Zubrovka is a sacred herb. Fragrant bison: description, types, composition, use, contraindications, recipes

Syn.: glacier, odorous spikelet, bitter grass, sacred grass, sweet grass, flat grass, tomkovitsa, turovka, chapolot, flat grass, variegated wheatgrass, bitter flat grass, mustard, chapula, fragrant chapol, chapolot, splashing grass.

Perennial herbaceous plant, belonging to the Poaceae family. Widely used in the alcoholic beverage industry, it has brought worldwide fame to the Polish alcoholic drink with the same name - “Zubrowka”, made on the basis of this herb.

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Flower formula

In medicine

Bison grass is not included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation and in official medicine is not used, but has been successfully used in folk medicine due to its high content useful minerals and vitamins as an appetite enhancer, as well as an antiseptic and anti-tuberculosis agent plant origin. Actively used for viral diseases, increasing sweating. The plant enhances digestive functions, stimulates appetite and helps in treatment gastrointestinal diseases. Zubrovka also restores pigmentation of skin and hair, is an excellent hemostatic agent, strengthens muscles and vascular walls, improves metabolism, and normalizes work nervous system, stabilizes heart function.

Contraindications and side effects

A contraindication to taking zubrovka is individual intolerance due to possible development allergic reactions.

It is also contraindicated to use the herb for children, pregnant women, and lactating women (plant substances remain in breast milk when using bison to enhance lactation). Depression, insomnia, neuroses and neurosis-like conditions are also contraindications.

You should not take Zubrovka if a person suffers from any acute diseases digestive systems.

Taking zubrovka medications even if you are completely healthy person can cause headaches (due to an overdose of coumarin, up to the appearance of migraines).

In cooking

In France, sweet bison is added as a flavoring to soft drinks, candies, cigarettes, confectionery, sauces, fish marinades and canned food. This herb is a spice, but is used infrequently.

Already in the 17th century, tinctures and vodka with bison grass were known in Poland, and in 1926 the production of tincture with bison grass in a bottle was mastered. Now this Polish drink Zubrowka with a leaf of grass inside the bottle has become a national brand. And in Lithuania the ancient honey drink, known since the 16th century (Krupnik, or Krupnikas). It contains, along with many other spices, fragrant bison. Russian “Zubrovka”, Czech “Zubrovka”, German “Grasovka”, as well as American “Bison Vodka” - all these drinks also use zubrovka.

In 2005, a sauce composition for traditional Polish dishes containing this plant was patented.

In cosmetology

Essential oil Zubrovka is used as a raw material for perfume and cosmetic products, due to its specific smell of freshly cut hay.

In other areas

Essential oil of bison is used as a flavoring agent for smoking and snuff.

IN agriculture bison is added in small quantities to livestock feed to increase milk yield in cows. However, due to the presence of a special alkaloid in the plant, in large quantities the additive can be toxic to farm animals.

The fragrant bison has a very strong and developed root system. Therefore, it is often used as a fixative for sandy railway embankments and ravine slopes.

Classification

Fragrant bison (lat. Hierochloë odorata) is a species of perennial plants of the genus Hierochloë of the Poaceae family of the Poales order.

Botanical description

Sweet bison (Hierochloë odorata) - perennial from the Cereal family. The bison has a long vertical root in the form of a cord with thin, lateral roots starting from the nodules. The stems are erect, smooth, up to 80-100 cm high. The basal leaves are pointed, the stem leaves are shortened, linear-lanceolate in shape. Bison flowers are collected in spikelets, which are then formed into panicles. The spikelets are golden yellow, egg-shaped. The fruit is a grain.

Spreading

The European bison is common in North America, Asia, and Europe in temperate climate zones.

The fragrant bison is also found in the Caucasus, Siberia, Far East and in Central Asia(in northern and mountainous regions). Most often, bison grows in meadows, forest clearings, bushes, along river banks and in the mountains.

