Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica) – Powder

Brew & Taste

The green-grey powder tastes earthy and bitter. It does not dissolve in drinks.

Origins

Gotu kola or Indian pennywort (Centella asiatica) is an herb that folk medicine attributes with the ability to positively affect the nervous system – it's called "brain food" for a good reason. The leaves and young shoots are considered a source of longevity in India, for example, and Ayurveda prescribes it for anxiety, among other things.

What does gotu kola actually look like? It is a perennial plant with a creeping, smooth rootstalks that grows to a length of 30cm. The leaves are rounded and serrated. It blooms with tiny pinkish-red flowers. Virtually the entire aerial part of the plant is used for culinary or medicinal purposes. Worthy of note is the salad prepared in Myanmar, which is made with gotu kola, onions, peanuts, bean powder, lime juice and fish sauce. In Sri Lankan kitchens, it is part of the so-called malluma, a traditional side dish for rice, with coconut, shallots, lemon juice and sometimes chilli and turmeric. The Thais make a drink from the plant, and in northeastern India, it's made into a chutney known as Changkong che.

Gotu kola is, of course, also widely used in traditional medicine. For millennia it has been part of healing systems that recommend it to support mental activity, for memory and concentration problems, in cases of inflammation and swelling, but also when the body needs collagen. The powder can be taken both internally and externally (especially for problems with acne, eczema, scars, etc.).

Gotu kola is not recommended for pregnant and nursing women.

Herb packaging preview

We pack our herbs in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. Thanks to the hermetic seal, the herbs are protected against humidity, light and foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew and the herb itself.