Lemon balm
A soft-leaved herb of the mint family that smells of lemon, without any sourness. It makes a gentle, fresh cup.
How Ayurveda reads lemon balm
- Part used
- Leaf
Reviewed by the Vapika team.
In the tradition
Lemon balm is not an Ayurvedic herb. It comes from southern Europe and West Asia, where it was grown in monastery gardens and for bees: melissa is Greek for honeybee. It reached India through Unani medicine, where it is called bādranjboya.
How we read it
Because the classical texts don't describe lemon balm, this page gives it no rasa, guṇa or vīrya. By taste, it is mild, lemony and slightly bitter.
In the kitchen
Fresh leaves in salads, lemonade and fruit; dried leaf as a tea.
How we use it
We sell dried lemon balm leaf on its own, and use it in our Brahmi & Lavender Kahwa, where it gives the cup a soft lemon scent.
Lemon balm in our blends
From the texts: Not described in the classical Ayurvedic texts. Used in Unani medicine as bādranjboya.
For learning, not diagnosis. If you are pregnant, nursing or on medication, please speak to your doctor first.