In Ukraine, bison can only be found in forested areas.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

The medicinal raw material for collection is considered to be the grass of the plant: stems, leaves and panicles, but the underground part and other parts of the bison are not collected. The period of grass harvesting is the time of flowering of the plant (from April to June), it is at this time that the content of a special substance in the plant - coumarin - is especially high. When re-harvesting the raw material after the grass has grown back, the coumarin content will be much lower. When harvesting, the stems with leaves should be no more than 50 cm long. Dry the raw materials by laying them out in the open air, in the shade, under a canopy.

Dried bison has one distinctive feature - the raw material is rolled into a tube when dried in the sun. All other herbs remain flat when treated similarly.

The shelf life of raw materials is 2 years. Industrially, bison can be harvested in the east of Ukraine, throughout Belarus and in central Russia.

Chemical composition

Zubrowka is rich in its own way chemical composition. It contains vitamins (B 1, B 2, B 5, B 6, B 9, B 12, C, H, PP), potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, iron, ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, alkaloids, bitterness.

The bison contains a special substance, coumarin, which is quite large quantities. It is this that gives the herb its specific aroma. Zubrovka contains hydroxycinnamic acid anhydride in the form of a glycoside.

Pharmacological properties

Fragrant bison is used only by traditional healers and has no use in official medicine.

Bison grass is mainly used in the treatment of enterocolitis and colitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum(the bitterness of bison has a positive effect on appetite and excretion digestive juice in the stomach and intestines). Zubrovka tincture is useful for anorexia nervosa(refusal to eat) and disorders gastrointestinal tract.

Fragrant bison has an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect. An infusion of the leaves is useful in relieving fever and symptoms. pulmonary tuberculosis.

Zubrovka also helps with dry and cracked skin and brittle hair.

Externally aquatic and alcohol solutions Zubrovki are used to speed up the healing of wounds and for fungal skin infections.

Use in folk medicine

Most often in folk medicine, water infusion and alcohol tincture of bison are used. Zubrovka is used by healers to improve appetite and digestion during chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract (for the treatment of enterocolitis and colitis, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers). Zubrovka grass has a special property - it is useful for anorexia nervosa. Zubrovka infusion is also used for fever and symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis. An infusion of bison grass helps with cracked skin and brittle hair.

Historical reference

The fragrant bison has been known for a very long time. Even Indian buffalo hunters used bison smoke as a sacrifice to ensure success in the upcoming hunt and for protection from evil spirits. Dried powder of bison grass was an additive to tobacco for the ritual peace pipe. Native American shamans set fire to the sacred bison grass, braided or twisted into bundles in various purification and initiation rituals.

Insects do not like the specific smell of bison grass, so Indian women made mattresses and pillows from this grass, and also wove baskets and mats from bison grass.

In some areas of Europe, bison grass was called “holy grass”, translated from Latin Hierochloe. On religious holidays, fresh fragrant grass Zubrovka decorated churches for the sake of their sweet smell.

In England, the name bison - “sweet grass” - “sweet grass” is also associated with sweet pleasant smell plants.

There is evidence that bison grass has been used to flavor alcoholic beverages since the beginning of the 18th century.

In Russia, the plant was called “bison” because it is a favorite delicacy of bison. Sometimes Zubrovka is also called Turovka. similar reason- tours will also not refuse to eat this grass.

Literature

1. Gubanov, I. A. et al. 160. Hierochloë odorata (L.) Beauv. - Fragrant bison // Illustrated plant guide Central Russia. In 3 volumes - M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. research, 2002. - T. 1. Ferns, horsetails, club mosses, gymnosperms, angiosperms (monocots). - P. 254. - ISBN 8-87317-091-6.
2. Dudchenko L.G., Kozyakov A.S., Krivenko V.V. Spicy-aromatic and spicy-flavoring plants: Directory / Responsible. ed. K. M. Sytnik. - K.: Naukova Dumka, 1989. - 304 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-12-000483-0.

