Valerian Root Tea

Valerian tea is made from the dried root of Valeriana officinalis, a perennial native to Europe and western Asia. It smells strongly and tastes earthy, woody and bittersweet. Steeped in a covered teapot at 95°C for ten to fifteen minutes, then strained.

Origin & Story

Valerian is the herb everyone warns you about. Open a tin of dried root and the smell arrives like a slap: damp earth, old cheese, a musty, almost animal pungency. That smell has been noticed for two thousand years. The physician Galen called one odorous species phu, a word that says it all, and Dioscorides used the same name.

The odor comes from isovaleric acid and related compounds that form as the root dries, the same acid found in aged cheese. Cats respond to valerian much as they do to catnip, which is why a valerian plant in a garden can draw more attention from the neighborhood cats than from you.

Valeriana officinalis is a perennial native to Europe and western Asia, with clusters of small pale flowers on tall stems. The name is usually traced to the Latin valere, to be strong or well, and the root has a long record in European herbal tradition.

As a tea it is an acquired taste. The root is earthy and woody, with a bittersweet edge, and the usual advice is to cover the cup so the volatile compounds stay in, to steep for about ten minutes at around 90 to 95°C, and to blend it with something stronger, such as peppermint, ginger or lemon balm, if the smell puts you off.

Steep 3 g of valerian root in 240 ml of water at 95°C for ten to fifteen minutes in a covered pot, and strain.

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