Description: Chamomile can undoubtedly be considered the most popular medicine praised since ancient times for its mildly sedative medicinal properties.
The Egyptians consecrated it even to the Sun God (Papyrus Ebers), exactly in recognition of its medicinal virtues. The delicate scent of „apple" of the plant probably induced the Greeks to call it Khamaimelon, which in late Greek actually meant „creeping apple".
The name Matricaria instead (the scientific name of the plant is Matricaria Chamomilla L.) meant in late Latin the frequent use that were made of the plant to treat female disorders. Castore Durante, doctor of the sixteenth century, in fact repeatedly quoted it as an irreplaceable remedy for disorders of „Madrice". „Reduces the pain of the bladder and the uterus", he said, „... it is helpful to women in childbirth and causes menstruating ....". But already at that time it were known the most important properties of Chamomile, namely the mildly sedative and antispasmodic action directed especially to the digestive tract.
Chamazulene and its derivatives, contained in large quantities in the essential oil extracted from the flower heads are the responsible active ingredients for this nerv soothing and antispasmodic action. This explains why the frequent use of the plant in digestive disorders and in painful and emotional states (especially childhood) gives satisfactory results. To speak of a digestive Grappa made by Chamomile is therefore more than ever suitable.
Notes: To gurgle with camomile infusion is useful for throat pains. Compresses from Camomile are benefits in case of eye infections. In the cosmetics chamomile is used for decongestive masks and for burns, caused by sunburn at the beach or in the mountains.
Ingredients: First Grappa: - 1 liter of Grappa - 50 g fresh chamomile flower heads - 5 g orange zest - some brown sugar
Second Grappa: - 100 g fresh chamomile flower heads - some cinnamon bark - some grains of coriander - the yellow part of Limone - 300 g sugar
Preparation: Two excellent digestive liquor can be prepared easily by mixing Chamomile and various ingredients in different quantities in a liter of Grappa. One of them, the most simple to prepare, is made of 50 g of fresh flower heads, 5 g of orange peel and some brown sugar already melted. The other, more aromatic, is prepared with 100 g of fresh flower heads, some cinnamon bark, some „grain" of coriander, the yellow part of a Lemon and 300 g sugar. For both Grappas the flowers must be collected at the beginning of flowering, so that the flower head remains complete, and left to rest in the sun (together with the other ingredients) for at least a month. After the filtration it is left to age for at least two months; later you can ensure good results.
