Hungarian herbs, Hungarian herb man
Never-before-seen changes are taking place, while the country endeavours to maintain its traditions and better exploit its ancient values besides the novelties. There are extraordinary and outstanding people everywhere. One of Hungary’s characteristics is its special geographic position. The fertile lands and favourable climate – protected by the Carpathians – ensures that wheat, corn and also various herbs grow in excellent quality. The knowledge of collecting and utilising the latter is an old heritage in this part of the world.
Far from civilisation in the Bükk Mountains in the northern part of the country, an extraordinary man works. He is a living example of how we, Hungarians, preserve our noble traditions. Uncle George Szabó, the herb man of the Bükk, is 90 years old and healthy as a horse. He learnt the knowledge and love of herbs from his ancestors. His grandmother, the natural healer of her time, possessed the knowledge that she herself had inherited from her foregoers and that she passed over to George, her grandchild.
Uncle George Szabó knows and actively uses nearly 150 kinds of medical herbs. In the beginning he himself collected, dried and packaged the herbal teas. Today his venture has grown into a successful enterprise offering employment for a number of people in this region so poor in jobs. They still collect a large proportion of wildly grown herbs, from the unspoilt nature, and then they process and package them respecting Uncle George’s directions and following today’s requirements.
The blends of herbal tea marketed this way are prepared according to his recipes. These products effectively play a part in the treatment of several diseases or they can also supplement academic medicine. These teas include Diabess-Györgytea, Uncle George’s patent from 1999, which has by now become nationally renowned. This herbal tea is a natural aid and additional solution in the treatment of diabetes. The components of the tea blend have long been known in traditional healing for the treatment of this disease.
Uncle George believes in the importance of preserving health and preventing diseases. It is partly the result of his activities and his commitment that herbs are as popular in Hungary as ever. His personal example shows that it is worth applying the gentle treatments in order to avoid falling ill and staying healthy.
