Herbs, roots, and flowers have been used medicinally and recreationally for centuries. Many methods of getting the herbs, roots, and flowers into the body exist. Some of the most common are drinking a tea blend, chewing on roots, inhaling the steam while they are being boiled, applying directly to the skin, or being smoked. Medicinal recipes and induction methods are found pretty much everywhere, but recipes for herbal smoking blends aren’t as common. What could have been considered a niche market just a few decades ago, is rapidly growing into a major market. So much that some of the well known, larger herbal companies are getting into the business. Many have produced blends which are both attractive and appealing, but they are not always exactly what users are looking for. And, as more people learn about the different qualities of herbs, they are experimenting with their own herbal smoking blends.
Herbal Smoking Blends – A Template for Successfully Making Your Own Personalized Mix
This basic template comes from years of experience. It’s easy to follow and leaves plenty of room for you to change and experiment. One thing to note before starting is that it uses an old-fashioned measuring system, which is parts. It’s adaptable to different batch sizes, but still keeps the general recipe you’ve chosen the same. As the maker, you determine what a part consist of, it might be a hand full or a pinch, just remember to stay consistent.
For great results, use 3 parts base, 2 parts enhancers, and 1 part Flavoring. Each of these will be detailed below, as well as different methods on how to adapt them to your personal vibe. Use a bowl much larger than you think you’ll need, to allow for adequate mixing the final product. Do not use any powdered herbs when making herbal smoking blends. They clog up the tiny spaces between the herbs, which allow for good air flow.
Base
Your base is the anchor of your herbal smoking blend. It’s important to choose a good base as it generally determines how smooth the smoke will be. Also, being the largest share of your mix, it will be a key part of what the final product will do. Before we move on, one thing to note. There are no rules in this process. If you’re the adventurous type, you can combine two or more herbs as your base, just as long as they add up to 3 parts combined. There are many herbs that work well as a base, due to their known qualities. The list below will help get you started on your search for the perfect base. It’s not in any order of better or worse.
Damiana – If you buy commercially processed Damiana, the first thing you’ll notice is the small and uniform cut, which makes it ideal as a base. It mixes well with others and keeps your herbal smoking blend from being unevenly dispersed. Damiana is a natural euphoric, and smoking it alone will enhance your mood and make you feel a bit lightheaded. It smells nice when burning and helps your relax.
Mullein – The first thing you’ll notice about Mullein, is that it is light and has a voluminous feel to it. It takes up space, but also helps with airflow through the finished product, which is critical to a good smoke. It’s also well-known for its expectorant properties and its been used for hundreds of years to help clear the lungs, especially in winter.
Raspberry – Raspberry is similar to mullein as it also has a voluminous feel to it. It produces a sweet tasting smoke that compliments the overall blend, but doesn’t dominate it. Add in the many health benefits, and you’ll find it hard to not add it to your next herbal smoking blend.
Mugwort – If possible, use just the leaves and small stems of mugwort, when crafting your smoking blend. The stems tend to be woody and will lead to uneven burning. This is one of several herb that can be used as a base or an enhancer. It has a mild earthy, but somewhat sweet flavor and burns well, with little smoke. It is believed that smoking mugwort will lead to lucid dreaming, and that’s a big reason why many add it to their herbal smoking blend.
Coltsfoot – Documented use of smoking coltsfoot dates back to the ancient Greek’s, who recommended it for problems associated with the throat and breathing aliments. We know today that it’s high in mucilage, a material that naturally coats the throat with a thin protective layer. This is both soothing and promotes quicker healing of inflamed tissue. Some people smoke coltsfoot alone or mixed with mullein for a tobacco substitute.
Gotu Kola – A lesser known herb in the western world, Gotu Kola is rooted in Chinese and Indian natural medicine. It has been smoked for centuries due to its stimulating effect. It is slightly coarse, which helps with air flow in the blend. It works as an enhancer as well.
Klip Dagga Leaves – Klip Dagga is a wonderful addition to any herbal smoking blend. The leaves and smaller stems can be crushed and added as part of your base, or as an enhancer. The flowers are even more potent, and work better as an enhancer. Follow this link to learn more about Klip Dagga. It has a long history of being used as a smoking herb and an alternative to smoking cannabis due to producing a full-body feeling of euphoria.
