite its name, it is not a member of the ginseng family rather the word ginseng is derived from the Chinese term rénshēn, meaning ‘essence of man’, a reference to the root’s characteristic forked shape, resembling the human body and the legs of a man.

Turmeric / Curcuma longa

Turmeric is a product of Curcuma longa, a flowering perennial plant belonging to the ginger family Zingiberaceae, which is native to tropical South Asia. This broad-leaf tropical looking plant is now widely cultivated and goes by different names in different cultures and countries, including by its Chinese name, Yu Jin or by its Sanskrit name, Haldi.

The name turmeric derives from the Latin word terra merita meaning “meritorious earth”, referring to the colour of ground turmeric, which resembles a mineral pigment.

Valerian / Valeriana officinalis

Native to Europe through to western Asia, and now grown throughout the world, this tall perennial topped with clusters of small pale pink to white flowers is also referred to as Garden Heliotrope, Common Valerian or All-Heal.

The etymology surrounding its botanical name has been a source of disagreement. One common belief comes from the derivation of the Latin word valeo, meaning ‘I am well’. It is also thought to originate from the Latin verb valere, meaning ‘to be strong’. Contrary to popular belief, the herb’s name may not have Latin roots, rather it has been suggested it shares an etymological connection to where it was first discovered, in the Roman province belonging to the Valerius clan.