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- Margaret Mead
Wai Hōʻeu - Fire Cider
The origin of fire cider began in the 1980s when Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar introduced the recipe to her students. The idea was to bring herbal medicine back into people’s kitchens as part of their food not just medicine. Since then there have been many variations of fire cider, and Hoʻoulu ʻĀina has created their own kānaka ʻōiwi version using ʻōlena and nīoi.
When working with any kind of lāʻau, it’s important to use the rituals set forth by our kūpuna. Grow, harvest, and process any type of medicinal plant with good intentions. Pule (prayer) and aloha (love) are the main ingredients when infusing your lāʻau.
This herbal remedy will help fight germs, boost the immune system while warding off colds and flus – all with a little nīoi kick!
Ingredients
• ¼ cup of garlic
• ¼ cup of onion
• ¼ cup of ginger
• ¼ cup of ʻōlena (turmeric)
• Nīoi (chili peppers) to taste
• 1 quart apple cider
• Honey to taste
• Empty half-gallon Mason jar
Instructions
• Dice garlic, onion, ginger, and ʻōlena and place ingredients in a half-gallon mason jar.
• Finely chop nīoi and add to jar with the rest of the ingredients.
• Add the apple cider and make sure it covers all ingredients completely. Place lid securely onto the jar and place it in a cool area.
• Let sit for one mahina or one month. Give it a shake every 2-3 days.
• After one month, strain and compost the herbs.
• Measure the apple cider vinegar that is left and add honey to taste.
• Store in the refrigerator and take 1 tsp. daily for health maintenance. Increase dosage to strengthen immune system especially during cold and flu season.