An inviting "poison"

Despite the etymological origin of the name „Tansy" that goes back to the mythological character Thanatos, the personification of death and son of the night, to indicate a certain danger in the use of the plant, the Tansy (Chrysanthemum Vulgare Bemh.) never aroused concerns regarding its medical use.
At best it was considered a deadly poison for intestinal parasites, especially pinworms, toward the plant actually carries a poisonous effect. All this by virtue of an ingredient contained in Tansy, the Thujone, which is present in many other compounds and carries out a certain narcotic action.

But beyond the concerns that can cause an unthinking therapeutic use of aromatic plants containing the notorious essential oil called thujone, Tansy was since ancient times considered an aromatic plant. So much that Carlo Magno introduced it in his „Capitularii" as aromatic plant, to be cultivated in the gardens and as edible herb.

The seeds of Tansy are still used to flavor meats, especially game, pâté and pastries. Not to mention the extensive use of the plant in the preparation of liqueurs. The famous Chartreuse, a sweet alcoholic liqueur made from Melissa, Hyssop, Angelica, Cinnamon and Saffron, seems to have Tansy as the dominant component.

This particular leads us to propose a Grappa flavored with the leaves of Tansy: its flavor is soft but penetrating, his color is intense green, its scent tingling but inviting and its effect secure as an aperitif or digestive.

- few leaves of Tansy
- 1 liter of Grappa
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

The Grappa is prepared in the following way: some leaves and 2 tablespoons of cane sugar are placed for one month in a litre of Grappa in the sun.
Obviously, the preparation must be filtered and left to mature for at least a month so that it can complete its organoleptic characteristics.