Why My Grandmother Stops to Smell the Weeds
An introduction to traditional Chinese herbal medicine
The sky was a clear bright blue, and the temperature was just warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt. A period of heavy rain a week before brought more temperate weather to Japan, so even in the sun it felt nice to be outside.
My grandmother and I decided to go on an afternoon walk around the neighborhood, because there aren’t many days like this in the summer. The streets were quiet as the midday slumber settled in, and the last stragglers in restaurants were beginning to head back to their offices.
I was examining a fruit cart’s daily special when my grandmother suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to bend down and pick something up.
“Look here, Kaki-chan, there’s so much dokudami growing here!”
Called “chameleon plant” in English, it’s pretty unassuming. A small plant with wide heart-shaped leaves and tiny white flowers, most people wouldn’t really stop to look at it on the sidewalk, much less stop to pick it up. I nodded along as if I understood her excitement.
My grandmother continued: “You can make this into a great tea if you want. It’s full of antioxidants and polyphenols so it’ll keep your skin looking young.” She picked a bunch and put…
