Polish Herbs, Flowers & Folk Medicine: Revised Edition

by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab

“Filled with illustrations and fascinating information, Polish Herbs, Flowers & Folk Medicine is a veritable treasure trove of history, how-to, and inspiration.”― The Midwest Book Review Taking the reader on a historical tour of herbs and flowers used in Poland throughout the centuries, this carefully-researched volume captures the unique history and role of plant life once essential to the people of Poland. Wander through monastery, castle and cottage gardens with acclaimed Polish-American author Sophie Hodorowicz Knab as she explores the growth of medicine and pharmacies and provides information on the use of over 100 plants, used in healing as well as in daily life and seasonal holidays throughout the year. You’ll find legends, cautionary tales, and love potions, as well as a chapter devoted to wedding plants and herbs. There are home remedies for everything that ailed the people of Poland, from acne to arthritis, relaxants to rejuvenators, and heartache to heartburn. Gleaned from old Polish herbals, Knab provides recipes for balms to treat ailments such as stress, insomnia, slow metabolism, perspiring feet, limp hair and oily skin. Also included are recipes for homemade herbal vinegars, soups, syrups, and liqueurs, including elderberry syrup, homemade Benedictine, and a healing vodka drink from Gdansk. This revised edition includes new information and research as well as new illustrations and color photographs. All plants are listed alphabetically according to their English common name, followed by Latin botanical name and common Polish name. There is an index of scientific names for quick reference. History buffs, gardeners, and anyone interested in their Polish ancestry will find much to explore here.

Genres: Poland, Polish Literature, Food

260 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2020

Reviews

[Nightshade · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting and informative book on the historical usage of plants in Polish culture, though formatted more as a reference book than to be read straight through. My main complaint is that it very much could have used another round of editing--something that probably isn't obvious if you aren't reading it straight through.

It also would have been nice to see footnotes, as while there is a fairly extensive bibliography in the back, the source of specific pieces of information isn't typically obvious and there are moments where I'd like to check the text against the source for one reason or another.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

despite half of this book being a glossary of different plants and herbs, i found it very interesting! i think it's fascinating how the old pagan festivals and rituals got coopted into christian traditions. this is gonna be very useful in planning my garden come spring :)

[Ashley Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information, but much of it is encyclopedic in nature, resulting in a long (dry) read.