Genepi (Alpine Wormwood)

High in the Alps, where little else could survive the thin soil and biting wind, shepherds and villagers sought out genepi's silvery, fragrant tufts among the scree. Its bitter, aromatic leaves were traditionally steeped or macerated to settle the stomach after heavy mountain fare and to bring warmth back to a chilled body. Generations of Savoyard, Swiss, and Italian alpine families passed down the practice of gathering it in the short window of summer bloom, treating it as a hard-won reward of the high pastures rather than an everyday herb. It remains best known today as the soul of the traditional liqueur that bears its name, sipped as a digestif and a toast to a hard climb finished.