Enhancers
Choosing your enhancers is when the fun begins. Enhancers add effects. Consider this the experimental phase of your journey. Based on how many you use and in what quantities, you can work towards the results you seek. It’s common to have between 2 and 6 enhancers, but this isn’t a rule. You can have ten, just as long as you stick to the rule of parts. The combined volume can not exceed 2 parts for a single batch. Another cool thing you’ll discover in this step, is that enhancers bring color into your mix. Most of these are available year-around.
As we mentioned in the first section, Mugwort, Klip Dagga, and Gotu Kola are interchangeable as either a base or enhancer.
Blue Lotus – Exotic, dreamy, relaxing, and more. Blue Lotus is one of the best herbs for bringing about a state of peaceful relaxation. You’ll feel lighter and your mind will wander. The beautiful color adds depth to the blend. Blue Lotus enhances the potency of everything in the mix, so feel free to indulge.
Passionflower – This herb is often used sparingly as an enhancer due to it tasting like dried straw or hay. The smoke is earthy, and as long as you use it in moderation, you probably won’t notice it. What you get in return is deep relaxation and pain relief.
California Poppy – California Poppy is smoked to reduce stress, anxiety, insomnia, and to calm the nerves. It has been used as a step down to help people recover from addiction to narcotics and alcohol. The herb has natural alkaloids which have a mild sedating effect.
Calea Zacatechichi – Commonly known as Mexican Dream Herb (not African Dream Herb). This herb has a long history of being used to elicit memorable, vivid, lucid dreams. It has a psychedelic when used during waking hours. The effects are best described as an intense calmness while sitting in a lucid world. In small amounts, it helps increase focus and mental clarity. Depending on which route you wish to take, use accordingly.
Wild Lettuce – In the 19th Century, Wild Lettuce was smoked as a substitute for opium. It is used for anxiety, insomnia and as a mild sedative. The overall effect of the smoke is relaxing and slightly euphoric. You’ll feel lightheaded but not impaired. Wild Lettuce can vary depending on where it’s sourced. If you get some that is really coarse, try grinding it up using a mortar and pestle.
Marshmallow Leaf – Marshmallow leaf is light and airy, and will add volume and air flow to your mix. It adds a light sweet flavor. Its effects are relaxation and an overall feeling of calmness. It is especially useful for smoothing out a harsh blend, and like coltsfoot, is a mucilage. Smoking marshmallow leaf can sooth and moisturize sore throats and nasal passages.
Hops – Of all the different enhancers, hops is likely the most interesting to experiment with. There are more than fifty types of hops found across the world. They all are slightly different, so make sure you investigate whichever varieties you wish to work with. I can’t stress this enough, when it comes to herbs, don’t assume. Common varieties add flavor and smell good, but they also have a hypnotic and sedative effect. They should be used sparingly as an enhancer and never as a base; too much of a good thing will make your head spin.
American Skullcap – Smoking skullcap produces a quick burst of energy to the central nervous system. You’ll feel energetic and adventurous but not out of control.
Catnip – Yes, the same catnip you give to your pet. Most people don’t realize that catnip is part of the mint family and has a sweet minty flavor when smoked. It has similar effects on humans as it does on cats, slightly sedated, calm, peaceful, and passive. It’s mostly used as an enhancer, but because of its flavor profile, can be used as a flavoring.
Wild Dagga – Wild Dagga is the closest relative to Klip Dagga and has similar effects when added to an herbal smoking blend. The flowers are used mainly. They are not as potent as the flowers of the Klip Dagga, however it’s believed that two two combined, somehow conjure up their own kind of smoking magic.
Chamomile – Smoking chamomile has the same effects as drinking chamomile tea. It’s a great stress reliever, and helps to reduce anxiety. The only downfall with smoking over drinking, is the flavor loss. Chamomile tea tastes of melon, clover honey, and apples combined. Smoking chamomile has a faint sweet flavor that often gets overpowered when combined with other herbs.
