Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper (Capsicum minimum) is one of my favorite culinary and medicinal herbs. The word Capsicum is derived from the Greek “to bite,” which is a well-earned name. Cayenne is extremely spicy and a little bit goes a fair way towards warming even the coolest constitutions.Although cayenne is sharp to the tongue it is very gentle and nutritive to the body. It is a wonderful flu preventative. My favorite cayenne remedy is from Dian Dincin Buchman’s Herbal Medicine (p 22).2tsp cayenne pepper
1.5tsp sea salt
1 c boiling water
1 c apple cider vinegarAdd cayenne pepper and sea salt to boiling water. Steep and cool. Then add vinegar. Take 1 tbsp every half hour to assist the symptoms of a sore throat or general flu-like malaise.This particular recipe is highly effective. When a sore throat and pressure headache looms I eat bowls of garlic/onion soup with basil, parsley, and cayenne. And take shot glasses of anti-flu preventative every 30 minutes. Enjoy!Source: Buchman, Dian Dincin. Herbal Medicine. Wings Books. New York. 1979