Viva L'Erborista!

It’s amazing how you don’t notice something when you’re not looking for it.  Then when you are looking, you find it everywhere.  I’m referring to the centuries old tradition of the erborista in Italy.  An erborista is a person who gives advice on natural remedies and an erboristeria is the place where the erborista conducts his or her business (like pizza in a pizzeria!)  In an erboristeria they sell herbs, oils, and natural remedies. Some may also sell fresh produce like mushrooms and plants.  After I had examined the natural products in the Erbamica Erboristeria in Clusone, Italy, I started noticing that the erboristerias were everywhere in Italy (including 5 doors down on the same street as the original one I visited in Clusone). 

How a small village of less than 9,000 inhabitants can support 2 erboristas is beyond me but it helps support a theory I’ve had ever since I lived in Italy 10 years ago and that is that Italians value natural products as part of their culture.  They do after all inhabit the same peninsula where the Romans used myrrh and yarrow to heal the wounds of their soldiers.  Plus it’s hard not to smell the frankincense when you enter a Catholic church.  My Italian one-day-hopefully-future-mother-in-law once pointed out to me as she was scouring my kitchen clean with half a lemon and some vinegar, that when you are done cleaning, you can also rub the lemon on your elbows and knees for exfoliation.  I love it when “products” multitask!