Lobelia – Sometime called Indian tobacco, lobelia has a long history of being smoked. Unlike most of our enhancers, lobelia adds harshness to the blend. It was smoked in ceremonies and used medicinally for breathing issues, similar to how mullein was used. Smoking lobelia alone will be an assault on your taste buds. It is sharp and very harsh; prepare to cough extensively.
This list is contains some of the most common enhancers, but is in no way complete. There are many rare herbs which can significantly add new dimensions to any herbal smoking blend.
Flavorings
Flavorings do exactly what you think they do. They add the final touch, the cherry on top so to speak, of your mixture. You can use them to adjust the overall harsh to mild profile or go from sour to sweet. It’s really up to you. Most of the herbs in this category won’t add any euphoric or relaxing effect, but they will make your smoke taste just how you like it. Try mixing several flavors together if you like; just be sure you aren’t creating a taste that doesn’t work. You wouldn’t want to ruin your masterpiece so close to the finale.
As you consider which combination of flavorings to use, remember that the combine volume must equal 1 part.
Lavender – A word of caution when working with lavender. It is completely safe, but much stronger than you realize. Even if the smell has mostly faded, the amazing taste and scent comes out when it’s added to a herbal smoking blend. Lavender works well with many other flavors, especially ones which are just sweet, with no tendency.
Rose Petals – The characteristic floral flavor of rose petals cannot be replicated by any other herb. Adding rose petals to you blend will also sweeten the smoke and leave a pleasant scent in the room. A small amount goes a long way.
Stevia Leaf – Stevia adds sweetness with no tendencies. It’s not fruity, nor sugary, just a rich sweet flavor, which is very valuable to take the harshness out of a herbal smoking blend. It is very light overall.
Peppermint – A wonderful flavoring herb. But use caution as adding too much will dominate and overpower most other flavors in the blend and you’ll feel like you are smoking a menthol.
Spearmint – Also a wonderful minty flavoring herb. Spearmint is milder than peppermint, and can be combined with other herbs to create unique tastes.
Licorice Root – If you use licorice root, make sure you are using the finest cut pieces possible, to allow for even burning. Licorice root can add an unexpected twist to other flavors.
Rosemary – This kitchen herb has a long history in herbal medicine. When smoked, it has a pine-like, citrusy flavor. Some say it adds a little bit to the overall relaxation effect of the blend.
White Sage – This is the sage used in rituals and smudging. It is often referred to as California White Sage. It produces a lot of white billowy smoke. It helps with overall mood when smoked, but has a strong flavor and can be slightly harsh, so start with small amounts o=and work your way up.
Again, remember that this list isn’t exhaustive. There are countless other herbs which can add flavor to your blend. Just make sure you do a little reading on their safety before trying them in your herbal smoking blend.
Mixing and Testing Your Blend
Once you have all your ingredients ready, start by adding them in order to a large mixing bowl. Try to find one that is static free, for best results. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the enhancers to the base. As you stir, pull out any pieces which are oversized and manually crush them. When you are finished, you want a blend that is made up of uniformed sized pieces. Mix in half of the flavoring and then give it a try. If it isn’t where you want, flavor-wise, keep adding from the remaining half, until it is. This may seem tedious, but once its in, you can’t take it out. Better to not spoil the batch from the get go.
Final Thoughts
Bowl, vape, bong, pipe, or paper, which is the best for smoking herbal blends? It’s not my decision, but here’s what I know. Since herbal blends are more coarse than tobacco or cannabis, you will need to grind it before rolling into cigarettes. Be careful to not wrap too tight, especially when using mullein, marshmallow, or raspberry. These herbs will compress and you won’t have any airflow, and a unpleasant experience.
Vaping can go either way. Blends with flower petals in them, tend to perform poorly in vaporizers and the shape and texture of the herbs makes it difficult to fill some of the smaller models.
Smoking through a bowl, pipe, or water-bong seems to be the best overall experience. Be certain to pack the herbs in loosely to prevent clogging. Water bongs are great if your blend is a tad bit harsh, plus it really adds an element of smoothness to the experience.
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