When people of the older generation mention zubrovka, they will probably remember the popular alcoholic drink of previous years, which was called “Zubrovka”. But due to the fact that the drink’s label featured the mighty beast of Belovezhskaya Pushcha - the bison, few people realized that the drink owes its name primarily to the bison grass on which it was insisted. However, maybe, in part, the bison is also a beast. After all, there is a legend according to which bison grass grew in the place where bison tore up the turf in search of food. This belief, as well as the unique sweetish aroma of the grass, gave rise at one time to many of its local names - turovka, sweet grass, chapoloch, vanilla grass, sacred grass, eebrovka, Mary's grass, Gallic grass, Seneca grass.

This rather inconspicuous grass is widespread in the green belt of Europe, Asia and North America. But no one can accurately name the homeland of the European bison. She belongs everywhere. About 30 of its varieties are known. Due to its high ecological plasticity, bison can grow in flooded and saline meadows, near swamps, in forests in clearings and forest edges, in steppes and semi-deserts, in mountains at an altitude of up to 3000 m.

It is believed that, after all, the plant was brought to America by the first settlers from Europe or somehow transferred from the Far East to Alaska. Zubrovka is sometimes called a circumpolar plant because its range extends along the entire Arctic Circle. Or maybe, in fact, the grass is so ancient that it grew in Europe, Asia and North America back in those relict times when it was a single and indivisible continent. In any case, it is the only sacred plant used by the peoples of both Europe and North America, which are known to be separated by an ocean. Some indigenous peoples of North America use bison as incense to cleanse places and things from evil spirits and slander. In Northern Europe, there is a custom on religious holidays to scatter dry bison in front of the entrance to the church.

There are probably no truly wild bison thickets left in the world, since in the last millennium, under the influence of directed selection, plants with the longest leaves were grown and distributed, so that they could be cut at at least twice a year If this is not done, the unusually long leaves will suppress themselves.

Fragrant bison (Hierochloe odorata (L.) Beauv., synonym - Torresia odorata (L.) A.S. Hitchc.) is a perennial herbaceous, very winter-hardy plant of the grass family. Its Latin name comes from the Greek hieros - sacred, and chloe - grass, odorata - translated from Latin - sweet aroma. The plant has smooth, hollow, erect stems (both floral and non-productive) 50-70 cm high. The leaves are few, much shorter than the peduncles (10-30 cm). The flat basal leaves are bare, alternate, broadly linear, pointed, the upper stem leaves are linear-lanceolate, with long sheaths and a shorter blade. The flowers are collected in numerous golden-yellow, shiny, round-ovate spikelets (length 3-5 mm), which form an oblong-oval spreading paniculate inflorescence. The glumes are oblong-ovate, often serrated. The flowers in each three-flowered spikelet are golden-brown, one or two of them are bisexual - with two stamens and a pistil, the others are male, staminate, with three stamens. Soon after flowering the stems dry out. The fruit is an oblong grain dark brown. The seeds are very small (1 g contains up to 2.5 thousand seeds).

A long, horizontal, creeping rhizome, ascending at the base, consists of many segments, each of which gives rise to above-ground bunches of leaves. The plant tends to spread and form dense clones with a tightly intertwined root system that resembles a rug. Such a well-developed root system of the plant allows it to be used to strengthen embankments and eroded slopes.

Zubrovka grows very early - in March, blooms in April-May, and the seeds ripen in June. The plant is winter-hardy, quite demanding in terms of moisture, nutrition and aeration. Prefers light sandy loam soils with sufficient nutrients; on gley soils, the growth of clones is very difficult. The yield of the above-ground mass is 150-300 g/m2.

