Cumin, coriander and fennel tea, or CCFT, is a staple in Ayurveda. It wouldn’t surprise me if you stopped an Ayurvedi on the street and they had a stash in their bag. Overall, that would be a strange encounter, but that’s how ubiquitous this decoction truly is.

We’ve established how important it is to have strong agni or digestive fire, including not only a fire that can burn steady and hot, but one that doesn’t overheat. Go-to culinary herbs for increasing digestive fire are often spicy or pungent, like ginger. But just when you find it challenging to find something to promote agni without increasing heat or acidity, in struts CCFT. The combination of these three spices has an overall cooling effect in our body, while still improving our ability to digest. Here’s a profile of each spice:

Cumin: Pacifies all doshas, corrects the flow of vata, helps absorb nutrients, increases movement in digestion when it is sluggish, beneficial in the health of female reproductive system

Coriander: Pacifies all doshas, carminative, diurectic, decreases inflammation in the digestive tract, used for allergies and rashes, clears the lungs of mucus, used for safe removal of heavy metals and environmental toxins, reduces fever by moving heat through urine and skin

Fennel: Pacifies all dosas, decreases digestive comfort due to gas and bloating, releases smooth muscles spasm like in the case of abdominal cramping, decreases inflammation in the urinary tract, removes mucus from lungs, increases flow of milk in lactating mothers