Real hops

Hops are an ancient culinary and medicinal plant and have long been used to treat restlessness and sleep disorders. Their calming effect has now been scientifically proven. Even today, the female flowers are still used as a medicine. This effect is thought to be caused by the compounds in hops, which bind to melatonin receptors and trigger a sleep-inducing effect.

Hops can also alleviate a wide range of symptoms associated with nervousness, such as difficulty falling asleep, restlessness, anxiety, irritability and nervous heart complaints.

The plant contains a wide range of valuable compounds, including bitter substances, tannins and phytoestrogens, which make it widely used in naturopathy. The phytoestrogens found in hops are similar to the female sex hormone oestrogen and can be beneficial for symptoms associated with the menopause. Because of these plant-based oestrogens, combined with its calming effect, hops are often recommended as a supportive remedy during the menopause. The bitter compounds found in hops can aid digestion by stimulating the production of gastric and bile juices. They help to relieve stress-related stomach problems and can help restore appetite in cases of loss of appetite.

In folk medicine, hops are also used externally to treat ulcers, poorly healing wounds and skin inflammations.

From around mid-March to mid-April, the young white root shoots of hops can be prepared in a similar way to asparagus. They are dug up from the ground and are a popular delicacy at this time of year – their flavour is reminiscent of green asparagus, though they are considerably thinner. The unpleasant, scratchy sensation of the shoot tips disappears when heated.

As spring progresses, when the shoots are a little older, they are ideal for vegetable fillings, can be added raw to salads or juiced to make fresh juice.

The tart, aromatic female hop cones produce the characteristic beer flavour. They can be harvested from July to August and are also used in the preparation of teas, bitter drinks, various spirits or hop lemonade. The significantly smaller male flowers can be used as a steamed or braised vegetable.

Caution: Picking hops may cause headaches, tiredness, joint pain or contact dermatitis. It is therefore advisable to wear gloves whilst picking to protect your skin.

Hops have germicidal properties which were utilised in the past, whether consciously or unconsciously, to extend the shelf life of beers. Hildegard von Bingen wrote on this subject: ‘With its bitterness, it keeps certain forms of spoilage away from beverages’.

Hops are dioecious, which means that there are both male and female plants. Only the female plants develop the familiar cone-like spikes, which contain the bitter substance lupulin and give beer its aroma. The male plants, on the other hand, produce hanging, yellow-green panicles.

Hops have also made a name for themselves as an anaphrodisiac, as they can dampen the male sex drive. Some historians believe that hops were frequently brewed by monks for this very reason.

Hops are a climbing plant that can grow several metres high. In spring, the hops sprout profusely from a thick rootstock. The above-ground parts of the plant are annual and die off once the seeds have ripened. The shoots are referred to as ‘vines’, much like in the case of grapes, and grow by an average of 10 cm per day. The leaves are pointed, up to 15 cm long, heart-shaped and usually lobed with up to seven lobes.