Externally, the plant is very reminiscent of the well-known malicious weed that is a regular in our summer cottages - wheatgrass. Because of this very dangerous similarity for the European bison, it becomes necessary to know its special characteristics so as not to destroy it instead of wheatgrass. The aroma of bison grass cannot be included in these signs, since young leaves have almost no odor; it appears only after the grass has dried. Unlike other grass weeds, bison is an absolutely hairless plant, the base of its leaves below the soil level is wide and white, the leaves below are flat and shiny, without a protruding midrib. When dried in the sun, they quickly curl into a tube (other herbs remain flat). The bison flower is also unique and unlike the flowers of other cereals, although this can only be seen under a magnifying glass. The bison is practically not affected by diseases and pests, and is little eaten by animals and birds.

Propagated by seeds and division of rhizomes. However, the vast majority of bison seeds are not viable. Therefore, propagation by seeds only after 4-5 years will give the same effect as propagation by root cuttings in one year.

The area for bison is allocated in a place where, as it grows, it does not interfere with other plants and does not drown them out. Seeds require moisture stratification for at least 30 days. Since they are very small, the soil must be free of weeds, loose, with flat surface. In winter, the soil is dug up deeply, mineral fertilizers are applied in early spring, deeply loosened again, and then the surface is leveled and rolled, otherwise small seeds will fall very deep between clods of earth and will not be able to germinate. Sow in a wide row. The seed placement depth is 1-1.5 cm. After sowing, the bed is re-rolled to ensure contact of the seeds with the soil. The bed should be watered regularly and very carefully before germination to prevent the seeds from being washed away. Shoots appear on the 10-14th day.

It is better to propagate bison from root cuttings grown in pots. This can be done from March-April until October. The bush is divided into planting units, each of which must have at least three buds, planted in pots and kept in the shade for 2-3 weeks, i.e. until they form their own roots. About a month later, the plants are planted in a permanent place at a distance of about 30 cm from each other. It should be said that pots or containers should be no deeper than 10-12 cm, then the roots grow horizontally and large bunches of leaves are more likely to form. Plants are well watered during this period, making sure that the soil is constantly moist. Do not overdry the soil, since drought is the main cause of death of rooted bison cuttings.

The further north the plants are grown, the more heat they require. In southern regions, on the contrary, plants should be placed in partially shaded areas. During the growing season, it is advisable to feed them two or three times with organic fertilizers. It is even better to apply 1 kg of organic fertilizers monthly for every 5 mg of area. It is better not to use mineral fertilizers, as they can burn the leaves. IN as a last resort can be fed with complex mineral fertilizer, which is well balanced in basic nutrients.

With high-quality care, three plants during the growing season completely cover 1 m2 of plot area. Moreover, after three months of growth, you can already cut off and use the bison leaves. It is advisable to cut plants at a height of 7-10 cm above the soil level. Zubrovka surprisingly quickly produces good results. So, in the summer it provides an increase of up to 3 cm per day. From the second growing season, it is possible to cut off the above-ground mass three times per season.

Plants do not need special care; it consists of keeping the soil loose and free from weeds. But you should still know that there are circumstances that can destroy your plants. First of all, these are herbicides that can get on the leaves of bison during feeding. Perennial weeds are no less dangerous, so high-quality weeding is necessary at least once a season. Both a lack or excess of moisture and the lack of fertilizing (at least two per season are required) have a negative effect on plants.

However, bison is an extremely durable, almost eternal plant. Given the fact that it belongs to clonal plants, it is likely that individual individuals have a cosmic age of several million years. Having planted a bison in your garden, be prepared for the fact that it will try to conquer more space under the sun and getting rid of it will cost you some effort. If you do not want to wage war on the bison, then the easiest way is to limit its growth with barrier shields, burying them in the ground along the border of the site.

The above-ground mass of bison is mowed down during the period of mass flowering, when the coumarin content in it reaches its maximum. The bison grass contains alkaloids, ascorbic, ferulic, melilotic, coumaric acids, as well as coumarin, which gives the plant a special, specific aroma.

