Motherwort

Health Benefits

The old record — chungwija (茺蔚子). The Donguibogam lists the seed in its Herb section as Chungwija (motherwort seed) and records the Korean name as amnunbiyat psi, an old Hangul spelling in which psi means seed. It sets down the alternative names ingmocho and yacheonma. The nature is given as slightly warm, with a note that some call it cool, and the taste as pungent and sweet with no toxicity. It grows everywhere, the entry says, with leaves like hemp, a square stem and purple flowers; a second description is set alongside, of leaves like perilla, flowers borne between the nodes, and seed black like cockscomb seed. Stems and leaves are cut on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and dried in the shade, kept from sun and fire and away from iron vessels, and the seed is gathered in the ninth lunar month. What an old medical text wrote differs from how it is judged today.

Alkaloids of the genus Leonurus. Alkaloids such as leonurine and stachydrine have been isolated from Leonurus species in repeated analyses, and are treated as phytochemical markers for the group. These are compositional analyses and have no bearing on disease.

Where the names come from. Ingmocho (益母草) and yacheonma (野天麻) are alternative names the original entry sets down itself. The original also shows the split by which the seed is called chungwija while the whole plant is called ingmocho. This concerns how the names are used.

Nutrition

• Leonurine (an alkaloid reported in the genus Leonurus) — treated as a marker compound for the group
• Stachydrine (leaves and stems) — an alkaloid widely reported in the mint family
• Flavonoids (leaves and flowers) — a compound group involved in both bitterness and colour

Bitterness comes first Motherwort is not a plant eaten as a namul; the bitterness stays and is worked around. A mouthful of the fresh juice is hard going, and a strong decoction of the dried herb is no easier. Steep it weak and drink small amounts, and be careful about burying the bitterness under sugar, which mostly means drinking more of it.

Alkaloids of the genus Leonurus Analyses repeatedly report the isolation of alkaloids such as leonurine and stachydrine from Leonurus species. They are treated as marker compounds for the group. This entry stays with the compositional record.

How it is dried The Donguibogam says to dry it in the shade, away from sun and fire, and shade-drying is still how the aroma and colour are kept. Spread in the sun the leaves bleach yellow, and hard heat drives off the aromatics. Once bone dry, seal it and keep it somewhere cool.

The note about iron vessels The original text says iron vessels are to be avoided. Materials high in tannins and polyphenols still darken on contact with iron, something any cook meets, so glass or enamel keeps the colour lighter. This entry goes only as far as where the old note and present-day kitchen experience overlap.

Pairings

○ A weak infusion — Use a pinch of the shade-dried leaf and stem and steep three minutes in hot water. Steeped longer, the bitterness climbs sharply. In summer it is often brewed, cooled and drunk a little at a time.

○ A few jujubes or a slice of licorice — Because the bitterness is strong, simmering it with a few jujubes or a slice of licorice root is a long-standing practice. A little sweetness makes it far easier to drink. Licorice is a herbal material, though, so do not layer it on top of prescribed medicine. Jujube · Licorice

○ Fresh juice let down with honey water — The juice pressed from cut stems and leaves is hard to take neat. Let it down with honey water or cold water and keep the quantity small. Juice spoils quickly, so use it at once and keep none back.

△ Not during pregnancy — Motherwort has long been handed down as a plant not used during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, take neither the juice nor the infusion. The same applies while breastfeeding or while taking prescribed medicine: do not start it on your own, and tell your clinician first if it matters to you.

△ Gathering at the roadside — three things must all match — Motherwort grows thickly along roads and field margins, which is exactly where herbicide and exhaust land. Do not gather beside traffic or on margins that have been sprayed. When you do pick, three things must all match: a square stem, leaves set opposite each other, and flowers ringing the stem at the nodes. The mint family holds many look-alikes, so if even one point fails, leave it.

△ Strong decoctions drunk over long periods — Avoid boiling a bitter herb strong and drinking it in place of water for weeks. There is no established figure for how much, for how long. Keep it to a weak infusion drunk briefly in season, and stop at once if anything feels wrong.

Varieties

• Motherwort (Leonurus japonicus) (seed) — The common species in Korean fields, flowering pale pink to purple
• Songjangpul (Leonurus macranthus) (seed) — Another species of the same genus. Larger, paler flowers and less divided leaves
• European motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) (seed) — A separate species from Europe. Garden plantings are sometimes this one