Nimi - Sariva Churna - 100g

Ayurvedic flavors

Dosha: Pitta and Vata reducing

Rasa: sweet, slightly bitter

Guna: hard

Vipaka: cute

Virya: cold

ingredients

Hemidesmus Indicus from controlled organic cultivation

Sabine's comments on Ayurvedic plants and their use

I first met Sariva on my travels through southern India. There I was handed Nannari, a cooling syrup made from Sariva, sugar and a squeeze of lemon. I was particularly surprised by the really pleasant taste and the seductive scent. Until then, only a few Ayurvedic recipes could convince me in terms of taste. But I loved Sariva from the first moment. Its exceptional taste makes it an excellent spice for desserts or drinks. Even today I refine desserts, such as a sweet tsampa variant, always with Sariva.

But I also prepare the syrup as a cooling drink for my children in the summer. For this I mix 100g dried Sariva root powder with 1 liter of water. I let this batch soak for 1 hour before simmering it with 5 cups of Ayurvedic sugar for 20-30 minutes. After this time, the consistency should be like that of a syrup. I let the syrup cool down and then filter it through fine cotton cloths.

For a glass of Nannari I take 3 teaspoons of Sariva syrup in a glass of water and a squeeze of lemon or lemon.

On my later travels I was able to experience the traditional use of Sariva in very practical terms. A Vaidya led me to a creeper and dug up the root. It was remarkable that he pulled the root out of the ground with a stick. Metal tools are not suitable. I found this argument very interesting. Because I know them from our culture, in which it was crucial how you got to a root in order to gain its power. Old books still say that, for example, the plantain root has to be dug up with an antler in order to take possession of the spirit of the root.

The Vaidya squeezed a juice from the root, which he used immediately. He assured me that immediate use is essential. Traditionally, Sariva is not cooked, but at most an infusion is made from it.

An infusion also serves as the basis for most of Sariva's external applications.

In Ayurveda, Sariva is one of the Rasayanas. It balances all three doshas, has a cooling effect and has a sweet, bitter taste.