The grass is dried in the sun, spreading it in a layer of no more than 3 cm and turning it over every 30 minutes. Before drying is completed, braids are woven from the grass and dried a little more. On a hot, dry day, the grass dries completely in 4 hours. Dried herbs intended for food and medicinal purposes should be stored in a well-ventilated area for no more than two years. In folk medicine, an aqueous infusion of bison grass is used to stimulate appetite and enhance the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. For this, 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of raw materials into 1 cup of boiling water and leave for at least 40 minutes. Take 1 tbsp. spoon half an hour before meals. You should not get carried away with this, since coumarin is an anticoagulant. Unfortunately, overuse of zubrovka can harm the liver. After this effect was discovered, the use of bison decreased sharply. But even today, coumarin tablets are sometimes prescribed to patients after cardiac surgery. For the same purpose, as well as for fever and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a vodka tincture of the herb is used.

The healing properties of this plant, thanks to its great vitality, were noticed by our ancestors. Nothing could compare in those days with this medicinal herb. Zubrovka strengthens the body and ensures good blood circulation. Extracts from the herb are used to make cosmetic skin care products. Nutrients, which are contained in extracts from this plant, give the skin the energy it needs to look young and fresh. An infusion of the herb is used to treat coughs and sore throats, cracks and dry skin, as eye lotions, and for women’s postpartum problems and even for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Zubrovka can be used as a tonic and hair fixative.

In the liquor industry, a huge number of plant flavors and essences are used to make aromatic tinctures. The herbal mass of bison has a strong coumarin aroma and a slightly astringent taste, which allows it to be included as one of the ingredients in many food essences. In France, bison is used to flavor candies, tobacco, soft drinks. The plant is still used in the recipe for the Zubrovka bitters. To make this product even more attractive, a dried bison stalk is inserted into each bottle before filling. It looks quite spicy. It is added to spicy and pickled herring and other fish products.

The peoples of both Europe and North America consider bison to be a sacred plant, which is why it is still played today important role in religious rituals on both continents. Its leaves are dried, woven into braids, which symbolize the unity of soul, body and Holy Spirit, and used for burning in religious ceremonies, just like natural incense. American Indians use such braids for smoking (they do not burn, but smolder), and they are used to weave baskets and mats, which retain and emit a vanilla-like aroma for many years.

Olga KORABLEVA

Zubrovka is a genus from the Cereal family. Modern taxonomy includes 33 species of grass-like plants. Fragrant herbaceous perennials have inhabited the temperate and arctic zones of the planet. They grow on forest edges, in steppes and semi-deserts, in swampy areas and in flood meadows. These representatives of the flora are also found in the highlands.

Zubrovka has a long, horizontally located, creeping rhizome. As it spreads, it gives birth to new clone plants. As a result, dense turf is formed.

The plants have smooth, erect stems, the height of which varies from 40 to 70 cm. The basal leaves are broad-linear, the stem leaves are much shorter, lanceolate. TO distinctive features Zubrowki refers complete absence any pubescence. The front and back surfaces of the leaf blades are glossy, flat, with a non-protruding middle vein. The foliage is colored in bright shades of green.

The growing season of Zubrovka begins in early spring, and already in May spreading panicles appear on the peduncles. The three-flowered spikelets are golden and yellow-brown. The upper flower is bisexual, the lower two are male. The fruit of the plant is an oblong grain with tiny seeds.

The aerial parts of Zubrovka contain coumarin, which gives the plant a unique aroma - something between vanilla and coconut. Traditional healers this representative of the flora is used to treat diseases of the skin, digestive and respiratory systems. However, the drugs are not widely used in official medicine due to side effects.

Zubrovka remains one of the main ingredients in the production of liqueurs to this day. In addition, the herb is considered an excellent flavoring agent for various marinades.

