Wormwood: The essentials summarized
- Great Wormwood (lat. artemisia absinthium) is the plant that gives Absinthe its name.
- Wormwood belongs to the genus of Asteraceae.
- Various types of wormwood exist. Common mugwort (artemisia vulgaris), for example, is well-known in cooking.
- The wormwood plant grows in dry regions, preferably on barren, stony soils.
Wormwood and its uses
Wormwood is used in many ways, including in the production of the spirit Absinthe, various herbal bitters, and the wine aperitif of the same name, Vermouth. But already in ancient times, the plant was considered a remedy. A tea brewed from the leaves was considered an effective remedy against stomach cramps and nausea, as the bitter substances contained therein stimulate stomach function.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the drink Absinthe and thus wormwood increasingly fell into disrepute. It was assumed that excessive Absinthe consumption led to mental confusion and even hallucinations, which was attributed to the neurotoxin thujone contained in wormwood. High doses and prolonged use were said to result in irreversible nerve and brain damage. However, newer studies from the 21st century refute this harmful effect of Absinthe drinking. Rather, it is assumed that any side effects occurring when consuming a few glasses of Absinthe can mainly be attributed to the very high alcohol content of Absinthe, ranging from 45% to 74%. In addition, the then widespread "cheap" Absinthe brands often contained toxic chemicals such as methanol, copper sulfate, and zinc sulfate. These were often used to artificially color Absinthe green, which was cheaper and easier than using natural coloring herbs.
Etymology of the term
The English name for the wormwood plant is "wormwood". Etymologically, the name is derived from the Old English name "wermod". This indicates that wormwood was attributed anti-parasitic properties. Thus, the plant was used in the Middle Ages against intestinal worms. Hildegard von Bingen even called wormwood "master over all exhaustion." Another property of wormwood is its extremely bitter taste. And so it is not surprising that the so-called "Wermutstropfen" (wormwood drop) colloquially stands for a bitter, sad event. In this context, wormwood is a synonym for pain or something unpleasant.
The Wormwood plant
Wormwood grows in lush bushes that can reach a height of 1-1.5 m. The individual shoots sprout from a horizontally growing root. The stems of the wormwood plant are densely covered with delicate leaves. Wormwood leaves have a dull green to silvery-glistening color. On the upper side, they have small, fine hairs. The inflorescences are small buds with yellow petals. They open between late July and September and are located mainly along the upper stem section. Due to their small size, they appear rather inconspicuous visually. Their scent is also rather subtle. While a wormwood bush smells distinctly tart and spicy, this scent comes mainly from the leaves. For the distillation of absinthe, therefore, ideally only the leaves without flowers are used.
We hope you enjoyed our blog post about wormwood and absinthe. With that in mind, best regards and see you soon in the world of absinthe!
Mike from the ALANDIA Team
