Musk yarrow

Achillea erba-rotta, A. erba-rotta subsp. moschata

infusion

Leaves and flowers with a musky, bitter scent, as a tea or steeped into a digestive liqueur, the iva of the Grisons.

Origin

Alps (Engadine, Valais)

Where to find it

From Graubünden to Valtellina and the Aosta Valley, it is the mountain people who gather it; you will rarely find it except in a bottle, from the distillers of these valleys.

Season (United States)

July to September

Preparation

One teaspoon of dried leaves and flowers per cup steeps for five minutes in barely simmering water; it is strained and drunk.

Did you know?

It grows on siliceous screes, above 1,500 meters.