Zubrovka also has inexplicable mystical characteristics. No wonder its name translated from Latin sounds like “sacred grass.” It is noteworthy that the plant has been used since ancient times by adherents of various religious teachings. So in Christian churches, grass is scattered at the entrance on the days of great holidays. Indian shamans expel evil spirits with smoke from the burning dry Zubrovka. And a braid woven from leaves is a recognized amulet that preserves peace and tranquility in the house.

Growing

The bison grows quickly. From each node of the rhizome a new bush grows, so that in one season the plant can green a fairly large area. In addition to decorative functions, unpretentious grass also has a practical purpose - it reliably strengthens slopes and prevents soil erosion.

Zubrovka develops well in open ground or in a container. Sets seeds regularly. However, seed propagation is not always effective. The seeds are very small, most of them are non-viable. It is much easier and more reliable to increase the number of plants by dividing the rhizomes before or after flowering.

Grass harvesting should be done during flowering. It is laid out in the sun in a thin layer. The “raw material” must be turned over every 30 minutes, and before drying is complete, the leaves must be braided. The dried herb retains its medicinal and taste properties for two years, provided it is stored in a ventilated area.

Diseases and pests

Not susceptible.

Reproduction

By seeds, by dividing the rhizome.

First steps after purchase

Before sowing seeds, it is necessary to prepare the soil: dig it, clear it of weeds, apply mineral or organic fertilizers. Monthly stratification is desirable for sowing before winter, but mandatory for spring sowing. Then the seeds are buried 1.5–2 cm, and the soil is rolled. Water daily. After the shoots appear, you need to carefully loosen the soil.

When buying a rhizome, you should choose a specimen without spots or signs of rotting. In March–April it is placed in a container filled with nutrient substrate. The pot needs to be wide and shallow to provide the rhizome with as close to natural conditions for growth. In the first weeks, provide light shading and keep the soil moist. After a month, the plants can be transferred to prepared holes located at a distance of about 30 cm from each other.

Secrets of success

The bison feels good on any soil. However, when grown in heavy soils care should be taken to ensure good drainage.

Watering is necessary only in the first year of the plant’s life. In the future - only in dry summers.

Zubrovka responds well to the application of organic or complex mineral fertilizers. Feeding is carried out two to three times during the period of active growth.

The grass is frost-resistant and overwinters without shelter.

Possible difficulties

When growing Zubrovka from rhizomes, unsatisfactory results are due to lack of moisture. Regular watering is a must.

When using seeds, do not forget about their poor germination. Germination of 30% can be considered a success.

Mature plants that have formed sod are not afraid of weeds. Young plantings must be regularly cleared of unwanted companions. When weeding, it is necessary to remove wheatgrass especially carefully.

Deep loosening can damage the roots of Zubrovka, so extreme care must be taken.

The grass is quite aggressive and, without control, will “fill” neighboring territories that are not intended for it. It is recommended to install growth restrictions, such as border tape or slate.

It is quite strange that the plant most often used for cooking alcohol tinctures, called the sacred herb. The fact is that in some regions of Europe the very name of fragrant bison is associated with the image of the Mother of God, translated from Latin Hierochloe means “holy grass”.

Fragrant smoke

The English name of the bison Sweet grass - “sweet grass” reflects the sweet nice smell plants. The American names Buffalo grass, Bison grass are a translation from the Polish Zubrуwka. Indian tribes of hunters considered the smoke of the sacred grass to be a sacrifice to the ancestors, protection from evil spirits. The dried and powdered herb was added to tobacco for the “peace pipe.” Indian shamans wove the grass into their braids and used its fragrant smoke in rituals of purification and initiation, believing that it helped to achieve heights of concentration and meditation. They also used the sacred herb for healing - in the form of a decoction or smoking against coughs, pain and colds.

Indian women wove baskets and mats from them, made mattresses and pillows - the grass repelled insects very well and smelled pleasant. In Europe, churches and porches were decorated with bunches of fresh grass on religious holidays so that a fragrant and sweet smell would rise up.

