Alchemy of the Low Beskids - everything you need to know about the plants and herbs of the Low Beskids

For our great-grandparents, the meadows, forest and garden of the Low Beskid were like a supermarket. Wild edible plants were an important component of the daily diet of the inhabitants of this land. They were of particular interest in times of famine, being an important supplement to the diet. They were used to cook soups - so-called soups, which used to be a staple dish in the cuisine of the Low Beskids. Among the most commonly prepared are: soup made from young nettles and potatoes, lebiodowa soup, sorrel soup or borscht soup. Lovage, curly ivy, wild carrots and dandelion leaves were added to them. These soups were very nutritious - they provided energy and vitamins.

On the other hand, leaves of lanceolate plantain, dandelion or ground elder - commonly growing in the meadows of the Low Beskids - were stewed and eaten with bread. They made preserves from rosehips, hawthorn, blackthorn and forest fruits. Fruit was used to cook fruit soups and make compotes.

Flowers of dandelions, elderberries or acacias were fried in egg and flour to make pancakes, which are unusual today. Roots, tubers and rhizomes of wild plants were used, for example, the rhizome of calamus. Later, the possibilities of using some of the above-mentioned plants were pushed out of people's consciousness and their use in cooking was discontinued. With the improvement of the quality of life in the villages, the so-called "famine plants" - people no longer needed them. Nowadays we are returning to them and appreciate their value.

Elderberry was a natural antibiotic, which was used to fight infections, fevers - in sickness it put people back on their feet. Home first-aid kits were created with herbs for teas: immune, for diarrhea or stomach pains. Herbs were harvested in the spring and summer in the Low Beskids and were used all year round - they were used for preventive health care.

In every home there were the aforementioned elderberry flowers or lime blossoms, which were fragrant in summer and had a diaphoretic effect. Another important herb in the home medicine cabinet was St. John's wort - harvested on St. John's Day. St. John's wort infusions were drunk in autumn to improve liver health. They also added animus in autumn despondency.

Marigolds, which have anti-inflammatory effects, were also harvested in the summer and macerated in oil in the sun. This was a simple way to treat all kinds of wounds and skin lesions. Nettle was also dried, which, being rich in iron, provided vitality. It was believed that nettle acted as a thick broom to sweep impurities from the body. Nettle was also used for pain relief - it was used to make poultices for the back and joints.

Every house in the Low Beskids had centuria, which helped with stomach ailments. Yarrow was dried, the infusion of which cured stomach ailments, and the crushed herb stopped bleeding and healed wounds.

For past generations in the Niski Beskid, the rituals of plant ordination were important. This took place twice a year - on the octave of Corpus Christi and the feast of Our Lady of the Herbs. The consecrated plants had a wide range of uses in everyday life - they protected people and their well-being from evil forces, counteracted spells and charms.

Common mugwort was used in the rituals, which was then used to oxidize the field and animals. The plant, valued for its protective properties, was an important part of the traditional practices and beliefs of the people of the Low Beskids.

Herbal bouquets were made and hung in the house all year round, protecting the hosts. These herbal amulets not only decorated the interiors of homes in the Low Beskids, but were primarily meant to ensure the safety and health of the household, being a living testimony to the rich culture and diverse nature of the Low Beskids.