Alright, so folks sometimes ask me what I do when I get that annoying seasonal cough or just feel a bit under the weather. It took me a while to land on things that actually seemed to make a difference for me, and one of them, surprisingly, has been Houttuynia. Yeah, that plant with the funny name and even funnier smell.
My First Brush with this… Pungent Plant
I used to get these awful coughs, the kind that hang around for weeks. You know the drill – doctor visits, various syrups, the whole nine yards. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they felt like a waste of time. Then my grandmother, who’s a goldmine of old-school wisdom, kept mentioning Houttuynia. She’d say, “You should try the fish herb!” I’d just nod and smile, thinking, “Sure, Grandma, another one of your pungent weeds.” Honestly, I was pretty dismissive. Anything that people called “fishy herb” didn’t exactly scream “healing” to me back then.
My skepticism wasn’t just about the smell. I’d always been more of a “give me the pills from the pharmacy” kind of guy. Natural remedies? Sounded a bit too airy-fairy for my liking. But life has a funny way of making you reconsider things.
Giving It a Real Shot – My Little Experiment
So, one particularly nasty winter, I was down with a cough that just wouldn’t quit. I was miserable, chugging cough syrup that did next to nothing, and generally feeling sorry for myself. Desperation, my friends, is a great motivator. I remembered Grandma’s “fish herb.” I thought, “Heck, what have I got to lose at this point? My dignity from smelling like a fish market?”
I actually went down to the local Asian grocery store, the kind that’s packed with all sorts of interesting, and sometimes intimidating, produce. And there it was – Houttuynia cordata, often just labeled “dokudami” or “fish mint.” And let me tell you, the name “fish mint” is no joke. It has a very distinct, strong aroma. Not exactly roses.
Grandma said you could eat it raw in salads or make a tea. Raw? I wasn’t quite there yet. So, tea it was. Here’s what I did, nothing fancy:
- I took a small handful of the fresh leaves – maybe 5-7 of them. Gave them a really good wash under cold water.
- Then I sort of just crushed them a bit in my hands. Not into a pulp, just enough to bruise them. I figured it would help release whatever good stuff was in there.
- Tossed them into a mug and poured boiling water over them.
- Let it sit, covered with a small plate, for about 10, maybe 15 minutes.
The tea itself? Well, the smell was still there, a bit earthy, a bit fishy. The taste was… an experience. Definitely an acquired taste. Not something you drink for pleasure like a nice Earl Grey, that’s for sure. But it wasn’t unbearable. More medicinal, I guess.
So, What Happened? My Observations
I started drinking a cup of this tea in the morning and another in the evening. I wasn’t expecting a miracle cure. But, and this is just my personal experience, after about three or four days, I noticed my cough wasn’t as violent. It felt a bit looser, if that makes sense. It wasn’t gone, but it felt like it was on its way out, rather than just stubbornly camping in my chest.
I kept this up for about a week and a half, and that dreadful cough, the one that had been my unwelcome companion, actually cleared up. Was it solely the Houttuynia? Who knows for sure. Maybe it was a coincidence. But it was the first time in a long while that a cough like that resolved without me feeling like I had to throw the whole pharmacy at it.
Since then, it’s become one of my go-to things. If I feel that first tickle of a sore throat, or if everyone around me is hacking away, I’ll brew some Houttuynia tea. It’s like my early warning system response now.
A Few More Bits and Pieces I’ve Picked Up
Over time, I’ve gotten a bit braver. I sometimes chop up a few fresh leaves and toss them into a big bowl of salad, especially those Asian-style salads with lots of herbs. The strong flavor gets diluted a bit, and it adds a certain… zing. You definitely know it’s in there!
I’ve also heard from others that some people use the crushed leaves as a poultice for skin irritations or insect bites. Haven’t had the need to try that one myself, thankfully. My main use has always been for those respiratory grumbles.
So, that’s my journey with Houttuynia. It’s not a magic bullet, and I’m no doctor. This is just what I found works for me, a regular guy trying to get through the seasons without too much drama. It smells weird, it tastes weird, but hey, sometimes the weird stuff is what helps. Give it a try if you’re curious, or don’t. It’s just one more tool in the shed for me now.