Not afraid of winter

Now the fragrant bison is widespread in the temperate zone of Europe, Asia and America, and is found in the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Far East. It grows on sandy soils in pine forests, in forest clearings, edges, along roads and clearings, among bushes.

In cultivation, the plant is not found very often. But growing it is not at all difficult. And on summer cottage You can use some of the features of this plant. For example, the well-developed root system of bison allows it to be used to strengthen beds or embankments.

Zubrovka is a winter-hardy plant, special conditions does not require cultivation. The area for bison harvesting has been prepared since the fall. Since the seeds are very small, the soil should be free of weeds, loose, and with a smooth surface.

The soil prepared in the fall is leveled and rolled in early spring. Sow in a wide row. The seeding depth is 1–2 cm. Seeds are sown immediately after they are collected or before winter. The distance between rows is 30–40 cm. Shoots appear in May–June.

Fragrant bison can be cultivated after almost any predecessors. If organic fertilizers were not applied to the predecessor, then 15–20 g of ammonium nitrate, 20–25 g of superphosphate, 10–15 g of potassium salt per 1 sq.m. are added to the prepared soil.

Reproduction is carried out by dividing rhizomes or root layering. In early spring, shortly before planting, the cuttings are cut so that each one has 3–4 growth buds, or without them if there are rooted buds. Place them in a prepared hole at a distance of 20–30 cm from each other, water them with water and cover them with soil.

After emergence and germination of rhizomes and root shoots, the soil is thoroughly loosened and weeded. Subsequent loosening is carried out carefully so as not to damage the quickly emerging root shoots, which are usually located close to the surface of the earth.

Care consists of loosening the soil, weeding, and watering in case of prolonged drought. The above-ground mass of bison is harvested during the period of mass flowering - in May - June, when the coumarin content in it reaches its maximum. Dry in the shade or in dryers. Dried herbs are stored in a well-ventilated area for no more than two years.

Stimulates appetite

The bison grass contains alkaloids, ascorbic, ferulic, melilotic acids, as well as coumarin, which gives the plant a specific aroma. In folk medicine, the plant is used to stimulate appetite and enhance the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. Water infusion And vodka tincture indicated to improve digestion, for chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, fever. Zubrovka is used to make lotions for poorly healing wounds and fungal skin diseases.

Medicinal raw material is a herb that is harvested during the flowering period, when it has the most high content coumarin. Except during the flowering period, the grass can be cut again after it grows back, but in this case it contains less coumarin.

Infusion of fragrant bison grass: 1 tablespoon of raw material is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, infused, then filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 30 minutes before meals.

National treasure

This inconspicuous herb is one of the most popular plants used in the production of flavored alcoholic drinks - vodka and liqueurs. Bialowieza "Zubrowka" has been known in Poland at least since the 17th century. And in the 18th century, the aromatic liqueur already became the favorite drink of the Polish gentry. In 1926, in Brest-Litovsk (now Brest in Belarus), the method of industrial production of tincture was mastered. Later, it was mastered by many manufacturers around the world - these are the Russian Zubrovka, the Ukrainian Zubrivka, the German Grasovka, the Czech Zubrovka and even the American Bison Vodka.

In Poland, the Zubrowka brand with a leaf of bison grass inside the bottle is considered a national treasure. In Poland and Lithuania, Krupnik, or Krupnikas, is equally popular - an ancient honey liqueur, known since the 16th century, to which bison grass was also added, along with a number of other spices - vanilla, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, juniper, nutmeg and nuts, cardamom fruits.

In addition to various drinks, bison is used as a spice, but quite rarely. It is added to confectionery products, spicy and pickled herring, and other fish products.

By the way, a French chef in one of the Warsaw hotels found the use of bison grass in the recipes for his sauces for traditional Polish dishes. And braised pork shoulder in bison sauce won a silver award at a regional cuisine recipe competition in France.